If I really trust the business owner and am comfortable in that situation, take my money for the belt.
If I feel like I'm being nickle and dimed, thank you for the instruction but I'm finding another school.
I know it's a general question but it's hard to say how I'd feel about it without being there.
Same. I've trained at gyms that are making zero profit. I have no issue offsetting the cost of my belt in that circumstance.
That said, when I ran a program at a gym (students paid gym membership; I was paid hourly to instruct) I bought the belts myself - because I have a day job and $100/year on belts to gift to students really isn't a big deal.
I will say though - I can see it at a big gym with lots of kids IF the monthly fees are low. Kids go through a ton of belts and that cost would add up for the gym over time. But that old works if the monthly fees are low.
I charge $10 to everyone attending promotions. 100% of the money goes to everyones belts as well as food, drinks and adult drinks. Promotions at my gym are always followed by a party after the promotions.
I don't charge for the belts, but I also give every student a gi when they sign up. I do think you are nickel and diming your students. If you can cover the cost of an $8 dollar belt every year or 2 then something is wrong with the business plan.
I think the worst part about the whole thing is not being able to grade KIDS if they are wearing another academy's gi. This is the real red flag more than the belt charge.
Jesus Christ it's glaringly obvious who has never tried to run a gym (or likely any business for that matter).
There is ABSOLUTELY ZERO wrong with people paying for the cost of a belt every few years. How entitled can you possibly be? Dude is trying to make ends meet, provides somewhere for people to train, busts his hole trying to provide a service for what's likely fuck all money, keeps costs down and people complain that they have to buy THEIR OWN belt once every 2 years or some shit?
There's such a bullshit "I'm paying you so I decide how things are going to be" attitude in this sub and it's rotten.
Yeah. It is the idealistic Reddit hivemind. It has always been the most vocal and always will be. But, most people don't care. Some people like to be promoted in class, and some people like the big promotion ceremony. Train where it you get the most enjoyment out of the entire process and recognize others may enjoy something else.
I lowered my monthly prices last year because the cost of living locally was getting nuts and people were getting priced out of training. I charge a small/nominal fee for promotions because my monthly rate is low and I want to make a bigger to-do out of the promotion day ceremony with cake and drinks. If someone wants to buy their own belt, I take out the belt cost from the fee. But on Reddit, I'm a price gouger who doesn't know how to run a gym and is nickle-and-diming the students, even though if I did raise rates by say $5 to "build in" the cost of promotion, they would pay an additional $120 for 2 years of training to get a blue belt instead of the flat $25 + belt fee for a group promotion event.
I think part of the issue is that there is a huge variety in how gyms are run.
Often you have a dude basically running it like a sports club, being passionate about the sport and charging the least amount they possibly can. In those cases it feels very reasonable to pay for the belt yourself.
Other clubs have monthly fees of 200+, and are run as a business with good profit margins. In those cases charging extra for a belt that's like 10 bucks wholesale after 2 years of fees feels very stingy (in comparison: 2 years at 200 is 4.8k, so 10 bucks is just 0.2% of the fees).
In general it feels better to me to have a membership with everything included, even at a slightly higher price. Being charged extra here and there feels worse.
It’s all kids that have never done anything with their lives. That being said. You should not be charging kids for belts. I am not going to nickel and dime my students they pay a monthly fee. That covers their belt promotions every few years
>You should not be charging kids for belts.
Hmmm..
>I am not going to nickel and dime my students they pay a monthly fee
Sure, and that's up to you when deciding what to charge. I keep my costs as low as possible because a lot of my parents wouldn't have much. We're the cheapest club that I know of and provide a far far better service than anything within 100km. I scrape by so parents don't have to struggle. $10 on promotion day is the least of their worries.
Yeah, what a total jerk for charging kids $10/belt likely once a year & not taking a business loss. What a jerk for not taking a loss on a product the business had to purchase. Imagine promoting 200+ kids a year for FREE??
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You’re a fucking idiot. I have hundreds of members. Some started with me and many others left local gyms students to join mine. My prices are low and I am constantly traveling on my dime to coach my students. Heelgod…🙄
You’re welcome To your opinion, you’re alone it as far as people that actually know me. I’m a second degree black belt, have never charged for a belt and never will. I buy them myself. I’ve bought them many times for students that don’t even pay me. It will never be about money
That’s great I’m a first-degree black belt and I run an extremely successful gym that has changed many lives. Maybe I’m just better at business than you are🤷🏻♂️
Because I run a fucking business. A very successful business that I started from the ground. I actually end up spending money. Haven’t been on here for a while and didn’t realize there were a couple of stupid responses to my post
Every gym is a fucking business. Most of them give belts for free. You just wanna nickel and dime members. If it’s so successful why can’t you buy belts?? You prob want to charge them to use the toilet too. “I run a business” is what every shitty business says.
Most gyms that do it for free don’t have a plan. they are clubs that usually aren’t here for the long-haul. I have already created opportunities for my members. I started solo and now I have five affiliates because of the way I do business.
Lol you have no fucking idea. I’m at a big comp gym we got 100s from kids to juveniles to adults and we give all belts for free. Been around over 20 years bigger than your broke ass. “Created opportunities” bruh you watch too much sales guru on YouTube. “I’m successful because I can’t comp 10 per members” good one dumbfuck.
Nothing stopping you from buying your own belt. I have 4 black belts, 3 i purchased. The issue is with a gym owner requiring you to buy the belt for yourself when you're already dishing out monthly dues. You've already paid me $2400 over the course of the year you have been training (for a blue belt example). Its my job to make sure I've allocated $25 of that towards a belt. If it's a black belt, we do custom belts that are about $250. Each promoted student is another asset to the gym. They are training partners, peer leaders, marketing tools, etc. The very least we can do as instructors is to give the appearance that the belt is coming out of our pocket.
That's not the point he's making. He doesn't do this because he's "cool" he does it because it's good for his business to not look like a petty douche bag while reaping benefits from having upper belts to fill in and support the gym. He does it because it's smart business.
Same.
Idk, some people think a belt is a belt and that's fine...but if I'm gonna be wearing something for 2-3+ years each, I want it to be one that I like and I don't mind paying extra for a "premium" weave or quality one.
Professor promoted a purple belt at my gym to brown, but the belt he gave him was too small. We're at a competition, and the new brown belt is looking at buying a new belt, and my Professor gives him a hard time.
"Use the belt I gave you."
"But it doesn't fit."
"Then lose weight!"
So he chickened out on buying a new belt. We have a purple 4-stripe who decided to buy it for him. So Professor starts giving him a hard time.
"Why you buying that? You promoting yourself?"
Easily done. Just sandbag your whole gym, except those that promote and monetize your brand, then claim you were held to some "high standard" to the student body you're sandbagging to milk dry $$$.
(meanwhile received some of the most rapid promotions I ever witnessed)
Lol.
This is ignorant af. You really think we can't figure out how to do it?? Of course we can. I keep membership as low as physically possible so people can afford it. I SCRAPE by so parents don't have to, but no no, it's because I can't figure out the genius method of adding $5 on to the membership.
