Cost of private lessons

YoungMan · Blue Belt

I've never offered private lessons, so I couldn't tell you. I've had days when only one student showed, and we had a good workout, but I've never taught private lessons in themselves. Martial arts should be a group activity.

Montana · Orange Belt

I've had people ask me about private lessons numerous times over the years, and I just look at them and tell them that "You cant' afford it."

No, I'm not being cocky by saying that to them, but rather my time with my family and friends is important to me, not to mention that I work a hard 44 hour week with rotating days off, different hours, etc...and I value my free time more than I value some extra $'s. Sure, if some fool wants to pay me a ton of money for private lessons, I'd do it just for a laugh. I believe there is no advantage to private lessons as opposed to a group class. Actually, I believe that if you only take private lessons, then you won't be nearly as good of a martial artist as someone that takes group classes. You need to work with as many different people as you can, as nobody reacts or moves the same.

DisgruntledGirl · Orange Belt

My Sensei charges $85 per hour of private training... and oddly enough, he gets it. But I think that is because he feels the way that some others in here have stated... its his free time and if they want to take it from him... well they gotta pay for it, if people dont find the cost worth it then thats ok by him too, more free time for him.

I myself wouldn't pay that much for private training... heck, if I'm already paying for "regular" training I wouldnt pay an additional $20/hour... but... I am cheap.

I think most of the people who he trains privately either do it simply because the time the regular class happens does not fit into thier life well or for more of a crash course in Self-Defence (While he does teach self-defence in regular Karate class, it is not always the main focus so it will take a little more time time to learn enough stuff for just defending your life in multiple situations, rather than becoming a good "well rounded" karateka).

YoungMan · Blue Belt

But if someone was willing to pay me $200 per lesson for private training, who am I to say no?

That would cover a lot of gas and hotel fees for seminar trips.

ps1 · Black Belt

Sensei Rick · Blue Belt

MA is about repition of technique. If you are a good instrucor you train yourself to look at the whole and see who isn't meeting the standard. You don't need private lessons to get good. You need to repeat your lessons over and over to get good. I have taught a class as large as 60, any more than that and I start to get nervous. but it can be done and private lessons don't really make you better faster, only time does. IMHO anyway...... now let the disagreement begin!
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bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

YoungMan · Blue Belt

I think private lessons are desired by people under the misguided impression that they are special, that they deserve singular training directly under the Instructor. In doing so they miss the big picture-that you need group training to feed off each other.
My Instructor has turned down big money for private lessons for exactly that reason.

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

Some people have different schedules than others, though, and may not be able to make it to the regularly scheduled classes that schools have. Therefore, private lessons may be the only way that some can get lessons in.
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Ottman · Blue Belt

I used to teach 15 - 30 minute private lessons for free at my old dojang, but of course that was only to students who were enrolled in the regular group class as well, and the student would need to sign up for the private, (I had a book with my availability) and put down what s/he wanted to work on during the lesson. This was more for students who had either missed one of their regular classes, and needed a make up to catch up, or who wanted some extra help with a particular technique or form, etc. Precedent was given to students who missed a class, and I'd take up to 4 students for 1 private lesson, but they all had to agree on what they wanted to work on.

This was also not my school, and I was an unpaid assistant instructor. I just had so many people requesting extra help and lessons from me that I had to organize and limit it, or I'd never get my own training in.

However, I have heard of instructors who only do private lessons, and they usually charge around $100/lesson. This is in Boston as well, and there is a whole market here of very wealthy, younger (25 - 40 year old or so) people with very demanding professional lives, but no kids, who can afford the private lessons, but don't have the time for the regular group lessons, so it certainly depends on the area you're in as well. With the numerous schools around the city, and the high cost of property and rentals, it's tough to start up a school, and a lot of instructors can do well (financially) by teaching exclusively private lessons.

The few instructors I know of who offer only private lessons, offer their time, usually, for up to four students, which isn't a bad way to do it, but I do agree that you lose something by not training with other people of various sizes, ranks, ages, physical ability levels, etc. Not to say that you couldn't learn a martial art via private instruction. I definitely see both sides of the argument here, especially when it comes to students with schedules that don't allow them to regularly attend a school's class schedule. No reason to keep them from training just because of that, but they certainly need to pay for the extra time from the Instructor.

If a student can make the group classes sporadically, but a private class regularly, I'd charge them for privates and make that their regular class, but allow them to join the group class when they could, (assuming I also teach a regular group class.)

I've actually been thinking of offering privates for $$ now, but I would probably require any student interested to sign up with 1 - 3 training partners and split the cost. I'd make an exception for a student who already has MA experience and wants to train, but I'd probably lower the cost, or do it for free depending on the skill and commitment level of that student. I do think that you can focus more on a particular student's specific training goals a lot better in a private or small group class, and some people are after more of a personal trainer/coach like experience, and don't really care about the defense or competition aspects of the marital art. They just want to learn more about their own body and self, and you can really have some great private lessons tailored to a student like that.

Just my experience with privates, and my own .02 for everyone to mull over.

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