Covid & BJJ memberships

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Opinions on gyms preferring students to continue paying their membership despite being closed due to Covid?

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To me, aslong as I still have an income ill support the academy.  

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Does anyone know the extent to which gyms as small business can get aid through the CARES Act?

I know fighters can benefit quite a bit. Not sure how it applies to gyms.

That would affect my opinion on this matter.

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My fees are prepaid yearly. The gym is adding time on everyone's account for as long as they are closed. I think monthly fees are suspended.

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If you want it to be there when this is over, you should pay. But I'd have alot more respect for a gym that's willing to work with folks that lost jobs.

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wiggum - Does anyone know the extent to which gyms as small business can get aid through the CARES Act?

I know fighters can benefit quite a bit. Not sure how it applies to gyms.

That would affect my opinion on this matter.

Assuming they can’t get substantial aid, I think they are right to ask people who can continue to contribute to continue to contribute.

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You pay them to teach you and give you a place to train. If they aren’t doing that, they shouldn’t expect you to pay.

4 Likes
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Lazarus - You pay them to teach you and give you a place to train. If they aren't doing that, they shouldn't expect you to pay.

To me the relationship I gained with the members of my academy makes it more than "a place to train". If I had an issue paying my membership I believe my professor would work with me. 

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Lazarus - You pay them to teach you and give you a place to train. If they aren't doing that, they shouldn't expect you to pay.

Man, we’re all in this together.

For people whose salaries aren’t affected by the depression we’re about to hit, why shouldn’t they support a business that they’ve already budgeted to support?

That’s if the business isn’t able to stay afloat from government assistance that is filling the void.

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Short Version: 

1) It's cool of you to keep paying if you can afford to as the small gym business is tough. 

  1. If you can’t afford to, they know, and they’re still charging you, it’s a dick move. The risk of being an entrepreneur is their responsibility ultimately. 

 

Long Version: 

It’s one of those things where most gyms are going to just tack those months on to when you come back as pre-paid months, and you continuing to pay ensures there’s still a gym for you to go to when the smoke clears. 

 

Most gym owners aren’t profitable enough to pay their contracted rent, insurance, and utilities and remain in business if this drags on for months, so continuing to pay them is a really good thing to do and you’ll end up with a bunch of prepaid once you’re back so it’s a win win if you can swing it. 

 

With that said, if they aren’t going to credit you the months that you’re paying for on the other side, that’s bullshit and straight up wrong IMO, and if you really can’t afford to keep paying, it shouldn’t fall on you to bail them out. Risk of doing business. 

 

If you can, support your local gym! The big chains like LA Fitness or GoodLife can fuck off though, don’t let them bill you rn they’ll be fine. 

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Glad someone made a thread about this. Im a single father with 2 kids. I train bjj because I’m an ex wrestler who needs stress relief. I don’t make a lot of money but my membership for Paramount BJJ in Pa is 175$ a month. I’m not poor, but im kind of pissed that I’m getting charged monthly when we cant even train for the next 2-3 months most likely. It just seems like a dick thing to do. It would be one thing if he asked us what he should do, but he says " guys im still gonna charge you, but, here is a 25$ gift card to wawa. Enjoy pussies. What a douche

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As long as I still have a job, i'll support my  BJJ and judo schools.

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NakedYoga420 - Glad someone made a thread about this. Im a single father with 2 kids. I train bjj because I'm an ex wrestler who needs stress relief. I don't make a lot of money but my membership for Paramount BJJ in Pa is 175$ a month. I'm not poor, but im kind of pissed that I'm getting charged monthly when we cant even train for the next 2-3 months most likely. It just seems like a dick thing to do. It would be one thing if he asked us what he should do, but he says " guys im still gonna charge you, but, here is a 25$ gift card to wawa. Enjoy pussies. What a douche

Can you cancel and rejoin? That’s a lot of money 

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NakedYoga420 - Glad someone made a thread about this. Im a single father with 2 kids. I train bjj because I'm an ex wrestler who needs stress relief. I don't make a lot of money but my membership for Paramount BJJ in Pa is 175$ a month. I'm not poor, but im kind of pissed that I'm getting charged monthly when we cant even train for the next 2-3 months most likely. It just seems like a dick thing to do. It would be one thing if he asked us what he should do, but he says " guys im still gonna charge you, but, here is a 25$ gift card to wawa. Enjoy pussies. What a douche

That is pretty weak. 