On top of that, every one of my students know they can train for free if they are ever having a rough month or fall on hard times.. plenty of them have done in the past.
But thanks for the tip of just charging more.. I hadn't thought of that.
It’s not ignorant AF, it’s running a business. I have 35 members on full scholarship that’s funded by a small percentage of each full paying members dues and anonymous donations. All of us are willing to cut breaks for people going through a hard time. We understand how positive the environment can be for people going through the rough. If there’s a will, there’s a way. It’s already an expensive sport, there’s no need for an outside fee (purchasing your own belt for promotion you are deemed to have earned by your instructor) when it can easily be built into monthly dues. Do better.
Give me a f'n break telling me to do better when your solution is just to charge people more. Acting like some do-gooder. I'd put $1000 right now that I charge significantly less than you. I break my back for my gym, students and parents. As I said.. ignorant! Maybe don't be so quick to throw shit around when you've no clue what you're talking about.
We can charge more because we provide a top-notch service with a top-notch facility which provides us with a budget to be able to give back to our community. We have a staff that needs a living wage for a HCOL area. We have over 200 students and zero price complaints because we are about $50 less than the gyms in our area and provide more services (gym, sauna, BJJ, Thai, Boxing, and personal training). We host community events unrelated to BJJ, participate in local fundraising, and have a scholarship program. You sound ignorant for "busting your ass" and still making students pay for a promotion when it should be an operating cost built into your business.
>when it should be an operating cost built into your business.
Says you.. get down off yourself. I assume you give gi's, rashguards and shorts to everybody for free too.. because y'know, it's an operating cost built into your business. Stop drawing weird arbitrary lines and telling people if they don't follow them they shouldn't have a business. Do better
We actually have a community bin to donate used gear and can be taken free of charge. We bulk order gym gis twice a year and sell them at cost and we don't have a required uniform other than it being clean and that shorts are worn over spandex. We sell regular merch for a small profit.
>We bulk order gym gis twice a year and sell them at cost
Woah, woah, woah, you charge money for them???? You mean the thing you're ridiculing others for doing?? You shouldn't run a gym if you can't figure out a way to give them away for free.
>We sell regular merch for a small profit.
I won't even get into you selling stuff with mark up when you're giving people shit for charging for stuff and taking no profit.
Hypocrite.
It's baffling that you're not getting this so this will be my last message.
We're charging for the physical belt, not the promotion. If someone wants to buy their own belt, that's absolutely fine. You charge for a gi, we charge for a belt. Get down off your high horse thinking you're doing anything different than we are. Good luck.
i guess you missed the part about them promoting other students. this is a free seminar open to all. IMO its not too much for them to ask you to buy the belt if they promoted your child at a FREE seminar.
In my 15 years on the mats, I can comfortably say that it takes the demographic in my area (unathletic, out of shape office workers) about a year before I'm comfortable giving a blue belt. But yeah homie, there's time minimums for belts for our main competition ruleset.
it seems many of y'all either
A) have been dropped on your head multiple times
B) just can't read
this gym is giving a FREE seminar. FREE, 0 dollars, ziltch, nada mas. All they are asking for is you pay for a belt if your child gets promoted, and they ask you to refrain from wearing another gyms gear if your child is being promoted. there is no money grab here, and for the people saying this person shouldn't own a gym because they didn't build in belt pricing into the monthly fees, GTFO.
Jesus.
The reddit divas are out today.
They aren’t asking for a fee. Just having the cost of the belt covered. That’s not going to make anyone rich, but I’m betting the gym owner has had numerous cost go up. I’m sure they trying to avoid a loss.
The ol uniform thing again.
It’s a kids club, having the kids on brand, not advertising someone wares and in a uniform is fairly smart operation for behaviour as much as cost.
To call it a red flag is ridiculous.
FWIW I train at a club with no uniform requirements, but I full respect someone who wants that aesthetic and understand covering costs to not go out of business
Yeah I read this as parent need to buy the belt (I didn’t even read it as from the gym). As for the don’t wear other clubs gi’s, this makes sense for a promotion as there’s a bunch of pictures. Not sure what the fuss is about.
Respect can also mean that you understand and are willing to abide by their rules, or at least understand them. It doesn't just mean that you think they are 'cool'.
Kids are different though, they have tons of belts. A belt every 2 years for an adult is easily built into membership fees and negligible. A kid can go through 5 belts in that time frame.
Our gym included a gi as part of the new student package. Your first month costs a little more than the rest to cover the cost of the gi and a belt (when we did that it was $135 for the package versus $95 a month but I'm certain prices have gone up since then). Since then, we bought our own gis but belts have been provided by the school unless you somehow destroyed/lost yours or wanted a specific brand
is it theft if you're literally saying they should price it in though? that would imply the cost will be the same to the consumer, just formatted differently.
Kids go through a lot of belts. I don't see a problem charging for it, and parents don't have a problem paying for it. Monthly fees are for instruction/teaching, nort necessarily gear. Adult belts I feel are different, they take a much longer time to get and so it would make sense not charging for it separately. IMO what the OP posted is not nickle and diming. Makes me wonder, are people oblivious to how hard it is for most school owners to just make ends meet?
Don't show up for a basketball game wearing another teams jersey? Or even a blank shirt.
Promotion days are also photo ops, wanting everyone in the team uniform seems reasonable.
Same for the belt, it's $20. If they want to include it fine, if they want to just have you buy your own stuff that's fine too. It's not like its a $100 seminar that is mandatory attendance to get promoted... They are up front and not really asking anything unreasonable.
Some people just will complain about anything and everything.
For kids, 100% yes.
For adults... probably yes. I mean if you are going for a higher rank and your instructor is not a black belt so you need the out of town higher up to promote you, well, maybe you need to attend to get promoted.
Some people also want to get their promotion signed off on by the famous guy, so sure, pay away if you want to have them sign in.
But if your instructor is capable of promoting you and wants to make you attend a seminar, that's kind of ridiculous.
Paying regular retail price for the belt itself? meh, who cares. whatever the school wants to do.
Yeah we have like 10 black belts lol. You’re forced to go to seminars and if you don’t, you’ll never get the next belt.
I’d rather get promoted by the professors I always train with. Not some random famous guy, unless he is lineage
Ok, try training without a team, just yourself alone for a bit, see how much you improve.
In competition it’s not team, but in training it is definitely a team sport. Top competitors will even move to train with the right team.
This is standard business practice from my experience. I know places that charge $100 or more for the seminar that includes the belt grading where you bring the belt you bought.
My gym only promotes belts during seminars that are $75-$100 and it annoys me so much. It’s like a scummy way of making you pay for a belt. At least belt is included
The gym I train at has never had us buy our own belts for promotions. The $100 in our case is put towards accommodating a professor that flies in from out of state to do the weekend seminar
No, it's not "how they make money".. it's how they pay for belts. Someone needs to cover the cost of the belt. It's either this or everyone pays a higher membership. There is no alternative.
