Compared to other martial arts, BJJ is expensive. For example, a typical BJJ membership may cost $100 per month, or in some cases closer to $200. Compared to the likes of Judo and Boxing, BJJ is far more expensive. Typically these martial arts can cost as little as $40 per month and some Boxing gyms charge as little as $3 per session or even less depending on your circumstances. There are several reasons for this which will be discussed below.
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BJJ is a middle class sport
The origins of BJJ come from the Gracie family in Brazil. Although the Gracie clan love to fight, they were also a family of wealthy business people. An example of this is the Gracie Barra organisation. The original gym was founded in Barra da Tijuca. This was an upper class area, and for a time the Gracie family only taught to those wealthy enough to afford classes. Because of this, Capoeira was reserved for the poor, working classes of Brazil.
Since then, BJJ has spread globally, and whilst working class people can and do participate in the sport; generally the demographic is more of a middle class activity. For instance, a lot of successful competitors are able to fund their lifestyles through generational wealth. It isn’t easy becoming a top athlete in BJJ, so financial support may be offered by your family as a result. It’s also not uncommon to enter a gym that has doctors or lawyers training. Imagine this set up in a boxing gym?
It just doesn’t happen and is because boxing gyms usually appeal to the working classes. This is partly a generational thing that is influenced by class culture. However, it is also a financial issue. If you have a low income then spending hundreds of dollars a month on an activity may be too expensive. At the same time, the likes of Boxing and Judo are significantly cheaper so they will naturally attract more working-class practitioners.
The cost of training equipment
Compared to other martial arts, BJJ has expensive equipment and clothing. For example, often a Judo or Karate Gi may cost as little as $30. This isn’t really expensive, however your average Gi will usually cost double this. If you then add in exclusive gym Gi’s such as ATOS and Gracie Barra, then the price of Gi’s goes even higher, often costing more than $100. Whilst Nogi clothing is significantly cheaper, it’s still another cost to factor in.
As well as this, most hobbyists will usually own more than one Gi. Perhaps one Gi is fine if you train once or twice per week. However, those training at least three times per week will usually own a couple of Gi’s within a year or so of training. This is because of the damage that Gi’s go through, such as ripped collars and pants and also due to having to regularly wash your clothing. In short, it’s practical to own a few Gi’s and rashguards which can quickly add up. Compared to Muay Thai for instance, you may train in a t-shirt and gloves. These are much less expensive and are less of a financial commitment.
BJJ has fewer gyms, so it’s an issue of supply and demand
If you live in a small town and there’s only one local gym then they have a monopoly on prices. In theory, they could charge higher prices if there are no competitors around. This makes simple business sense as otherwise, people have no choice to train elsewhere. In business terms, this is called supply and demand, and with more competition around, the prices for the customer should theoretically drop.
Modelling this on BJJ, it should be acknowledged that it’s a much newer martial art compared to most other combat sports. For instance, your average town may have a couple of Judo clubs or a boxing gym. This is due to those skills being available to learn for the past 100 years. Because of this, generations of people are available to learn and teach those specific arts. However, with BJJ this is not the case. It’s still new in martial arts terms and most gym owners are often Brazilian or received their black belt under a Brazilian. With this said, BJJ is still quite small and is still growing compared to other martial arts.
Because of this, there’s naturally less competition which means prices remain high. As said previously, it is mostly still a middle-class sport due to its higher prices. In theory, this should become more available to poorer students over the next 10-20 years as more gyms open up and it becomes more mainstream. Until then, however, BJJ prices will still remain higher than the average martial art.
The cost of running a gym is not cheap
Opening a BJJ gym is not a cheap option, and often it is done through passion rather than profit. For a lot of smaller gyms, it is hard to earn a living, each month is a financial challenge. This is due to costs such as gym mats, rent, insurance, advertising and the time it takes to run a gym.
With this in mind, BJJ gyms are not charities and so if they are too cheap, the owner may lose money. For example, when all of the hours of work are factored in, the hourly wage of a BJJ gym owner may actually be around $10 per hour, or in some extreme cases even less. So, although a BJJ gym may seem expensive – there’s often a lot of stuff behind the scenes which adds to the cost of ownership.
Basically, to run a BJJ gym it will cost money to finance. With other martial arts, less equipment is needed or the gym may be open less. For instance, it’s common for boxing gyms to be community funded which are open twice per week. This means the overheads are significantly cheaper than a privately owned BJJ gym which has to be open six days per week. With this said, BJJ owners aren’t greedy – the prices are often justified and the hidden costs of running a business should not be underestimated.
You get what you pay for
Sometimes, smaller BJJ gyms are set up and can be considerably cheaper than bigger, more established gyms. For instance, in some places, the gym owner may be a blue belt. Whilst this may be a good budget option for training, it also may affect your learning.
If you train under an established black belt – they may have a good reputation with students who get good results when competing. Generally, this is a good sign of a teacher as the results speak for themselves. However, if it is a part time lower belt as the main teacher, the instruction probably won’t be as good.
Whilst this is a generalization – this is because a legitimate black belt will know the intricate details which will improve your BJJ. However, if you are taught by a lower belt – you will still learn but it will probably be broader. This is fine as a newbie or if you can’t afford better quality teaching but after a few years, your BJJ may suffer as a result. In short, you often get what you pay for.
Summary
Undoubtedly BJJ is an expensive martial art. However, its prices are often justified as discussed above. Due to being new and somewhat niche, you can expect BJJ to cost more. Other factors such as costly overheads will also add to the price of training. At the same time BJJ is also very enjoyable so if you can afford it – it’s well worth the investment. In short, you can’t put a price on happiness and this is the case for BJJ. With this said, BJJ may be costly but the prices are often justified and reasonable. Because of this, if you’re thinking about starting – don’t be put off by costs and give it a try.
