Karate classes may get incredibly expensive. Thus, many people wouldn’t be willing to invest as much money on weekly or even monthly classes. There’s a primary alternative I encourage you to consider: training at home. However, it won’t be as effective as training at a qualified dojo.
On average, karate classes cost $96 monthly. However, the number ranges from $50-$300—depending on the place, dojo, and pricing methods. Nevertheless, some dojos will charge one-time fees for accessories, such as a Gi (a karate suit) and a mouth guard—hence the price will increase.
However, training any martial arts at home-is incredibly difficult because you need a sensei to correct your mistakes and allow you to perform the techniques correctly.
Without an instructor by your side, you’re more likely to form bad habits, such as not having the perfect standing position. Additionally, training without other people is demanding since you don’t have the platform to practice the techniques with resistance, a major part in learning to fight.
So, karate classes are expensive. In the following sections of this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about karate classes and how much they cost. Moreover, we’ll discuss an alternative and how to ensure you do it correctly: training at home.
Without further ado, let’s dive in.
How much does Karate cost per month?
Different dojos will eventually charge distinguished prices. For example, I once noticed a non-profit dojo created by a donor who’s paying for everyone’s equipment and place. As a result, it was free of charge. However, that’s usually not the case.
On average, monthly payments of karate training will cost $96. However, the price ranges anywhere from $50-$300. Most dojos respect themselves and don’t charge more than $150 a month. However, some premium gyms, which bring more value-may charge more.
Different countries will have different fees. In Thailand, for example, the average price of monthly karate classes is lower than in the US. Therefore, the country will also affects the average monthly fee trainees have to be. However, we’ll discuss that later in greater detail.
Frankly, $100 monthly payment is plenty of money to invest in yourself. However, I can confidently say it’s entirely worth it solely for the many benefits you’ll experience. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of running and weight-lifting; but, martial arts are so much better.
Actually, you can burn more calories in karate than in long distance running, truly-an incredible finding!
At last, medical publications have proved time and time again the many positive mental and physical benefits martial arts have on its trainees. For example, martial arts trainees have reported feeling more confident and with higher self-esteem.
The following table showcases different sports and their average cost per month.
| Activity | Cost per month ($) |
|---|---|
| Martial arts | 120 |
| Karate | 96 |
| Golf | 327 |
| Tennis | 350 |
| Soccer | 150 |
| Basketball | 100 |
| Rugby | 126 |
Interestingly enough, karate came out to be the cheapest sport you can participate in. Frankly, I believe it’s a positive sign, and-you should start training as soon as possible.
To conclude, investing monthly payments to learn karate-is worth it.
The cost of weekly Karate classes
Learning karate once a week will suffice. However, that’s not the optimized number for training sessions per week. And still, some people’s schedule won’t allow more than a single training day. As a result, let’s see how much weekly karate classes cost:
In a recent poll I conducted, the average price for an hour of weekly karate classes was $52.40. However, the price ranges anywhere from $15-$200 an hour. Moreover, the average price in qualified dojos is $96 for an unlimited number of training sessions per week.
Karate dojos tend not to include weekly classes in the pricing. Instead, they rather include unlimited number of training sessions; for their own financial reasons. Therefore, you can still attend a single karate class per week-but it’ll cost the same as if you were to train 2-times per week.
Of course, some will include such an option; but most won’t.
Now that we know how much weekly karate classes cost, let’s go over the optimized number of training sessions per week. Following this number allows you to progress plenty without increasing the likelihood of overtraining.
How many times a week should I train Karate?
Many medical publications have come to the same conclusion for how to optimize your training routine: you should not train on consecutive days, since your muscles require time to recover. So, exercising the same muscles on Sunday and then on Monday-will eventually lead to overtraining.
3-times per week is the optimized number of karate training sessions you should perform. However, exercising less than that-will suffice and cause progression. That said, training less than once per week may not bring as much results-since you need to stay consistent and train in closer-proximities to develop muscle memory.
It’ll be best if you set a goal to never reach a state of overtraining, as its effects are detrimental. The following list is numerous harmful symptoms you’ll experience if you train the same muscles on consecutive days. (Source)
- Elevated resting heart rate. Knowing your resting heart rate is very useful when it comes to tracking performance.
- Muscle soreness.