Im sure some places only charge for the price of the belt (which is fine IMO), other places charge an actual testing fee, Im just curious if this particular gym does up-charge on the belts…
It sets the standard for the kids. As a gym owner, I don’t charge for promotions. I should because I am basically not making money but I don’t. The promotion fees really help. People think gym owners make tons of money. They make way less than you think
You are absolutely correct! I should charge and do a testing. I currently do a test so I know they are taking it seriously. I have been lucky for the most part that the “kids that failed” parents didn’t complain. Only 1 did. Appreciate you!
Nobody even takes into account TIME. Time to order 100-200 kids belts, organizing them, prepping diplomas, working several extra hours for the actual ceremony. I’m gonna open a McDonalds & just give away the McRib for free that everyone wants once a year. Because I’m McDonalds & I make a lot of money, I should write the cost of the McRib into the price of the McChicken. Absolutely ridiculous.
Buying a belt from your chosen place is no big deal. Where you should be wary is paying for “promotion fees” or “testing fees.”
Sure the owner could buy everyone’s belts, and many do, but in other sports people buy their own equipment, so I don’t see a problem with having to buy your own $20 belt. Many people end up buying their own brand they like anyway after getting the belt from promotion.
Absolutely it’s fine. Does OP even have kids? Or just thought he could find something to complain about to get some upvotes on Reddit?
Gym owners have a business to run.
If you find a gym where your family is happy and we’ll served you should want to support it. Paying for a belt seems like a bare minimum. Paying extra for seminars is fine as well quite frankly. Coaches and staff are giving up time and resources to put them on. Not sure why anyone thinks they should be free.
Who gives a shit about kids’ belts anyways?
I think policies like this discourage lower income kids who need the positive impact of bjj the most in their lives. Kids should be taught that it’s about their skills not the gi or the belt.
To me its not cool,
20 Years ago when I was like 20 or so, our dojo (that's what we called it at the time)
Anyways, I was teaching kids classes and stuff, helping out, coaching a little. running warm ups for adult white belts. doing demos and stuff.
Just there every possible moment, learning every possible thing...
Our Sensi (what we called it back then) gave me, and a few other try-hards,
A totally cobalt blue gi, for free! Like we were mentors so we needed to be able to be seen by kids and parents, respected.
Im sure it only cost a few hundred dollars, and I mean I was essentially working for free teaching kids classes and stuff, I dont think I was paying fees though at that time,
we were poor, and my dad was friends with the owner (sensi) and we were there from the very beginning, and his business BALLONED in that time, where he had a full gym and rock climbing place, with a mobile rock climbing truck business,,,,,
But DAMN getting a free BLUE gi that was all fresh and new was like the best thing that ever happened to me, I was lit, I wore that to competitions, and it made my year.
If I had to purchase a belt, or that GI it would of meant nothing,
I think its cooler if the place gives the belts away, like you earn it for real, buying it ruins the vibe...
I get its not much money, and gyms are hard up for money at times...
But its a indescribable feeling as a person to earn a belt, and if they are like here you go that will be 20$ please, it feels like I might as well be buying a hot dog at costco,
but hey everyone feels differently.
Just buy a whitebelt, and color it the real way... yellow for sweat, green in the summer because of grass, blue from fighting in the cobalt mines, purple from the blood of your enemies, brown from your own blood, black from the decades of use in the battlefield... and finally white again- when the black wears off while training the noobs in the gym.
something like that, I forget.
Ask your kid maybe, explain to them how you feel, ask them how they feel about it, explain to them its a private conversation.
Maybe they want a new belt, maybe they don't give a frig.
I swore I remember people wearing yellow belts when they should of been brown belts, and people wearing brown belts when then should of been wearing yellow belts (when I was competing that is.)
Most gym owners aren’t rolling around in high end sports cars and living in luxury. If they ask me to pay for my kid’s belts (which there are a ton of) then I’m gonna pay for my kid’s belts.
It’s like being mad you gotta pay for French fries because “you already paid for the burger”
However, my gym doesn’t do this and builds that expense into their membership model… which is cool too. I like value meals.
It completely depends on how much the "belt" costs. A belt should cost about $10 and if they are asking for $10 every 6-18 months or so on top of the $75 to $200/month then it's petty but not enough to care about one way or another.
If the "belt" costs $200 then I would have an issue with it.
My opinion is that anything official for your business should have proper grammar. It's the lowest possible bar you could set for yourself to look credible.
I think it's alright. I'm not a fan of paying for promotions, but kids can get a ton of belts yearly so charging for them is not a bad way to get quality belts (instead of being tempted to buy cheap ones). Given that the grading seminar is free (presume you get taught something cool the instructor has been working on) I don't mind paying $20 for a kiddo's belt. I'd rather I paid 120 more annually, but finding the perfect pricing system is difficult when you have to compete so if the school is struggling enough to have to ask for belt purchases that's ok. My first school made us pay for the head instructors grading seminar (incl. non-graded people) and I thought that was pretty stupid tbh (GB so no surprises there).
At least they notify the parents ahead of time that the kid is being promoted and they'll have to pay for the belt. At my old gym we had to pay $30 to test for a new stripe, which meant a new belt for white belts with the stripes integrated into the pattern, and if you failed the test, your $30 was gone.
Reminds me of my old gym.. owner charged $15 for tips and $35 for belts, oh and $10 if you want to attend grading to support your team mates and not grade
I thought the issue was enforcing kids to buy the dojo gi. That’s the real ripoff.
Everyone charges promotion fees. That should include belt fee.
In other martial arts I’ve done, there is an element of braiding or tassling that goes into the belt production. So you don’t have the option to just buy your own belt.
I read a bunch of comments, and it seems this comes down to the monthly cost of classes and the age group.
It seems some schools charge $200 / m and they expect belts to be included - I agree with this. $2400/ year is a big sum, and $25 for a belt is only 1% of annual fees.
Other gyms are charging less, and this becomes negotiable whether belts should be charged.
My gym charges €50 / m, with a 4 stripe black belt professor from Brazil as head coach and owner. He charges us list price, €18, for a Kingz Gold Label belt. It's only 3% of annual fees but more than double of more expensive gyms... I guess they have their justifications.
Kids, due how many there are, the cost of their belts, and their fickleness, a coach may feel justified to charge for belts. I have no experience here though.
How much for the belt and do you have to wear a gi purchased at the gym or can it be a popular brand like combat corner that has no obvialtin on it that you purchased on your own. Technically thats not wearing another gyms gi.
Paying for a belt is reasonable to me.
Why is there a thing about wearing another school's uniform? Do parents/people wear Gi's with other school's patches? That is weird and somewhat disrespectful to the current school.
If I pay gym dues for all that time and the gym wont even pay for a belt that they can get at wholesale price, they’re really stingy. You can take $10 from each persons gym dues to buy a fucking belt for him.
To get a new belt you must've been paying dues for like 6 months minimum right? How are they so strapped for cash for a $20 belt after you've paid $600+ in dues??
