Child Karate Grading Costs

[RSKings]

Hi, my 6 year old daughter has been doing karate for around a year now and loves it. Her coach has really helped her along but I'm not sure if we're being ripped off by the club.

Her grading is coming up which is being charged at £55. Is this the norm? They also insist on cash so I don't feel like it's going through the books properly.

She has also been invited to take part in a competition which is great and I'm more than happy to pay for any entry fees required. But then the competition requires a blue and red belt. I suggested the club purchase them and then the club has them for any future competitions incase the participants differ but again they would like cash.

Any advice welcome

I pay £20 per grading for my DS + £6 for the belt if he passes. Ours is also cash on the day but I think that’s because it’s in community centres around the area (lots of people grade from lots of different clubs) and they don’t have card facilities / the facility to coordinate if people have paid across lots of different clubs.

Swap to judo.
Gradings are much cheaper and the belts are supplied at competitions

Gradings are £25 here until you get to brown belt (when they are more expensive to reflect the longer grading process).

£55 sounds ridiculously expensive.

I usually pay £35 for a grading, also in cash.
£55 seems like quite a lot considering how many they go through. Is there anywhere cheaper you could look for?

@RSKings

Hi, my 6 year old daughter has been doing karate for around a year now and loves it. Her coach has really helped her along but I'm not sure if we're being ripped off by the club.

Her grading is coming up which is being charged at £55. Is this the norm? They also insist on cash so I don't feel like it's going through the books properly.

She has also been invited to take part in a competition which is great and I'm more than happy to pay for any entry fees required. But then the competition requires a blue and red belt. I suggested the club purchase them and then the club has them for any future competitions incase the participants differ but again they would like cash.

Any advice welcome

That sounds pricey. We only paid £50 odd for ds's junior black belt. He has since done judo and that is less costly.

Our sons have both done jujitsu for years - grading is £25 to move up a belt. Second stripe (in between grades) is free.

DD and I do taekwondo. €25 for a grading. Includes the belt.

We pay £25 for grading and and that includes the belt.

Which association is it? Have you already paid an annual membership fee?

I can't remember how much taekwondo gradings were when we did it but we had to pay annual British taekwondo membership and insurance, the grading fee and an amount to cover the hall hire/instructor.

@RSKings

Hi, my 6 year old daughter has been doing karate for around a year now and loves it. Her coach has really helped her along but I'm not sure if we're being ripped off by the club.

Her grading is coming up which is being charged at £55. Is this the norm? They also insist on cash so I don't feel like it's going through the books properly.

She has also been invited to take part in a competition which is great and I'm more than happy to pay for any entry fees required. But then the competition requires a blue and red belt. I suggested the club purchase them and then the club has them for any future competitions incase the participants differ but again they would like cash.

Any advice welcome

Karate has been a money-making 'Mcdojo' scam since the 80s. For every decent school, there's 9 money-spinners that charge extortionate prices off parents who don't know better. If you're from a martial arts background it's easier to find better school or reputable trainers, but most of these places just hand out leaflets at the primary school gates, knowing the parents have deep pockets.

It’s been a while since I’ve done it but I’m sure gradings were about £15 + £8 for the belt if you pass. Decent karate schools are hard to find. You can spot a mcDojo by the amount of 8 year old brown/black belts. Is GKR still on the go? They were the prime example of a mcDojo. Ridiculous “company”. I sent my son there and got talking to one of the “instructors”. He was telling me that he’s been doing karate for nearly a year now and he’s getting really into it. I swear I just stared from his face to his black belt in bemusement. Absolute joke. We never went back.