- Sleep quality and insomnia.
- Regularly feeling under the weather.
- Emotional Changes.
- Injuries.
- Poor results and performance.
Think about the effects a single of these symptoms can have on your life. Now, picture all of them. So, you may begin to grasp why you must avoid overtraining at all costs—regardless of how much you want to train.
At first, you may feel inclined to train as much as possible, since karate will excite you. Nonetheless, you must stop yourself for two primary reasons: to keep yourself excited about the next session and to avoid overtraining.
Both are goals you should always strive for, and as a result, if you achieve them – your training sessions will be more enjoyable. Eventually, you’ll also progress faster.
How much does Karate cost in different states?
The cost of karate classes will vary depending on your location. For example, if you’re in New York, the average price may be lower or higher than if you’re in Texas. So, let’s examine different pricing in different states:
| State | Karate classes cost ($-Monthly) |
|---|---|
| Texas | 85 |
| New York | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | 87 |
| California | 103 |
| Florida | 78 |
| Georgia | 80 |
| Ohio | 100 |
| Washington | 80 |
| North Carolina | 90 |
| Michigan | 109 |
| Illinois | 150 |
As you can see, the price shifts from $78-$150. That said, don’t think that Illinois is the most expensive place to learn karate at. In fact, it’s not. However, the average price was the most expensive. That doesn’t mean that some karate schools will be offering you a low price.
These prices shouldn’t be taken as a rule because they’re not. They’re averages. It’ll be best if you understand the meaning of this table rather than moving your family to Florida because that’s where karate is the cheapest.
I stumbled upon a club in Illinois which happened to offer me a lower price than most other states. Nonetheless, an extremely expensive martial arts school also offered me a pricing, which was around $250 monthly. Consequently, the average price increased.
The cost of Karate in different countries
Different countries will have different karate pricing. For instance, if you live in Sweden, the average pricing will be higher/lower than if you live in the US.
Next, let’s examine the average prices of karate in different countries:
| Country | Karate classes cost (Monthly) |
|---|---|
| US | $96.5 |
| UK | £39.00 ($47.25) |
| Sweden | 799SEK ($78.20) |
| Netherlands | 75€ ($76.88) |
| Israel | ₪360 ($113.13) |
| Thailand | 3500 bahts ($98.63) |
| Philippines | ₱4,000 ($71.62) |
| Canada | 90CAD ($70.33) |
As you can see, the number varies more than our previous table, which compared the pricing in different states.
Of course, the price will vary greatly in different countries, as the currency is different.
I was most surprised to see the pricing in Thailand. I was expecting to see the lowest prices in it; but, it turned to not be the case. Instead, it resembles the pricing in the US, which are almost the most expensive.
Again, this price is an average. As a result, don’t overthink it and move your entire family just to enjoy lower prices. Instead, do your research in local karate gyms. Most likely, you’ll find a desirable price hiding in the shadows.
Essential Karate equipment you should buy
If you want to take your training seriously, it’ll be best if you complement it with some accessories. Although you don’t have to, these will aid you in your fighting journey and help you progress faster.
If you’re training at home, I encourage you to buy a punching bag and gloves, which will be the last two pieces of equipment we’ll discuss. By training at home, you won’t have any realistic resistance or impact. Therefore, a punching bag becomes one of the best purchases you can make in your karate journey.
Karate Gi
The first piece of equipment-is a karate Gi. If you’re unfamiliar with what it is, it’s a fighting suit. When you watch a karate lesson, the instructor is highly likely to wear such a suit. That’s because it provides plenty of utility and is part of the tradition.
I wouldn’t recommend buying it if you’re training karate at home – it’ll have no use. However, if you plan to train in a qualified dojo, consider buying one.
Hawk Sports Karate Uniform for Kids & Adults
This is the one I most recommend buying, as it’s a fantastic and an inexpensive place to start your journey at.
Mouth guard
SAFEJAWZ Mouth guard
Buying a proper mouth guard is incredibly important if you’re training in a qualified martial arts dojo. Eventually, keeping your teeth healthy can be difficult while training martial arts.
Thus, buying a high-quality mouth guard, to ensure the health of your teeth, is vital in the long term.
Karate can be dangerous for the teeth because of the many sparring it includes. When another person throws a hit to your face, it’ll help if you have a mouth guard.