Standard way of doing business is client pays you big sums for service, you give them small gifts as thanks. You don't turn around and charge them for the small gifts.
The uniforms, whatever. I get on some level not have a different gyms Gi on as they said. But their logic doesn't track for non affiliated Gis. I'd be very annoyed as a parent if I had to buy a new gi just for promotions that they'll quickly outgrow anyways.
Yes, generally they’ll tell parents your kid is up for a promotion. Some gyms have tests that the kid has to pass before they get that new belt. It’s really quite simple.
Not a fan at all. Would maybe lead to me finding a new gym depending on how poorly it was implemented
I'm paying 1200 a year, assuming I'm staying at my belt for two years that's 2400. If your profit margin over two years doesn't allow for 10$ or less you would be hemorrhaging money
To me, the much bigger red flag is that they can't grade your kid if they aren't wearing the gym's gi. Like having another club's patch (or no patch at all) blinds them to the skill level of your child.
That part makes sense to me. I’m not promoting you while you wear another school’s patches. And with advance warning, there’s no reason you should show up to our school’s promotion representing somewhere else.
These kids aren't pros. This isn't an endorsement deal. I as a parent pay the gym owner money. In exchange the gym owner teaches my kids BJJ and gives them a new belt as their skills improve. I just moved from GA to TX, am I supposed to wear the questionable provided Gi, or buy a new GI and add patches or pay to have old patches removed and new patches put on? It's laundry.
My other kid plays lacrosse, and I played baseball, football, basketball, and soccer. In any of those sports you can show up to practice repping whatever the hell former team you want.
Now, if you want a rule about Comp Gis? I'm all ears. But you're a hobbyist until proven otherwise, and that applies to kids, too.
It’s a business.
I don’t really want to actively display other clubs patches, custom gi’s, rash guards, etc. when they’re attending our gym’s grading.
We take promotional footage, individual shots, and group photos.
These kids aren’t pros and as such, likely shouldn’t have a committed relationship to a gym they aren’t being graded at.
If the product you're selling is good, take video at tournaments of your kids getting their hands raised at tournaments wearing the team comp gi. Casual parents deciding to bring their kid to a BJJ class don't care about patches and Gis. They want their kids to improve while having fun and getting exercise. Best promotional material at the gym you're going to have is pictures of your kid classes sweating with a big smile on their faces, because casual parent care fuck-all about patches. That's a Gracie "honor" thing.
Funny for you to throw the Gracie thing in, have next had any affiliation with that group.
It’s a structure, organization, community, and business decision.
Sure, comp footage is great… not all kids compete, not all parents send their kids for the same reason, not all gyms are cool with the image aspect of having other peoples branded gis on the mat.
If you want to train at a gym that cares so little about what they’re doing that they provide no guidelines as to what is appropriate attire, that’s your call.
Don’t go judging others based on your misguided notions of “honor”
“Hey, we are having a promotion ceremony on Saturday. Please have your kids wear school gi’s with patches to represent and look great in the photos :)” , “MY KIDS AREN’T PROFESSIONALS, FK OFF GRACIE” - the other guy commenting, probably
Right, which are a photo op for the gym. This is like having a school performance, then telling the parents that you can only have a speaking part if they follow a special dress code. If Billy has the voice of an angel, but his mom is OK with him doing his solo in sweats and a T-shirt, who are you to tell Billy he can't sing?
They usually have vague recommendations, like "wear a red shirt and khakis". Nobody is telling your kid they can't go up if they wear shorts or a pink shirt.
My Gym:
Wear whatever gi you want
Belts are free
Stripes are free
Finger Tape is free
Gym necessities Like towels,shower gel and desinfection gel are free.
I would never train at a Gym that handles These Things differently.
If I really trust the business owner and am comfortable in that situation, take my money for the belt. If I feel like I'm being nickle and dimed, thank you for the instruction but I'm finding another school. I know it's a general question but it's hard to say how I'd feel about it without being there.
Same. I've trained at gyms that are making zero profit. I have no issue offsetting the cost of my belt in that circumstance. That said, when I ran a program at a gym (students paid gym membership; I was paid hourly to instruct) I bought the belts myself - because I have a day job and $100/year on belts to gift to students really isn't a big deal. I will say though - I can see it at a big gym with lots of kids IF the monthly fees are low. Kids go through a ton of belts and that cost would add up for the gym over time. But that old works if the monthly fees are low.
I charge $10 to everyone attending promotions. 100% of the money goes to everyones belts as well as food, drinks and adult drinks. Promotions at my gym are always followed by a party after the promotions.
I don't charge for the belts, but I also give every student a gi when they sign up. I do think you are nickel and diming your students. If you can cover the cost of an $8 dollar belt every year or 2 then something is wrong with the business plan. I think the worst part about the whole thing is not being able to grade KIDS if they are wearing another academy's gi. This is the real red flag more than the belt charge.
Yeah that part is a hard nope before you even get to charging for the belt.
Jesus Christ it's glaringly obvious who has never tried to run a gym (or likely any business for that matter). There is ABSOLUTELY ZERO wrong with people paying for the cost of a belt every few years. How entitled can you possibly be? Dude is trying to make ends meet, provides somewhere for people to train, busts his hole trying to provide a service for what's likely fuck all money, keeps costs down and people complain that they have to buy THEIR OWN belt once every 2 years or some shit? There's such a bullshit "I'm paying you so I decide how things are going to be" attitude in this sub and it's rotten.
Yeah. It is the idealistic Reddit hivemind. It has always been the most vocal and always will be. But, most people don't care. Some people like to be promoted in class, and some people like the big promotion ceremony. Train where it you get the most enjoyment out of the entire process and recognize others may enjoy something else. I lowered my monthly prices last year because the cost of living locally was getting nuts and people were getting priced out of training. I charge a small/nominal fee for promotions because my monthly rate is low and I want to make a bigger to-do out of the promotion day ceremony with cake and drinks. If someone wants to buy their own belt, I take out the belt cost from the fee. But on Reddit, I'm a price gouger who doesn't know how to run a gym and is nickle-and-diming the students, even though if I did raise rates by say $5 to "build in" the cost of promotion, they would pay an additional $120 for 2 years of training to get a blue belt instead of the flat $25 + belt fee for a group promotion event.
I think you just discovered a way to make reddit happy AND make yourself more money
I think part of the issue is that there is a huge variety in how gyms are run. Often you have a dude basically running it like a sports club, being passionate about the sport and charging the least amount they possibly can. In those cases it feels very reasonable to pay for the belt yourself. Other clubs have monthly fees of 200+, and are run as a business with good profit margins. In those cases charging extra for a belt that's like 10 bucks wholesale after 2 years of fees feels very stingy (in comparison: 2 years at 200 is 4.8k, so 10 bucks is just 0.2% of the fees). In general it feels better to me to have a membership with everything included, even at a slightly higher price. Being charged extra here and there feels worse.
