the tkd school i go to is run privately by an authentic korean master, and even though they have classes 4 times a week (plus 1 sparring) that i "could" go to, im only allowed to go to 2 classes plus the sparring one. each class is 1 hr.

i have gone to all 5 in a week before, and i liked it that way, but now the rule is being heavily enforced. the cost is 125/month.

the classes are okay, not really too physically demanding, and while sometimes the classes are more just conditioning than actual tkd, the teacher knows his stuff, and i like the environment. but its not just supposed to be how you feel, right, like a gym with available classes 5x/wk would be better? i see a lot of other people on these forums training like, 6 days a week, sometimes for 2 hours ea, etc. i guess i dont have that option anymore.

is 125/mo too high when im just a practically broke college student, who would want to train closer to 4-5x/wk but can only go for 3? (some classes are just dedicated to forms, others only conditioning, others only kicking drills. this is why i feel like 2 one hour "classes" isnt always enough, especially when im pretty serious about improving.)

i dont really want to look around for another school unless i really feel like i have to.

any thoughts?

The alternative, i guess, would be to suck it up (i would be training during the summer) and get a job, using the extra time i have to make the 125 seem cheaper.

i still h8 how its not open 5x /wk though.
need 2nd opinions

$125 for 3 hours of tae kwon do a week? I'll bet if you do some looking around, you can find a better place. Aside from being pretty expensive, the strict enforcement part makes it sound like the place is about being a business, and I find that kind of environment tedious in the long term. I like having a teacher that I can interact with and it doesn't feel like a business relationship. Their teaching is more sincere that way too. Also, the taekwondo skillset isn't really regarded as a very versatile one anyway. The ones that are all about sideways standing hands down tappy pointkicking style of taekwondo (which seems pretty widespread) usually doesn't hold up well against a boxer, kickboxer, or grappler. There's probably something more rewarding and effective that you can train in, unless you're really sold on taekwondo for some reason, and it'll probably be at least a little cheaper. Where do you live? You might look into judo or boxing, which are often cheap, effective and rewarding.

Also, a one hour class is pretty short, and a while back the consensus on another thread was that an hour is at best a minimum. I used to train at a place where classes were an hour long, and have since moved on to a place where my teacher's classes are 2 hours. I find it a lot more productive. 90 minutes is common too.

I'll have to agree that tkd itself is not that effective for more than balance and a workout. 125 per month is really bad if It's restricted like that. I personally can't justify paying more than 75/month for tkd. Look around for something more practical and affordable. Most tkd practitioners that i met usually started off in it and That's the only reason they do it. Try judo,jujitsu or bjj

I like having a teacher that I can interact with and it doesn't feel like a business relationship.That's the weird thing. It's all family run, and the master seems like a genuinely nice person who cares a lot about the students. I do feel like I can interact and connect well with him. His wife is the manager who is strict on the policy, and I guess this is where I feel so confused, do I break ties (and by now it's been a few months, i might feel a bit, okay, a lot guilty of doing so) just to find a place where I can train more often for a slightly cheaper price, or do I appreciate what I have here?

I live in so. cali, where the real estate can be pretty high compared to other places, and the average house is like 500-700k, maybe that's why the small dojang requires 125/mo to run? I'm so conflicted..but I appreciate your answers.

PS: i am tkd 100% for now, no need to try and convince me otherwise; if anything else it would be like hapkido or aikido or something, but only later on. (I'm not really into grappling or chokes, joint locks and throws and falls I don't mind as much, but I might be a bit reluctant at first.)

Actually, permalost, that's ironic, i live in your county.

Some other thoughts..
I could ask if they have a price for 5 times a week, and if they really are concerned about their money, i wouldn't be surprised if they have a 5x/wk thing for 140 or 150. But then see, two things wrong with that 1) id be broke in no time 2) still doesn't seem worth it when i can do such conditioning on my own..

My taekwondo classes are $80 unliminted classes for 4 months, $75 concession. My dojang has classes every single day except Sundays and they spar light contact targeting to the body almost every class for five minutes or so. $125 seems pretty steep but if the business isn't doing well it is understandable.

Actually, permalost, that's ironic, i live in your county.

Where in SoCal do you live? I might be able to find a decent dojang that you can attend.

Also, there are a lot of schools that will limit you to the amount of classes you take based on the program or package you sign up for. You are paying for their time to teach so they are just charging for the amount of time you are there. Whether it is right or wrong is just a matter of opinoin.

Actually, permalost, that's ironic, i live in your county.
Martial arts schools can definitely be spendy here. I pay $65 a month but my teacher's school is in his garage. $100 a month is not uncommon.

miguk, id rather talk about that over pm as to not disrespect anyone, but it says my acct hasnt activated yet to pm people.
besides, if you go searching, i wouldnt be surprised if you just end up with my current dojang. it really is a decent place..

thanks permalost, i guess the extra 60 bucks comes from paying rent here. although unfortunate, cuz it adds up.

SFH, it's standard, regardless of how the business is doing. and what, does that mean you're doing 80/mo as long as you sign up for 4 months? how are your classes structured after the 5 min of sparring? how long are they, and how come there's no restriction? do you feel that the lack of restriction means more people come to each class, or do you think there would be no difference (the # of people doesn't rise that much when lack of restriction of days/wk)?

just curious

$125 for 3 hours a week seems insane. I train about 12 hours a week, and I only pay $180 a month. My suggestion is to either get a job to be able to afford that kind of pay, or just change schools if that doesn't work out. What you want to look for is a school where you can train often, and the price is pretty much average ($125-$180). But that depends on where you're training.

It's not really insane, but it's not what I would call a good deal either. If you're not satisfied with what you're getting for your $125, find something else you like. It doesn't mean the guy sucks and his class sucks, it just isn't exactly what you're looking for.

On a sidenote,, compared to USSD (yes its kenpo but still) who charges like $200+? for contracted crappy stuff (or so ive heard), 125 isnt that bad is it

On a sidenote,, compared to USSD (yes its kenpo but still) who charges like $200+? for contracted crappy stuff (or so ive heard), 125 isnt that bad is it
Being better than United Studios isn't saying much.

SFH, it's standard, regardless of how the business is doing. and what, does that mean you're doing 80/mo as long as you sign up for 4 months? how are your classes structured after the 5 min of sparring? how long are they, and how come there's no restriction? do you feel that the lack of restriction means more people come to each class, or do you think there would be no difference (the # of people doesn't rise that much when lack of restriction of days/wk)?

just curious

Strange I thought I edited it. I meant 4 weeks.

Sparring usually happens at the end of class. The class is structured to have warm ups (kicking in the air going over movements) then kicking the bag or paddle then patterns or self defense then if we have enough time sparring. Classes go for 1 hour.

We have class numbers of around 12 max but since there are so many lessons spread out it the numbers usually spread across the days.

As far as the lack of restriction is concerned it would make sense that if things were cheaper more people would go but I don't run a dojang so I wouldn't know. Also you can take into account competition nearby or accessibility.

This is the place I go to:
http://www.prahrantkd.com.au/index.html

what i mean is, when given the option to come every day, like at your gym, how many people (say out of the 12) actually go every day? or do most people just end up going 2 or 3 times a wk?

and thanks for the answers guys..still thinking about it but leaning towards an answer now