As far as comparing what each has to offer, it sounds like the newer school is a better opportunity; and besides, from what you’ve said, until you heard about this new place you were intent on spending $160 a month anyway. So, why not save yourself $10.
Bottom line is, one way or another you’ll have to make some sacrifices. The question is, what are you willing to sacrifice?

P.S.
I’ve always been told one of the worst things to do, in regard to martial arts, is to sign a contract (the whole, if the school is legitimately good, why would you need a contract theory). But a contract is a contract, so first find out what breaking this contact entails legally; Your outstanding dues could get sent to a credit bureau, or worse you could end up with some sort of collection agency on your back.

Hmmm.

I can’t say for sure, but the price seems high to me at both places. I don’t think training should be free – it should involve a sacrifice in return for Sensei’s time and willingness to teach.

However, I’ve trained at pretty traditional schools where the sacrifice is in the form of dues, but they are meant to cover the dojo’s cost rather than make money. The other sacrifices are cleaning, maintenance and book keeping – its all done for the love of the art.

Our dues are low, but it might be due to how the dojo is structured, where its located relative to cost of living and such as well as the Senseis’ wanting to be able to buy a few good bottles of wine at the end of the year rather than earn a living.

The school has classes 7 days a week, morning, noon, night, no contract, unlimited. If you speak to Sensei and explain hard times, they will always give breaks or train you for free until you can again afford dues. They have said over and over that they would rather their students train if their heart is in it dispite their wallet rather than train if their wallet is in it dispite their heart.

My Senseis come from a pretty old school backround though – way before the MMA craze or the Ninja craze of the early 80’s or any of that stuff.

Heck, they have a single line in the whitepages and that’s all the advertising they do… We have a very large and very top heavy dojo through basically nothing more than word of mouth and passer-by observers starting as students.

This is, I think, how its supposed to be – the student should seek out their dojo. The dojo shouldn’t have to seek out students or confine them with money.

In my experience, contracts tend to speak to not being able to keep students otherwise and no contract speaks to not needing a contract to keep students – this is just a personal observation from my own experience. There are certainly many who would disagree.

Lastly, regarding multiple styles… Again, perhaps I’m old school, but here’s a story I think is appropriate:

A martial arts student approached his teacher with a question. I’d like to improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you, I’d like to study with another teacher in order to learn another style. What do you think of this idea?

The hunter who chases two rabbits, answered the master, catches neither one.

Do you want to become good at many things or truely become a master of one thing? No right or wrong answer, but don’t think you really can have both.

I sincerely doubt that your current school is going to allow you to terminate your contract early. The whole purpose of a contract in the first place is to prevent students from leaving before the school has made a certain amount of money off them.

I also doubt that the new school is going to allow you to train for free until your current contract expires. They’re a new school that doesn’t have an established clientele yet. So they’re going to need all the money they can get for operating expenses until they get enough students to financially sustain the school.

Since you personally are already tight on money, I doubt that you can afford to pay for both schools for the next six months. You’re already paying about $300.00 per month, so another 150.00 a month would be a pretty substantial sum for a college student only making $850.00 per month.

In light of what I’ve thus far stated in this answer, I strongly recommend that you stay with your current school until the contract expires. After it expires, quit the old school and join the new one.

If the new school is a good one, it will still be there in six months. Since they’re already charging 150.00 per month, it’s very unlikely the price will go up in the next six months. Being a new school, they’re trying to attract new students, not run them off with excessively high prices.

When you visit the new school after your current contract is up, be sure to ask questions of several of the students who train there, when instructors aren’t around. Find out what they think are the pros and cons of the school, and if they’re satisfied with the training and facility.

If the school offers a free trial period, usually the first month free at your typical school, by all means take advantage of it. Go as much as possible during the trial period, so you’ll get a good idea whether the place is right for you.

Good luck! (-:

Wait till your contract is up. otherwise you will end up paying for both.

Here is an idea that just might work. One time when I moved my dojo to a new area, I used this to get students from other dojo.

What I did was let students that had contracts at other dojo come for free until the end of their contract. And yes I lost some money but I got several students that continued to train with me after their contract ended at the other dojo. It is a gamble but if you go talk to the owner of the new school be sure to take your contract with you.

I’m not saying that they will let you train for free. They might be willing to work out something special until your contract is over with the other school. You have lost nothing if it does not work.

it seems like the MMA gym would be much better for you, it’s more complete, is cheaper, has better teachers etc., and you seem to really want to do it. so that’s what i think you should do. after all, you’re the only person who can make you do anything. And don’t think you have no choice in the matter, because you always have a choice in everything.

they both seem way to expensive to me i would be looking around the district a bit more for somewhere else to train.any ma that has contracts reeks of mcdojo.
be careful with the scenario you have described,the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.

A 10 dollar saving really isn’t enough to move if you have that much time left on contract. Wait till its over then join the new one if its that good.

i dont know if there is an early cancelation fee at your first school, but i would try to get to that new one if i were you.

and brazilian jiu jitsu kicks a$$

u need to decide which one is better for u before u can afford to join either classes or if u choose to take both, they might charge u more money to pay for these classes.. careful…. dont get scammed.