Pennywise

So just how much are my two months of training at the Gracie Academy in Los Angeles going to cost?

It isn't going to be cheap, but it will be a great experience for the price.

First the basics.

Helen and I will need a place to stay. We will be starting out in a hotel, and hoping to find somebody with a room to rent. At worst, we'll end up in the hotel for the entire stay. Two months in a hotel would be big bucks. Well, yes, but not as bad as you'd think.

My Visa card is of the type that saves up travel points. It currently has enough on it to cover about three weeks in a hotel room very close to the Gracie Academy. We'll have to pay for the rest of the time, but I just joined the American Association of Retired Persons. That entitles me to a nice room rate. A perk of being an old fart.

We'll also have to eat, but that's something we already do at home. There will be more restaurant meals, but there are lots of good cheap eats in the US, more so than here. We'll pay more overall than at home, but nothing unreasonable.

Another big cost will be the actual Jiu-Jitsu training. My plan is to hit the mat 11 times per week for 8 weeks. The price they charge works out to about $20 per class, which would make entire bundle of training cost $1760.

That would be a serious chunk of change, but as a member of the association I am entitled to unlimited training for a 30 day period. That works out to a hair over 4 weeks. As a result I'll actually be paying $800, which I'm more than happy to do.

There are a few hidden costs. There are two classes per week where the students do not wear traditional uniforms. They instead wear association shorts and shirts. The Gracie's have the lowest prices I've seen for this type of clothing, but as both classes are on the same day, I will need two sets at $45 for shorts and $40 for each shirt. I'll also pick up an extra gi at about $150. Altogether it will be about $350 for assorted clothes.

We'll also spend a lot of money on just plain old having fun. I don't count this against the price of the training as it is another type of thing altogether.

It works out to thousands of dollars, but how often does one do this in a lifetime?