Punching bag
Power Core Bag
Buying a punching bag will help you, especially if you’re training at home. Still, even if you don’t, you’ll find it extremely helpful to being capable to train outside your karate gym.
Resistance is the primary disadvantage you’ll have when training at home. To fully understand the art, you’ll have to fight or spar against other people.
For most people, that wouldn’t be possible when you’re training karate at home. Therefore, the closest solution you can have is to buy a punching bag.
Karate punching gloves
Sanabul Essential Punching Bag Gloves
When training with a punching bag, the one injury you must stay away from-is wrist injuries. Eventually, they are the easiest to get if you’re not careful.
All it takes is throwing a single off-balance hit with an untucked palm/wrist, and you’ll be experiencing major injuries for the rest of your lives.
I personally have wrist injuries from weight-lifting. Although it’s not from martial arts, I know how it feels like to always think before throwing a punch. As a result, I would encourage you to keep yourself safe by buying the protective gear I recommended in these essentials section.
How to train Karate at home
For those unwilling to invest large amount of capital on karate classes, it’s not the end of the road for you. Instead, there’s a long way ahead of you, and I’ll help you see it for yourself.
You can train karate at home by following a YouTube channel by a qualified instructor or a dojo. Today, many channels upload most of what they teach. As a result, you can watch the videos to learn and train by yourself. Although not ideal, it’s an entirely valid way to learn any martial art.
Buying an online course-is another option. However, it’s more often than not won’t suffice. I believe that following a YouTube channel by a qualified instructor will be best for you, as it’ll help you learn the basics in a chronological order.
Withstanding the fact you can train karate at home, you won’t be able to master it. To truly understand it, you need to train with other people, so you can feel resistance and the impact an opponent can cause you.
Karate is known for having many drills where you absorb your opponent’s hits, and you throw some of yours. As a result, you’ll slowly get used to pain and thus prepare yourself for real fights.
That’s the missing piece when you train karate at home. The human touch connection is essential to understanding how to fight. Therefore, if you want to practice karate for moving your body and as a sport, then by all means—start training at home.
On the other hand, if you desire to study proper fighting, it’ll be best if you attend a qualified dojo.
Should I train Karate at home?
Some may be unwilling to spend $100 monthly payments on martial arts classes. As a result, finding an alternative will be their only path to learning how to fight. However, there are plenty of disadvantages to this way—so let’s examine whether you should train martial arts at home.
Training karate at home is less effective than at a qualified dojo, since it’ll better teach you. Moreover, you’ll have an instructor watching your every move, and as a result, you won’t form bad habits. That said, when training at home, developing the same mistakes since no one is correcting them-is common.
I’m a big believer in self-investing. Essentially, when you invest money in your personal growth, you’ll notice a positive ROI in most cases.
For example, when you do karate, you’ll experience several mental and physical benefits. Consequently, you’ll be paying money for these benefits; of course, you’ll also learn to fight, a significant part of karate training.
Here are some benefits you may experience from consistent karate training. Follow the link to read an in depth elaboration on the topic. Source
- better physical shape
- increase self-confidence
- improve pain tolerance
- teach you to use self-defense
- decrease overall stress
- assist you in controlling aggressiveness
- shorten reaction time
- improve your performance under stress
- enhance self-esteem
- better social life
- martial arts are a form of self-help
As you can see, the list is long and goes further. Imagine yourself experiencing a handful of these benefits in your life. How better would your quality of life now be thanks to these results? You can achieve them by being consistent with training.
Final words
To end this article, I want to show my appreciation for this magnificent martial art. Karate has been a central part in many of its trainees’ lives and positively impacted their well-being. I don’t have a specific number, but I’m confident it has influenced the lives of millions.
Training in karate will get expensive. As a result, if you’re unwilling to invest plenty of capital into practicing martial arts, you’re not alone. In fact, many individuals give up before trying because of the financial burden it may create.
For these people-I would recommend starting to train at home. Start by following a YouTube channel and go from there.
Truly, a sea of knowledge awaits a suitable contender. If you want to reach a black belt from your home, you can.
If you enjoyed reading this article, I encourage you to also read another piece of mine on Karate’s belt order. It’ll help you better understand how its ranking system works.