Jiu-Jitsu Pricing: What to Expect
There are a tremendous number of martial arts out there and Jiu-Jitsu is among the top as far as membership and growth. With that being the case, more and more people are taking a look at membership pricing for a Jiu-Jitsu gym to see what all the fuss is about.
There is a lot to consider when joining any gym, and Jiu-Jitsu is no different. So regardless of if you are here for a child, yourself, or out of pure curiosity, this post will give you a full low-down on how pricing typically works at a jiu-jitsu gym.
We will lay out pricing membership guidance, how to lower pricing, and give guidance on extra aspects that you should be considering when signing up.
Let’s get started!
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Jiu-Jitsu Membership Pricing
If you are looking to sign yourself or your child up for a Jiu-Jitsu gym, it can be hard to find pricing online. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that these gyms can be pricey. Sorry if that is news to you but it is definitely not competing with $20 monthly specials.
The second is that they want you to come into the gym. They want you to see the facility and meet the coaches. They want you to train as part of the class and have you test it out. Joining a jiu-jitsu gym is definitely not like joining a normal gym.
You are joining a group of very specialized individuals who give their time and attention to all students at every single class. Most black belts have been training for easily 10+ years. So don’t think of it as a planet fitness. Think of it more like an Orange Theory or F-45.
Now, let’s get down to brass tax. You can expect to typically pay between $50-200+ per month for the membership. That price varies for a few reasons.
- The level of the coach/coaches
- The gyms class offerings
- The gyms facilities
Let’s dive into these a bit more.
The Level of the Coach/Coaches
Think about paying a professional to do anything. You can pay your weekend garage hobbyist uncle a small amount of money to fix you car, or you can pay a seasoned and certified professional more to make sure the work is done right. The latter is going to be more expensive.
The same goes in this case. You can find some good Purple and Brown belts, maybe even some solid black belts to coach. And chances are, they can do a good job and might give you what you are looking for.
When you get down to it though, the multiple time gold medal winning 5th degree black belt has more to offer. They will typically come with more experience, more knowledge, and more to offer in general to your practice. And if you have multiple? You may not ever have to go anywhere else. So don’t short the importance of good coaches for you or your children.
The Gym Class Offerings
The offerings of your gym can make a massive difference in your overall membership experience. If you know that you may be a morning person or that you may have time during lunches to make a class, then you should be checking those beforehand.
Similarly, if you like mixing up or supplementing your training, then you should look into other class offerings. Some gyms will offer boxing, wrestling, muay-thai, Judo, and even yoga. If any of those are of interest, then make sure to look at all offerings before joining a gym. If you aren’t sure what those are, check out some of my other comparison posts!
The Gym Facilities
Who doesn’t like to come into a nice gym every day? One that’s clean, that has workout equipment, and possibly even has a shower you can use? Well I sure do.
And I know that keeping a gym clean and having nice workout equipment and a nice shower costs money. And that money can get added into your membership costs. So regardless of whether it’s important for you or not, know that nicer facilities will typically mean more membership dues.
The good news is that these gyms want you to sign up and are willing to typically lower pricing a little bit for you. Let’s jump into how and why below!
Jiu-Jitsu Gym Pricing: How to Lower It
Despite Jiu-Jitsu Gym pricing being costly, there are a few surefire ways to lower it. If you’re to the point of actually picking a gym, I would suggest checking out my How to Pick a Jiu-Jitsu Gym post to dive in further as well!
The three main ways to lower your jiu-jitsu membership pricing are:
Sign a Longer Contract
This is one of the most common offerings with jiu-jitsu gyms. They want to keep you around for a long time and the guarantee of you being there for a few months/years will certainly earn you a discount.
The most common time frame is between 3 months to 2 years. I was personally able to get a very large discount to $75 a month for signing a two year contract. Obviously, it will be hard to back out and there are fees to do so, but I stayed with it and was able to pay half of what most others pay.
Commit to a Limited Number of Practices Per Week
I haven’t seen this one as much, but some gyms will ask how frequently you plan on showing up to practice. If you want to train all the time, 5 days a week, then all good. A good amount of people though only make it 1-3 practices per week. And frankly, 1-3 rolls per week is a good amount for a lot of people.
So depending on your schedule and how much time you have to show up, the gym owners will typically work with you on pricing should you fit this offering.
Pay For Your Full Membership Up Front
Similar to the longer contract offering above, paying for all of your membership up front can net you some discounts as well. This is guaranteed dollars for a gym and the only think you take up when you show up is a bit of mat space. So if you are willing to, save yourself some dollars.
Look for New Gyms
With the sport growing like it is, there is bound to be a new gym opening around you. These gyms are hungry to get new people in and they are willing to heavily discount to cover some initial expenses in opening a gym.
Obviously, there are some other factors to consider if it is a new coach and a new place, but if you are just starting out and you like your trial run, then a new gym can get you a vastly cheaper rate than an established, long time gym. So if you have that option, certainly try to take advantage of it.
Negotiate
It doesn’t have to be negotiating necessarily, but if the pricing is too high for what you are willing to spend, just tell them that. They want to get you in and will do their best to work with you.
Typically, they will point you to one of the first three suggestions above. Sometimes though, they will come down a bit to help get you started!
Now that we’ve covered that, let’s run through some extra expenses that you should be aware of when getting you or you child started in jiu-jitsu.
Jiu-Jitsu Pricing: The Extras
Like most other sports, there is some kind of equipment needed. Typically, it’s in the form of some kind of specialty shoes. In this case though, shoes aren’t worn so one point for Jiu-Jitsu!
But in all seriousness, Jiu-Jitsu certainly has some extra costs in it. I’ll name a few necessities that you will need to pay for then get into a few extras that I have found useful.
A Gi
A “gi” (pronounced gee like the beginning of geese) is the most needed part of Jiu-Jitsu. It is the only required clothing when starting out. You can expect to pay $50-200+ for the uniform but they are built to last several years and longer if you invest in a higher quality one.
Obviously, the gym is going to want you to buy this from them. If they do, then know that is typical. It does support them as well so if you like your gym, make sure to buy equipment from them as much as possible.
If you are looking to pick up some extras though or they don’t ask you to buy through them, there are a lot of other options. Some of the most accessible brands are Sanabul, Gold, Hawk and Elite. Other quality brands include Fuji and Hayabusa.
This link to Amazon will make sure that you have the right one!
Rashguard
While not 100% necessary, they provide a lot of comfort on the mats and can help you from getting scratched up by those who have wolverine nails. They can also have some sweet designs and some websites like Future Kimono will let you customize them!
Once again though, the good entry level brands will be Elite, Sanabul, and Gold, which have some of the most purchased and highest rated items.
Competition Fees
If your child is looking to compete, then know that jiu-jitsu tournaments do come with a cost. The registration fees typically cost between $50-150 per tournament, and will increase or decrease depending on the size of it overall.
Obviously, this cost can be avoided, but it can add up quickly if it’s something you or your child is looking to do as part of the practice.
Duffle Bag
This one is less necessary, but it can prove incredibly useful as your equipment gets larger and more plentiful. If you’ve never held a gi after working out or if you’ve put a post-roll gi in your car, then you should know you’ll want to keep that away from your carpet and fabric in general. Your future passengers will thank you.
Conclusion
There you have it. Everything you should know about pricing when getting started in Jiu-Jitsu.
If there’s anything I missed, leave the comments in the form below!
