What is the most expensive martial art to learn?

Throughout the ages, most martial arts have been geared towards the working class and have aimed at developing said practitioners – both mentally and physically. As a result, disciplines such as boxing and Judo have become famously affordable for its participants. Sadly, this isn’t always the case though and there are exceptions to the norm. Here, we shall be looking at those exceptions where training is not cheap. We shall look at which martial arts this counts for, as well as the reasons why this is the case.

In some cases, there’s a certain culture and history behind these martial arts which is why they’re expensive. In other cases, it’s simply a matter of supply and demand. Regardless, if you want to see what martial arts cost the most to train – then read on.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is notoriously expensive, and in some cases it can cost over $200 to train or even more! As well as this, you’ll also have to pay for a gi which typically costs at least double that of a Judo gi which is of the same quality. Then there’s rash guards and other gear. What’s even more taxing is that many schools such as Gracie Barra also require you to wear their own branded uniform. This is usually more expensive than other brands and can cost around $150 for a gi.

The reason for this is possibly two-fold. Firstly, the Gracie family were a wealthy clan from Brazil and BJJ’s roots are quite middle class. Hence why prices are still expensive. Secondly, there’s the issue of supply and demand. In most countries, you’ll have at least 2-3 Karate dojos for every BJJ gym which means BJJ isn’t as competitive. As a result, schools can charge a premium with customers lacking an alternative.

MMA

Contrary to popular belief, MMA isn’t as blue collar as you might expect. UFC Champions such as BJ Penn and Conor McGregor both came from fairly wealthy backgrounds and despite the MMA success stories of someone making it from poverty, this usually isn’t the case. The reason why MMA can be expensive is quite logical though.

Imagine a place that has BJJ, Muay Thai, Boxing and Wrestling all under one roof. Obviously, this isn’t cheap from a gym-owners perspective as you’ll have to employ specialists within each martial art. As well, MMA gyms usually demand quite a large square footage due to shoehorning various disciplines together. The result is that MMA can be quite expensive and is often trained by aspiring professionals rather than hobbyists.

Krav Maga

In certain parts of the world, Krav Maga actually isn’t too expensive and in certain parts of Europe, you may be lucky enough to find a gym that costs as little as $50 per month. However, this usually isn’t the case – especially in the USA. The issue with Krav Maga is that like BJJ, there’s an element of supply and demand. Some Krav Maga schools have very little competition so they can put their prices up.

On a separate note, Krav Maga also has a better reputation compared to similar martial arts. In some ways, Krav Maga is quite similar to Hapkido. However, many people are skeptical of Hapkido these days due to its somewhat tarnished reputation. This isn’t the case with Krav Maga which is seen as more legitimate and effective regarding self defense. As a result, Krav Maga can charge more than its rivals.

Taekwondo

On the face of it, Taekwondo isn’t that expensive and usually won’t cost much more than $100 per month. Whilst not the cheapest martial art out there, it’s still not that expensive. The issue with Taekwondo is often the ongoing costs such as grading fees, seminars, belt tests and so on. This means that if you do train TKD, you’ll often be hit with hidden costs.

For example, you may even be expected to pay for your belt in some gyms which is not the case with other martial arts. Because of this, TKD often has a reputation of costing money. It isn’t as expensive as something like BJJ, but is still costly and the ongoing fees can soon add up.

Bartitsu

For those unaware, Bartitsu was founded by William-Barton Wright in the 19th century. These days, it is considered dead apart form a tiny minority who practice it out of homage more than anything else. This was a form of self defense that was based on Victorian London where gangs and fighting were rife. Here, Barton Wright taught his students how to fight by using skills used in Judo and also with weapons such as the cane.

The main reason as to why this martial art failed to go mainstream was because Barton Wright was a snob who made his gym incredibly expensive, and exclusively for the London elite. As a result, when he died, so did Bartitsu. Although this martial art is no longer relevant in today’s society, it’s still an example of how expensive martial arts can be. Taking inflation into account, you could argue that Bartitsu is the most expensive martial art in history.

Conclusion

If you have deep pockets, then training these martial arts will not really affect you. However, if you’re short for money then you may want to consider some of the less expensive martial arts that are available. Regardless, if you’re lucky enough then you may just happen to stumble upon a martial arts gym that is cheaper than its competitors. If this is the case then get training!

To summarize, these days the most expensive martial art going is probably Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Due to its historical roots, as well as a large demand but little supply of gyms – it costs to learn this art. The good news is that this may change in the future as BJJ becomes more accessible and mainstream. Until then, you’re looking at expensive gi’s, membership costs, private sessions and seminars that are very expensive when compared to most other martial arts.

If you’d like to learn more about the cultural origins of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, then check out this historical piece, written by BJJ black belt Robert Drysdale.