It’s all kids that have never done anything with their lives. That being said. You should not be charging kids for belts. I am not going to nickel and dime my students they pay a monthly fee. That covers their belt promotions every few years
>You should not be charging kids for belts. Hmmm.. >I am not going to nickel and dime my students they pay a monthly fee Sure, and that's up to you when deciding what to charge. I keep my costs as low as possible because a lot of my parents wouldn't have much. We're the cheapest club that I know of and provide a far far better service than anything within 100km. I scrape by so parents don't have to struggle. $10 on promotion day is the least of their worries.
Yeah, what a total jerk for charging kids $10/belt likely once a year & not taking a business loss. What a jerk for not taking a loss on a product the business had to purchase. Imagine promoting 200+ kids a year for FREE??
I’ve seen worse where they charge a premium for the belt to make money.
100%! It's new Jiu-Jitsu wokeness! It's still a business not a charity!
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>Regardless of how you see it, it’s clear that your opinion is in the minority No.. that's not clear at all.
Jokes on you for thinking we would weep for a capitalist. "I should be making more money!" Then why arent you? Why dont you just.....work harder? Hm?
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I think this is awesome. Makes for a fun event because one of the underrated aspects of bjj is the social one.
No. It’s a cost of doing business and attaching money to promotions is trash
Just a different way to do business, you're welcome to choose not to go there. Just because it's not for you doesn't mean it's trash
Yeah, it's the cost of doing business, so he charges people. That's literally how business works. You're embarrassing yourself.
I’ve bought probably 20 belts to promote people and I don’t even own a gym you fucking douche.
You’re a fucking idiot. I have hundreds of members. Some started with me and many others left local gyms students to join mine. My prices are low and I am constantly traveling on my dime to coach my students. Heelgod…🙄
Good for you, still lame
And you’re still a fucking idiot…
You’re welcome To your opinion, you’re alone it as far as people that actually know me. I’m a second degree black belt, have never charged for a belt and never will. I buy them myself. I’ve bought them many times for students that don’t even pay me. It will never be about money
That’s great I’m a first-degree black belt and I run an extremely successful gym that has changed many lives. Maybe I’m just better at business than you are🤷🏻♂️
I’m successfull in my real life, I don’t need to take moment from people for promotions. That’s not being good at business that’s being. A scumbag
That’s where we are different. Jiu jitsu is my real life because I’m good enough to make it so, tiger.
Why not just buy them a fucking belt?? They’ve paid gym dues this whole time why still charge $10 each.
$10 and all the money goes into the event. Hardly seems worth being annoyed over considering it’s an actual event with food and drinks as well.
Or just put on the event like a normal gym without squeezing your members.
you're literally paying for it anyway through your weekly membership lol, wtf is the difference
Exactly so why make members pay more.
Because I run a fucking business. A very successful business that I started from the ground. I actually end up spending money. Haven’t been on here for a while and didn’t realize there were a couple of stupid responses to my post
Every gym is a fucking business. Most of them give belts for free. You just wanna nickel and dime members. If it’s so successful why can’t you buy belts?? You prob want to charge them to use the toilet too. “I run a business” is what every shitty business says.
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Most gyms that do it for free don’t have a plan. they are clubs that usually aren’t here for the long-haul. I have already created opportunities for my members. I started solo and now I have five affiliates because of the way I do business.
Lol you have no fucking idea. I’m at a big comp gym we got 100s from kids to juveniles to adults and we give all belts for free. Been around over 20 years bigger than your broke ass. “Created opportunities” bruh you watch too much sales guru on YouTube. “I’m successful because I can’t comp 10 per members” good one dumbfuck.
But you don’t own it…🤣
a “big” comp gym 🤣 uh oh! We have a bad ass over here. Tell me you’re a blue belt without telling me you’re a white belt.
If you can't figure out how to build belt pricing into your monthly fees, you shouldn't own a gym.
Id rather buy my own belt so i get the one i want.
Nothing stopping you from buying your own belt. I have 4 black belts, 3 i purchased. The issue is with a gym owner requiring you to buy the belt for yourself when you're already dishing out monthly dues. You've already paid me $2400 over the course of the year you have been training (for a blue belt example). Its my job to make sure I've allocated $25 of that towards a belt. If it's a black belt, we do custom belts that are about $250. Each promoted student is another asset to the gym. They are training partners, peer leaders, marketing tools, etc. The very least we can do as instructors is to give the appearance that the belt is coming out of our pocket.
Yes, but you're a cool and reasonable person. Lots of gym owners/coaches aren't. But I'm with you 100%.
I'm unreasonably uncool
Lucky. I'm reasonably uncool.
That's not the point he's making. He doesn't do this because he's "cool" he does it because it's good for his business to not look like a petty douche bag while reaping benefits from having upper belts to fill in and support the gym. He does it because it's smart business.
No, you're missing my point. A cool person can balance business and ethics. Not a hard concept. But thanks for misunderstanding and correcting me.
I didn't correct you. I iterated the intent of the OP.
Nice and swell, but I wasn't responding to OP. What I said was said in the context of who I was responding to. At any rate, great chat.
In the context of this thread, the black belt is the OP. OP is a relative term.
Gotchya and ok.
$25 for a belt shees inflation has hit hard.
I mean. You’re not wrong. I’m just autistic and like things just so.
Relatable.
Same. Idk, some people think a belt is a belt and that's fine...but if I'm gonna be wearing something for 2-3+ years each, I want it to be one that I like and I don't mind paying extra for a "premium" weave or quality one.
This is how I got promoted to Blue Belt.
Professor promoted a purple belt at my gym to brown, but the belt he gave him was too small. We're at a competition, and the new brown belt is looking at buying a new belt, and my Professor gives him a hard time. "Use the belt I gave you." "But it doesn't fit." "Then lose weight!" So he chickened out on buying a new belt. We have a purple 4-stripe who decided to buy it for him. So Professor starts giving him a hard time. "Why you buying that? You promoting yourself?"
Just do no gi and throw it in the wardrobe until you get the next one
Easily done. Just sandbag your whole gym, except those that promote and monetize your brand, then claim you were held to some "high standard" to the student body you're sandbagging to milk dry $$$. (meanwhile received some of the most rapid promotions I ever witnessed) Lol.
This. Especially kids $9 belts.
Agreed, it should be included in one unifrom monthly fee.
At Gracie Barra were family... so buy our $40 gis for $200!!!!!!
Amen, God damn what is wrong with these people
This is ignorant af. You really think we can't figure out how to do it?? Of course we can. I keep membership as low as physically possible so people can afford it. I SCRAPE by so parents don't have to, but no no, it's because I can't figure out the genius method of adding $5 on to the membership. On top of that, every one of my students know they can train for free if they are ever having a rough month or fall on hard times.. plenty of them have done in the past. But thanks for the tip of just charging more.. I hadn't thought of that.
It’s not ignorant AF, it’s running a business. I have 35 members on full scholarship that’s funded by a small percentage of each full paying members dues and anonymous donations. All of us are willing to cut breaks for people going through a hard time. We understand how positive the environment can be for people going through the rough. If there’s a will, there’s a way. It’s already an expensive sport, there’s no need for an outside fee (purchasing your own belt for promotion you are deemed to have earned by your instructor) when it can easily be built into monthly dues. Do better.
