Beware the Hidden Fees

More than ever, we are receiving more and more complaints about Martial Arts school's belt test fees which in most cases are hidden fees. I touched on this in my last post. For the most part, it is just a deceptive business tactic to fool the public to think they are paying a cheaper tuition but then get "nickle dimed" after they enroll. The people I talk to get furious about these fees just on the principle of it. The school gets people to enroll thinking they are getting a deal on tuition, gets them to like what they are doing(mostly out of ignorance), then hits them with these fees thinking people will just pay it because they will not know better. Schools that charge them will try to justify the fees by saying that their tests are done separately from class time which may or may not be true. With people's schedules stretched more and more, do you really want to attend a special session every time a student advances every month or so? Then what do the instructors do when the student cannot make this "special test" because of a soccer game, ccd, cub scouts, hockey, baseball, basketball, school play, family vacation, dance, girl scouts, etc. Maybe they will offer a "private" test that costs even more.

I agree with a ceremony of some sort but why can't this be done in class when the students are supposed to be there anyway. I also agree with having a separate test time for the higher levels like brown and black belt. Even these can be a real challenge to schedule. When we have these tests, we give as much as 6 months of notice.
They will also try to justify the fees by stating that they may not test every single month which will cost you less. It does not matter if they test every month or not. Simply add up how many tests they will take in a given year then factor how much each fee will be for each higher level (the fees almost always go up as the student advances), then add this to your annual tuition cost. Then you will have the real cost of training at a school with deceptive business practices and in most cases, questionable integrity. There are few more "justifications" they use that are weak and I will not get into in this post.
Think about it, do college students get charged extra to take an exam? Final exams are outside of class.
There are more hidden costs you need to be aware of. One school in our area requires students to buy a different uniform for each belt promotion. This means they not only charge for the belt test, they require a new type of uniform for that new belt level. It is fine to offer the option to wear a different uniform for a different level program but to require it at each belt level is just another excessive hidden fee. You will be looking at 3-6 new uniforms per year at $60-$100 each. Add that into the "cheap" tuition.

Another popular hidden fee is annual membership dues. This is a special fee that allows you to belong to an "Association" of some sort. For the record, this is a complete rip off. This fee goes to nothing except a pin, patch, or certificate of some sort.

These school owners simply don't get it. They are charging these petty fees at the expense of their clients questioning their integrity. I know this for a fact because before I knew better, I charged them. It was the way I came up. It just makes much more sense to make the advancement fees and other fees part of the tuition. The reality is that these schools are usually too set in their ways and keep driving themselves crazy. That is the definition of insanity. At American Kempo Karate Academy, we do not believe in deceiving the public nor do we want the integrity of our staff to be constantly questioned. To my knowledge, we are one of the very few Martial Arts Schools in the area that does not charge for advancement nor any sneaky hidden fees. We are completely up front about all costs involved in training in our programs. For more information visit http://www.akka.com/

Getting What YOU Pay For

It is very interesting how Martial Arts schools will promise that students will build confidence, self esteem, focus, self control, discipline, respect for self and others, healthy habits, physical fitness, perseverance, and provide positive role models all for the low price of $60 to $80 per month. As an added bonus, they will provide a state of the art facility that is clean, well equipped, insured, and fully staffed with professionals.
Let's be real! It takes a great deal of resources to PROPERLY provide all the above benefits and services. These types of schools know this as they scrape by each month not delivering on all these promises. They have to try to make up the difference with larger numbers of students which compounds their problems. By having a lower tuition, the school will normally attract a lower level of clients which will ultimately turn off the higher quality clients. It becomes a downward spiral and keeps the schools down. Most owners spend their time trying to figure out how to stay open and have to keep putting in their own money from their day jobs. How long can you expect them to last under these conditions? So what do these schools do to survive? They implement hidden fees such as belt test fees to try and make up the difference. Since most of them do not even use a service agreement, they never formally inform you about these fees until your child is "ready" to move up to the next level. They also don't tell you that these fees go up progressively as the student "progresses". Then YOU have the question in your mind about whether your child really deserves to advance or does the school have to raise money to pay the rent. You do not want to be in the position of having to question the integrity of the staff and instructors.
Do NOT fool yourself! You will get what you pay for. A school CANNOT be the BEST and the CHEAPEST for long.
At American Kempo Karate Academy, we DELIVER on our promises and we do NOT deceive the public with hidden fees. All belt promotions are included in our tuition and you will NEVER have to question if your child deserves to advance or not. NEVER go to a Martial Arts school just because it is the cheapest. It is a HUGE mistake and YOU WILL get what you pay for! For more information, visit http://www.akka.com/

Ego Driven or Student Driven

When you determine what you want out of a Martial Arts program, you must then determine what kind of school you want. Most break down into 2 categories. Ego driven and student driven. You can easily see the difference. Ego driven schools are usually shrines to the "head instructor". You can see photos in the lobby of them performing superhuman martial arts feats like breaking blocks that are on fire or jump kicking over something high. Another sign of an ego driven school is an excessive amount of awards or trophies being displayed. Some love to brag about how high rank they are. Be careful of ego driven schools because these types of school care less about the student's enjoyment and progress than they do to build their own egos with "special" accomplishments, many which are false or politically acquired. Most "competition focused" schools are ego driven. Many are so consumed with their egos that it reflects in their poor business practices as well.
Student driven schools are all about providing the best possible experience for the students. You will see the staff being very courteous and professional. You will see a clean, well equipped facility. You will see the classes being run with drills and talks that actually develop the students in a positive and safe way. We at American Kempo Karate Academy are VERY student driven. You will see it in every aspect of our operations. Visit us at http://www.akka.com/ for more information.