I've noticed a lot of discussions regarding fees of schools and/or tests, so I thought that I would post exactly how much it SHOULD cost. As of December 7th, 2003's Kukkiwon testing date, prices are as follows: (WTF/ Korea TKD Assoc.) 1st Poom: 130,000 won ($108) 2nd Poom: 150,000 won ($125) 3rd Poom: 170,000 won ($141) 4th Poom: 200,000 won ($166) 1st Dan: 150,000 won ($125) 2nd Dan: 170,000 won ($141) 3rd Dan: 190,000 won ($157) 4th Dan: 250,000 won ($207) As of November 27th, 2003, the exchange rate equals: 1 EUR = 1,430 won 1 USD = 1,203 won 1 GBP = 2,060 won Other currencies can be found at: www.xe.com It takes about one month for issuance (depending) and an additional 10-14 days for post to arrive (to say, the east coast of America). Cost for post (insured, large degree and card) about 8,000 won (or about $6.50 USD). Let's see, I did my training in Korea, and I tested (up to 4th dan) in Korea with numerous masters and grandmasters about, so if it should be expensive anywhere, Korea should take first prize in cost. I'd love to hear the reasons for such outrageous costs these schools are inflicting upon their students. Cheers, Yang, Dae-han
That is very interesting information on the cost of testing. My old instructor from Viet Nam wanted to charge me $550 for my 4th degree in 1987. It made me feel like I would have been buying my rank and left me feeling offended. I declined.
I'll tell you what, if you make plan a trip to Tampa/Orlando, Florida, I'll charge you the exact rates Kukkiwon does to test you. Just make a trip to Disney World, and coincidentally test. I won't be Stateside until Janaury, and not but one or two years. Cheers, Yang, Dae-han
Thanks for the offer. If you know a Kang Yang Shik at the Kukkiwon who was in Viet Nam in 1968, please tell him I think of him often and fondly. Another of my instructors who wound up at the Kukkiwon is Kim Bong Shik(Sik?). What a wonderful experience for me to train with the instructors of the TKD Instructor Group. I got 12 private lessons per week and was already 4th gup when I started with them. It was pretty awesome.
Bump. Sorry lot, but arrived in America and visited a few schools to find out prices.....outrages....so thought I'd refresh minds on 'should be' costs. Oh, and forgot, those fees also include 'lunch' and dinner, as testing takes about 9 hours (beginning to end). Cheers, DH
One of the school i was in and this is what i charges as well was 9th gup $30 8th gup $35 7th gup $40 6th gup $45 5th gup $50 4th gup $55 3rd gup $65 2nd gup $80 1st gup $100 1st Dan $150 give or take $5
I suppose that those are fair prices, however, I still can't see the need for such fees. I've only advanced students in Korea, but I just don't see where this money goes to....can someone explain this to me? I (and other masters/grandmasters in Korea, to my knowledge) don't charge for testing UNTIL black belt.....maybe red. Even then, Kukkiwon got the money, I got just over squat. Hmmmm. Cheers
Are you serious? My instructer has charged me $35 per test so far (purple belt). BTW this is my first post here. PL
Yes, very serious. If you want, come for a holiday in Orlando, Florida (I just moved to the States this week) and I'll test you for free. No skin off me feet. Cheers, DH
I dont know where the money from most big orgs go but ours go in to buyin all the belts, certificates, and making sure the place where the testing is, is paid for. Then the rest goes to the one who have the testing. (just about enough for gas) LOL
This is a simple boot, as one topic asks this question....better here, than link to that thread.... DH
We're £10.00 all the way up to black tag. Black belt will cost more because of the belt. We're hoping to get a quality belt, something that they they value. We'll see though as it's a long way from now!
To Yang, Dae-han: Welcome to America, some reason of why we have these cost for black belt test are: 1) There are Masters and Gran Masters that take the kuki kwon rank test tru the WTF and them commercialist their rank and reputation creating their own organization and giving their personal certificates with their own fees of testing. One day one master say to me: If you want a first degree or dan with anyone else pay their price, but if you want that I examinate you and sing a certificate if you pass that have a fee, just like take a CPA examination I have a fee of 350 dollars, I you want that I examinate you. You can have many masters, but you just have one oportunity to take an examination with one master that is Member of the Hall of Fame and with a World Wide Fame. Them if this student use the same line of his master and this student want to gain some comission he will use the same line and say If you want to take the exam with me that I have the permision and confident of my master the price with me will be 450 dollars, them the story continue up to the price that you see, but if these original master found that the student below him are doing this he maybe will say that if the persons or students are available to pay 600 why they don't pay me that to me if I am World Wide Famous, and the story continue... I practice in a school like that but not so far like pay 600 hundreds, in my school of taekwondo independent the test for black belt are 350. The school is a ji do kwan school with the original hyungs of the first Korean Taekwondo Association. After 20 years of practice and a third degree rank I discover that we are not a Kuki kwon Dan Certificated but we are certificated thru a Independant Taekwondo Organization. How can I be a Kuki kwon Certificated, I know that in our TaekwonDo linage, ours founder is Gran Master Chong Woon Lee, but I discover that he is WTF since 1973.
As someone who has hand experience in many areas of martial arts, please allow me to express my strong opinon on this matter. My opinion is completly unbiased to my preffered art. The answer to what a testing fee should be is simple. NOTHING!! Please allow me to clarify that before i get yelled at here though Of course the instructors time is taken up, and needless to say he needs to earn a living. Therefore no extra fee should be paid other than what is normally charged per hour or what not. This does however depend on the length of tests, as a black belt test does take the obvious several hours. But make no mistake about it, you should never pay for the BELT!! It is from a schools testing policies, that the schools policy itself is truly revealed. Are they in it for the money and to just give half arsed(excuse my language mods) lessons, or to teach and get what they actually earn.
kenpoguy: you make good points, but in many cases, the price of the test includes the price of the belt, the certificate and the registration through the federation. In my experience, most instructors realy don't make much money off the black belt test... that money goes to the federation for registration. If a student doesn't want the registartion throughb the federation, there are cheaper means of accreditation or they can refuse the test period. At our school, the testing fee is a separate item and covers as detailed above. I personally would prefer to have the fee out and clearly described instead of having it hidden within the tuition. Students who choose not to test shouldn't have to pay for the testing of everyone. Our tuition price covers tuition (open- come as often as you want) and our testing fee covers testing costs (test upon our recommendation- if you want to). As for the actual belt itself - we pay for that. For the registartion and certification, that's in the testing fee.
As I have said before.. I charge 150 dollars for 1st Dan test.. this includes not only the Dan Certificate (2 of them) but a new embroidered belt, new trimmed uniform and a dinner for the students... Now as far as 2nd, 3rd, 4th dan, etc. are concerned.... dunno yet... but it will probably be the same price.