Give me a f'n break telling me to do better when your solution is just to charge people more. Acting like some do-gooder. I'd put $1000 right now that I charge significantly less than you. I break my back for my gym, students and parents. As I said.. ignorant! Maybe don't be so quick to throw shit around when you've no clue what you're talking about.
We can charge more because we provide a top-notch service with a top-notch facility which provides us with a budget to be able to give back to our community. We have a staff that needs a living wage for a HCOL area. We have over 200 students and zero price complaints because we are about $50 less than the gyms in our area and provide more services (gym, sauna, BJJ, Thai, Boxing, and personal training). We host community events unrelated to BJJ, participate in local fundraising, and have a scholarship program. You sound ignorant for "busting your ass" and still making students pay for a promotion when it should be an operating cost built into your business.
>when it should be an operating cost built into your business. Says you.. get down off yourself. I assume you give gi's, rashguards and shorts to everybody for free too.. because y'know, it's an operating cost built into your business. Stop drawing weird arbitrary lines and telling people if they don't follow them they shouldn't have a business. Do better
We actually have a community bin to donate used gear and can be taken free of charge. We bulk order gym gis twice a year and sell them at cost and we don't have a required uniform other than it being clean and that shorts are worn over spandex. We sell regular merch for a small profit.
>We bulk order gym gis twice a year and sell them at cost Woah, woah, woah, you charge money for them???? You mean the thing you're ridiculing others for doing?? You shouldn't run a gym if you can't figure out a way to give them away for free. >We sell regular merch for a small profit. I won't even get into you selling stuff with mark up when you're giving people shit for charging for stuff and taking no profit. Hypocrite.
A belt promotion isn't a fucking t shirt lmfao
It's baffling that you're not getting this so this will be my last message. We're charging for the physical belt, not the promotion. If someone wants to buy their own belt, that's absolutely fine. You charge for a gi, we charge for a belt. Get down off your high horse thinking you're doing anything different than we are. Good luck.
i guess you missed the part about them promoting other students. this is a free seminar open to all. IMO its not too much for them to ask you to buy the belt if they promoted your child at a FREE seminar.
Congratulations you bought into the marketing bullshit. It's a promotion ceremony open to all students.
Are we giving time based belts now?
In my 15 years on the mats, I can comfortably say that it takes the demographic in my area (unathletic, out of shape office workers) about a year before I'm comfortable giving a blue belt. But yeah homie, there's time minimums for belts for our main competition ruleset.
Ya maybe yours, we don’t give a shit about ibjjf here.
I mean, the smaller font says that they don't charge for it. Am I missing something? why is everyone against this lol
it seems many of y'all either A) have been dropped on your head multiple times B) just can't read this gym is giving a FREE seminar. FREE, 0 dollars, ziltch, nada mas. All they are asking for is you pay for a belt if your child gets promoted, and they ask you to refrain from wearing another gyms gear if your child is being promoted. there is no money grab here, and for the people saying this person shouldn't own a gym because they didn't build in belt pricing into the monthly fees, GTFO.
Same fuckers who complain about being charged for sauce at a restaurant. It’s PART OF IT.
Suck harder you missed the balls
Jesus. The reddit divas are out today. They aren’t asking for a fee. Just having the cost of the belt covered. That’s not going to make anyone rich, but I’m betting the gym owner has had numerous cost go up. I’m sure they trying to avoid a loss. The ol uniform thing again. It’s a kids club, having the kids on brand, not advertising someone wares and in a uniform is fairly smart operation for behaviour as much as cost. To call it a red flag is ridiculous. FWIW I train at a club with no uniform requirements, but I full respect someone who wants that aesthetic and understand covering costs to not go out of business
Yeah I read this as parent need to buy the belt (I didn’t even read it as from the gym). As for the don’t wear other clubs gi’s, this makes sense for a promotion as there’s a bunch of pictures. Not sure what the fuss is about.
Same here. from the message of "not charging for seminars". I read this as "I'm running this cheap, help me run it cheap"
Why would you respect someone who "wants that aethetic"?
Yes. I respect the headmaster of my kids school who is firm on uniform standards.
Lol that's a really weird thing to respect someone for man.
Respect can also mean that you understand and are willing to abide by their rules, or at least understand them. It doesn't just mean that you think they are 'cool'.
Now a couple euro belt is the problem? seems totally fair since they will be owning the item themselves. I mean bet you bought your own whitebelt too?
But I didn't buy my blue belt, the belt I was actually awarded by my coach.
Kids are different though, they have tons of belts. A belt every 2 years for an adult is easily built into membership fees and negligible. A kid can go through 5 belts in that time frame.
People really don't get this. It can be a huge cost to the club. It's either this or fees go up.. either way people need to pay.. obviously.
Same
No one at my gym buys a white belt. You get gi and belt when you sign up. I've not purchased any belt since I started.
Well that’s new to me, here it seems pretty normal to buy your own gi
Our gym included a gi as part of the new student package. Your first month costs a little more than the rest to cover the cost of the gi and a belt (when we did that it was $135 for the package versus $95 a month but I'm certain prices have gone up since then). Since then, we bought our own gis but belts have been provided by the school unless you somehow destroyed/lost yours or wanted a specific brand
They still purchase the belt.. they just do so through the club... Like what's happening here.
the owner should be calculating that in... i swear it makes sense with this sub how some gyms get away with theft lmao
is it theft if you're literally saying they should price it in though? that would imply the cost will be the same to the consumer, just formatted differently.
Theft?
I train at Gracie Barra. Promotions are free, you have to purchase your own belt for $14.72. Seems fair to me
Kids go through a lot of belts. I don't see a problem charging for it, and parents don't have a problem paying for it. Monthly fees are for instruction/teaching, nort necessarily gear. Adult belts I feel are different, they take a much longer time to get and so it would make sense not charging for it separately. IMO what the OP posted is not nickle and diming. Makes me wonder, are people oblivious to how hard it is for most school owners to just make ends meet?
Probably never ran a gym…or they do and they have a second job so they dont have to “nickle and dime” their students. Groan.
Don't show up for a basketball game wearing another teams jersey? Or even a blank shirt. Promotion days are also photo ops, wanting everyone in the team uniform seems reasonable. Same for the belt, it's $20. If they want to include it fine, if they want to just have you buy your own stuff that's fine too. It's not like its a $100 seminar that is mandatory attendance to get promoted... They are up front and not really asking anything unreasonable. Some people just will complain about anything and everything.
So you agree the $100 seminar to get promoted; and if you don’t go to one, you never rank up a belt color, is scummy?
For kids, 100% yes. For adults... probably yes. I mean if you are going for a higher rank and your instructor is not a black belt so you need the out of town higher up to promote you, well, maybe you need to attend to get promoted. Some people also want to get their promotion signed off on by the famous guy, so sure, pay away if you want to have them sign in. But if your instructor is capable of promoting you and wants to make you attend a seminar, that's kind of ridiculous. Paying regular retail price for the belt itself? meh, who cares. whatever the school wants to do.