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If you can afford to pay and they credit you the months then go for it. However, it is shitty for them not to give you the option to freeze your contract or work with you. Your job isn't to bail out an entrepreneur and if they couldn't find a way to create a sustainable business with enough cash reserves through margins and/or loans to stay afoat than that is on them.

1 Like
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Mountain Medic -

If you want it to be there when this is over, you should pay. But I'd have alot more respect for a gym that's willing to work with folks that lost jobs.

Some people will have to prioritize essential things like food, utilities, rent, and healthcare for themselves and their own family. People pay for bjj with disposable income and in a time like this many people don't have disposable income to continue to keep a hobby. The fact of the matter is that when this is over there will be some gyms out of business and some that remain. That is the economy working itself out through supply and demand and it is the risk that entrepreneurs take.

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NakedYoga420 - Glad someone made a thread about this. Im a single father with 2 kids. I train bjj because I'm an ex wrestler who needs stress relief. I don't make a lot of money but my membership for Paramount BJJ in Pa is 175$ a month. I'm not poor, but im kind of pissed that I'm getting charged monthly when we cant even train for the next 2-3 months most likely. It just seems like a dick thing to do. It would be one thing if he asked us what he should do, but he says " guys im still gonna charge you, but, here is a 25$ gift card to wawa. Enjoy pussies. What a douche

I trained at an affiliate gym years ago. I know that gym has frozen contracts and if what you are saying is true then that is a real shitty thing to do. I hope his student base contacts their banks and stops the charges. 

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This is such a rough situation overall. Pay but no or low quality (Zoom classes) services. Or on the other hand there’s a good chance that when this is all over your school will be closed because there was no way to keep it afloat.

There is no easy answer for anyone here. I just have a feeling schools will not be allowed to open up anytime soon and it MIGHT be better to cut losses now and reopen at a later date. I dunno, that sounds very doomsday but I think some fitness gyms (Gold’s Gym) are basically doing such right now.

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SpeedKing9 - This is such a rough situation overall. Pay but no or low quality (Zoom classes) services. Or on the other hand there's a good chance that when this is all over your school will be closed because there was no way to keep it afloat.

There is no easy answer for anyone here. I just have a feeling schools will not be allowed to open up anytime soon and it MIGHT be better to cut losses now and reopen at a later date. I dunno, that sounds very doomsday but I think some fitness gyms (Gold’s Gym) are basically doing such right now.

Real answer is if they are forcing you to pay they deserve to be closed and I would rather find a new place to give my money to.

Charing somebody for a service not provided is unacceptable. The minimum offering should be months credited after the fact 

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shaqitup -
SpeedKing9 - This is such a rough situation overall. Pay but no or low quality (Zoom classes) services. Or on the other hand there's a good chance that when this is all over your school will be closed because there was no way to keep it afloat.

There is no easy answer for anyone here. I just have a feeling schools will not be allowed to open up anytime soon and it MIGHT be better to cut losses now and reopen at a later date. I dunno, that sounds very doomsday but I think some fitness gyms (Gold’s Gym) are basically doing such right now.

Real answer is if they are forcing you to pay they deserve to be closed and I would rather find a new place to give my money to.

Charing somebody for a service not provided is unacceptable. The minimum offering should be months credited after the fact 

People need to understand that the market will correct itself. It’s not like there won’t be any jiu jitsu or mma but there will just be less supply than currently. The gyms who are able to stay afloat will make it and people can go train there unless you live in a place that your gym is the only game in town. I know in my area there are about 30 or more mma/jiu jitsu gyms within 50 miles.Â