Imagine this:
You go to a restaurant that you heard good things about. You like pizza, and they are known for making great pizza. You come in, take a menu and sit down. When someone comes to take your order, you ask to speak to the manager. When the manager arrives, you tell him that you heard really good things about this place, but the pizza place next to your house is much cheaper, and can he give you a bit of a discount.
What do you think would be the answer?
The same thing applies for going to the doctor, the accountant, the supermarket or buying movie tickets or fuel for your car.
Then how come it is so common in the martial arts?
I have owned and managed CAIA for about 7 years now. Martial arts have been my full-time job, and income, for half of that time. It wasn’t an easy transition, as anyone in the martial arts industry will tell you. It’s a seriously tough gig, and involves long hours, a ton of sacrifice and, for the majority, not a huge amount of money.
Before We Start
I understand that in some cultures haggling is socially acceptable with regards to almost everything, especially services. I live in Australia, where this is not common practice. It does seem to be a thing when it comes to martial arts places though.
One more thing. Some martial artists believe that in its purest form, martial arts should not be paid for as it contradicts the notion that knowledge should be shared and passed on. I strongly disagree, and I don’t think those things are mutually exclusive. If you look at this from the point of view of a martial arts school, as opposed, perhaps, to a Sensei who teaches a few students in his garage and has another career, then the differences become quite obvious (though I believe both should be well compensated for their time). There are some very significant benefits to going to a well-established martial arts facility. These include more space, quality control (though that’s debatable), efficient processes, insurance, cleanliness, better equipment, flexible or expansive timetables, etc. All of these things cost money to maintain. With all of this in mind:
Martial arts are a business, and it is one worth paying for. More on this here.
Show Me The Money!
Back to the point at hand – why is it common to haggle over the prices of martial arts classes?
Is it to do with the price?
I while ago I was chatting to a good friend who runs a Karate school. It wasn’t a full-time gig for him as he already has a successful career, and he was charging very little for classes – just enough to cover his costs. I have trained quite a bit with him and his group and I can vouch that the quality of training was (and still is) world class. And still, he was regularly having to chase parents (and some adults) for the measly amount he was charging, and would often have to defend his decision to charge even those amounts. I have heard similar things from a variety of coaches and instructors in a variety of styles, all over Australia.
So even at very, very low prices, haggling is still a thing. So what’s next?
Eye of the Beholder
Maybe the issue is not price, but value.
Martial are an experiential thing. You can’t understand the value of it unless you have experienced the benefits firsthand – physically, socially and psychologically. It’s also hard to put a dollar value to those benefits. How much is being confident, or fit, or healthy, or being able to defend yourself worth to you? Let’s say it’s X. But maybe to the next person It’s Y or Z.
Because of that, most schools will offer you a trial period to see what the training is like. However, while you may get a glimpse or a feel for it, the benefits of ongoing training are exactly that – ongoing. You won’t lose all that weight or be a champion after a week. That might explain, to a degree, why people who have never trained before may try to haggle over the price.
But what about those who have experience in the martial arts?
Why do experienced martial artists (and by experienced I am referring to someone who has trained enough to understand the culture) still try to haggle over prices?
Well, this one leaves me stumped.
Maybe you don’t believe the quality is there and warrants the payment. In other words, the value you put on the classes is less than what the place is charging. If that’s the case, then go look for somewhere else to train. After all, if you don’t think it’s a good place to train then why would you want to train there? Not only that, but going to a place you believe is pretty average can result in a toxic and negative environment.
Willing or Able?
I fully understand that in some cases it is not about the willingness to pay, but rather about the ability to pay. If you simply can’t afford it, then there may be some ground for negotiation. Maybe.
I would assert that that would only really be appropriate when you already have an established relationship with your Sensei or organisation. I was in that position many years ago, and my Sensei was kind enough to allow me to train for free in exchange for cleaning up and helping with the kids’ classes, which I was more than happy to do. I have done my best to extend the same courtesy to others over the years when it was appropriate. I feel that is totally different to just walking in off the street and saying ‘hey I’m broke, let me train for half price’.
I will add that I am aware that this is something that I am sensitive to. I’d like to think that I’m not a bad guy, and I really do want to help people. But with that being said, as I mentioned at the beginning, martial arts are really hard to make a living from. Your Sensei has bills to pay and kids to support just like you do. I believe that if you truly believe in the honour of martial arts, then a good place to start is to be responsible and pay your dues on time. After all, what will be the result of having 100 students who are happy to clean mats but not pay for training? Well, in very clean mats that no one will ever see because the power bill hasn’t been paid.
A couple of final thoughts:
1. I do NOT believe that payments should be connected in any way to rank or certification, which I am very vocal about. What you are paying for is the privilege to learn, not the belt around your waist. More on this here and here.
2. My experience has been that this is something that is common to arts in general, not just the martial arts (I worked in the music industry for 10 years, and my wife is also an artist). That being said, I do believe that martial arts are a truly the highest form of art in many ways. More on this here.
Help a Brother Out!
I’d love to hear what you think about this:
1. Do you believe it is ok to haggle over prices in the martial arts?
2. Is this something that is common to the area where you train? If so, why do you think that’s the case?
3. If you are involved in other arts, is this something you have experienced? Why do you think it happens?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Stay safe, stay tuned.
Osu/Oss
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