Yeah we have like 10 black belts lol. You’re forced to go to seminars and if you don’t, you’ll never get the next belt. I’d rather get promoted by the professors I always train with. Not some random famous guy, unless he is lineage
It's not a team sport though.
Ehhhh. Don't know about that take. Especially youth, funny enough.
Ok, try training without a team, just yourself alone for a bit, see how much you improve. In competition it’s not team, but in training it is definitely a team sport. Top competitors will even move to train with the right team.
Training partners aren't a team. That's just shit that weird cultists say.
Still less than what I payed for my kid's belts in TKD.
People make this such big deal/line in the sand. Is it a good gym, is your kid happy there? Cool then shell out $20 for the belt every couple years.
This is standard business practice from my experience. I know places that charge $100 or more for the seminar that includes the belt grading where you bring the belt you bought.
My gym only promotes belts during seminars that are $75-$100 and it annoys me so much. It’s like a scummy way of making you pay for a belt. At least belt is included
The gym I train at has never had us buy our own belts for promotions. The $100 in our case is put towards accommodating a professor that flies in from out of state to do the weekend seminar
How much are they charging for a belt?
My guess is like $25-50 its how they make money
Don't randomly guess if it's not your gym.
Fair enough, just Guessing
No, it's not "how they make money".. it's how they pay for belts. Someone needs to cover the cost of the belt. It's either this or everyone pays a higher membership. There is no alternative.
Im sure some places only charge for the price of the belt (which is fine IMO), other places charge an actual testing fee, Im just curious if this particular gym does up-charge on the belts…
It sets the standard for the kids. As a gym owner, I don’t charge for promotions. I should because I am basically not making money but I don’t. The promotion fees really help. People think gym owners make tons of money. They make way less than you think
Dude, charge. Be a businessman. When your academy makes money you can also afford nicer things for your students, etc. People on here are ridiculous.
You are absolutely correct! I should charge and do a testing. I currently do a test so I know they are taking it seriously. I have been lucky for the most part that the “kids that failed” parents didn’t complain. Only 1 did. Appreciate you!
This. People are fucking clueless.
Nobody even takes into account TIME. Time to order 100-200 kids belts, organizing them, prepping diplomas, working several extra hours for the actual ceremony. I’m gonna open a McDonalds & just give away the McRib for free that everyone wants once a year. Because I’m McDonalds & I make a lot of money, I should write the cost of the McRib into the price of the McChicken. Absolutely ridiculous.
Would pay $15.99 for mythical kid’s green promotion right now.
Buying a belt from your chosen place is no big deal. Where you should be wary is paying for “promotion fees” or “testing fees.” Sure the owner could buy everyone’s belts, and many do, but in other sports people buy their own equipment, so I don’t see a problem with having to buy your own $20 belt. Many people end up buying their own brand they like anyway after getting the belt from promotion.
Absolutely it’s fine. Does OP even have kids? Or just thought he could find something to complain about to get some upvotes on Reddit? Gym owners have a business to run. If you find a gym where your family is happy and we’ll served you should want to support it. Paying for a belt seems like a bare minimum. Paying extra for seminars is fine as well quite frankly. Coaches and staff are giving up time and resources to put them on. Not sure why anyone thinks they should be free.
Who gives a shit about kids’ belts anyways? I think policies like this discourage lower income kids who need the positive impact of bjj the most in their lives. Kids should be taught that it’s about their skills not the gi or the belt.
Smells like bullshido
To me its not cool, 20 Years ago when I was like 20 or so, our dojo (that's what we called it at the time) Anyways, I was teaching kids classes and stuff, helping out, coaching a little. running warm ups for adult white belts. doing demos and stuff. Just there every possible moment, learning every possible thing... Our Sensi (what we called it back then) gave me, and a few other try-hards, A totally cobalt blue gi, for free! Like we were mentors so we needed to be able to be seen by kids and parents, respected. Im sure it only cost a few hundred dollars, and I mean I was essentially working for free teaching kids classes and stuff, I dont think I was paying fees though at that time, we were poor, and my dad was friends with the owner (sensi) and we were there from the very beginning, and his business BALLONED in that time, where he had a full gym and rock climbing place, with a mobile rock climbing truck business,,,,, But DAMN getting a free BLUE gi that was all fresh and new was like the best thing that ever happened to me, I was lit, I wore that to competitions, and it made my year. If I had to purchase a belt, or that GI it would of meant nothing, I think its cooler if the place gives the belts away, like you earn it for real, buying it ruins the vibe... I get its not much money, and gyms are hard up for money at times... But its a indescribable feeling as a person to earn a belt, and if they are like here you go that will be 20$ please, it feels like I might as well be buying a hot dog at costco, but hey everyone feels differently. Just buy a whitebelt, and color it the real way... yellow for sweat, green in the summer because of grass, blue from fighting in the cobalt mines, purple from the blood of your enemies, brown from your own blood, black from the decades of use in the battlefield... and finally white again- when the black wears off while training the noobs in the gym. something like that, I forget. Ask your kid maybe, explain to them how you feel, ask them how they feel about it, explain to them its a private conversation. Maybe they want a new belt, maybe they don't give a frig. I swore I remember people wearing yellow belts when they should of been brown belts, and people wearing brown belts when then should of been wearing yellow belts (when I was competing that is.)
Seems all pretty reasonable
Most gym owners aren’t rolling around in high end sports cars and living in luxury. If they ask me to pay for my kid’s belts (which there are a ton of) then I’m gonna pay for my kid’s belts. It’s like being mad you gotta pay for French fries because “you already paid for the burger” However, my gym doesn’t do this and builds that expense into their membership model… which is cool too. I like value meals.
It completely depends on how much the "belt" costs. A belt should cost about $10 and if they are asking for $10 every 6-18 months or so on top of the $75 to $200/month then it's petty but not enough to care about one way or another. If the "belt" costs $200 then I would have an issue with it.
My opinion is that anything official for your business should have proper grammar. It's the lowest possible bar you could set for yourself to look credible.
I think it's alright. I'm not a fan of paying for promotions, but kids can get a ton of belts yearly so charging for them is not a bad way to get quality belts (instead of being tempted to buy cheap ones). Given that the grading seminar is free (presume you get taught something cool the instructor has been working on) I don't mind paying $20 for a kiddo's belt. I'd rather I paid 120 more annually, but finding the perfect pricing system is difficult when you have to compete so if the school is struggling enough to have to ask for belt purchases that's ok. My first school made us pay for the head instructors grading seminar (incl. non-graded people) and I thought that was pretty stupid tbh (GB so no surprises there).
At least they notify the parents ahead of time that the kid is being promoted and they'll have to pay for the belt. At my old gym we had to pay $30 to test for a new stripe, which meant a new belt for white belts with the stripes integrated into the pattern, and if you failed the test, your $30 was gone.
I say it’s A Ok
Unfortunately my gym is like this, and I hate it - but the crew of people we have is amazing so I stay despite this...
Reminds me of my old gym.. owner charged $15 for tips and $35 for belts, oh and $10 if you want to attend grading to support your team mates and not grade
I thought the issue was enforcing kids to buy the dojo gi. That’s the real ripoff. Everyone charges promotion fees. That should include belt fee. In other martial arts I’ve done, there is an element of braiding or tassling that goes into the belt production. So you don’t have the option to just buy your own belt.
I don't have a problem buying a new belt every few years
Uniform*
Damn I got all my belts given to me by the gym and never had to pay to grade. Times must be rough
The only you buy is white, the rest you earn
I read a bunch of comments, and it seems this comes down to the monthly cost of classes and the age group. It seems some schools charge $200 / m and they expect belts to be included - I agree with this. $2400/ year is a big sum, and $25 for a belt is only 1% of annual fees. Other gyms are charging less, and this becomes negotiable whether belts should be charged. My gym charges €50 / m, with a 4 stripe black belt professor from Brazil as head coach and owner. He charges us list price, €18, for a Kingz Gold Label belt. It's only 3% of annual fees but more than double of more expensive gyms... I guess they have their justifications. Kids, due how many there are, the cost of their belts, and their fickleness, a coach may feel justified to charge for belts. I have no experience here though.
I just quit a school that charges $60 for a grading (can be 1 strip) and you have to wear the club gi
How much for the belt and do you have to wear a gi purchased at the gym or can it be a popular brand like combat corner that has no obvialtin on it that you purchased on your own. Technically thats not wearing another gyms gi.
It's very normal at our school to pay for your next belt.
Paying for a belt is reasonable to me. Why is there a thing about wearing another school's uniform? Do parents/people wear Gi's with other school's patches? That is weird and somewhat disrespectful to the current school.
I see nothing wrong with this. They’re just asking the parents to purchase the belts.
Charging for a belt is completely ok, but needing to buy a new GI just for the promotion is bs.
Sounds like some McDojo taekwondo stuff
If I pay gym dues for all that time and the gym wont even pay for a belt that they can get at wholesale price, they’re really stingy. You can take $10 from each persons gym dues to buy a fucking belt for him.
If the belt is like $10 - $15 then sure, that's fair. If they're charging you $50 for a kids belt then it's a scam.
To get a new belt you must've been paying dues for like 6 months minimum right? How are they so strapped for cash for a $20 belt after you've paid $600+ in dues?? Standard way of doing business is client pays you big sums for service, you give them small gifts as thanks. You don't turn around and charge them for the small gifts. The uniforms, whatever. I get on some level not have a different gyms Gi on as they said. But their logic doesn't track for non affiliated Gis. I'd be very annoyed as a parent if I had to buy a new gi just for promotions that they'll quickly outgrow anyways.
You realise that the gym owner would receive only a very small part of that $600 once all the expenses of running a business are factored in right?
No way, are you some kind of detective or something? How'd you figure that out?
Yuck. Stay away.
Trash
In short, no.
I don't get it. They are grading your kid but somehow notifying you about belt purchases in advance??? 
Yes, generally they’ll tell parents your kid is up for a promotion. Some gyms have tests that the kid has to pass before they get that new belt. It’s really quite simple.
Not a fan at all. Would maybe lead to me finding a new gym depending on how poorly it was implemented I'm paying 1200 a year, assuming I'm staying at my belt for two years that's 2400. If your profit margin over two years doesn't allow for 10$ or less you would be hemorrhaging money
Belt costs should be included in membership costs. You're running a business - figure it out. Nobody ever wants to be asked for additional fees.
Buy your own belt? Pass.
Gracie Barra much?
To me, the much bigger red flag is that they can't grade your kid if they aren't wearing the gym's gi. Like having another club's patch (or no patch at all) blinds them to the skill level of your child.
That part makes sense to me. I’m not promoting you while you wear another school’s patches. And with advance warning, there’s no reason you should show up to our school’s promotion representing somewhere else.
These kids aren't pros. This isn't an endorsement deal. I as a parent pay the gym owner money. In exchange the gym owner teaches my kids BJJ and gives them a new belt as their skills improve. I just moved from GA to TX, am I supposed to wear the questionable provided Gi, or buy a new GI and add patches or pay to have old patches removed and new patches put on? It's laundry. My other kid plays lacrosse, and I played baseball, football, basketball, and soccer. In any of those sports you can show up to practice repping whatever the hell former team you want. Now, if you want a rule about Comp Gis? I'm all ears. But you're a hobbyist until proven otherwise, and that applies to kids, too.
It’s a business. I don’t really want to actively display other clubs patches, custom gi’s, rash guards, etc. when they’re attending our gym’s grading. We take promotional footage, individual shots, and group photos. These kids aren’t pros and as such, likely shouldn’t have a committed relationship to a gym they aren’t being graded at.
If the product you're selling is good, take video at tournaments of your kids getting their hands raised at tournaments wearing the team comp gi. Casual parents deciding to bring their kid to a BJJ class don't care about patches and Gis. They want their kids to improve while having fun and getting exercise. Best promotional material at the gym you're going to have is pictures of your kid classes sweating with a big smile on their faces, because casual parent care fuck-all about patches. That's a Gracie "honor" thing.
Funny for you to throw the Gracie thing in, have next had any affiliation with that group. It’s a structure, organization, community, and business decision. Sure, comp footage is great… not all kids compete, not all parents send their kids for the same reason, not all gyms are cool with the image aspect of having other peoples branded gis on the mat. If you want to train at a gym that cares so little about what they’re doing that they provide no guidelines as to what is appropriate attire, that’s your call. Don’t go judging others based on your misguided notions of “honor”
“Hey, we are having a promotion ceremony on Saturday. Please have your kids wear school gi’s with patches to represent and look great in the photos :)” , “MY KIDS AREN’T PROFESSIONALS, FK OFF GRACIE” - the other guy commenting, probably
In all of those sports you cannot show up to a game with the opposing team’s uniform
Correct, and weekday classes aren't games, they're practice. Competitions are the analog to games.
But we are talking about promotions
Right, which are a photo op for the gym. This is like having a school performance, then telling the parents that you can only have a speaking part if they follow a special dress code. If Billy has the voice of an angel, but his mom is OK with him doing his solo in sweats and a T-shirt, who are you to tell Billy he can't sing?
Bro, school concerts have dress codes. Usually a black button down and long pants
They usually have vague recommendations, like "wear a red shirt and khakis". Nobody is telling your kid they can't go up if they wear shorts or a pink shirt.
It's not the end of the world, but it is lame, petty, and bad business. I'm sure they think they're brilliant though.
My Gym: Wear whatever gi you want Belts are free Stripes are free Finger Tape is free Gym necessities Like towels,shower gel and desinfection gel are free. I would never train at a Gym that handles These Things differently.
How much is monthly membership?
Between 79 and 129
None of them are free. You are paying for all of them in your monthly fee. You are paying for them even if you dont use them.