1st Dan Requirements

Azulx

Black Belt
What are your school's requirements to test for 1st Dan? I am curious to see how school requirements compare.
 
Our objective requirements are:
Kicho 1-6
Palgwae 1-8
Taegeuk 1-8 (if seeking KKW certification)
Koryo
One Step sparring (there are 5 per rank, so 50 for Chodanbo)
Free sparring
Breaking

There is also a subjective judgement that the person merits promotion to 1st Dan, which is based on our assessment of their understanding not only of the techniques taught, but the principles behind them, and their ability to teach those skills.
 
Demonstration of different kicking techniques (pads)
Three ten-step forms
Taeguk 1-8
One step sparring (about 60 total but they are mirrored, so only 30 different ones)
Ho Sin Sools (self defense): 60
Free sparring
Breaking
Written thesis centered around you, TKD and your school etc.

Our warm ups for belt tests in general are also a lot more stringent than during regular class, kinda pushing folks to see how many pushups etc they can do.
 
Your soul.

I'm not kidding. It's pretty much required in BJJ. Ask Tony Dismukes.
Hah! If it was just as easy as signing on the Devil's dotted line ...

Basically, in BJJ earning your black belt comes down to consistently displaying the skill, attributes, and knowledge that are seen as befitting a BJJ black belt. For a person of average talent, that probably reflects about 3000-4000 hours of hard work on the mats, plus lots of time spent on independent study and research. Performance in sparring is crucial, but that performance should be based on technique, not just athleticism. Mental attributes are crucial as well. A BJJ black belt should have demonstrated a high degree of mental fortitude and should be able to stay calm and focused even under extreme pressure.

It's a totally subjective measure, but there are cultural expectations in BJJ which keep standards pretty high. No one wants to be known as the instructor who gives out ranks easily and whose students can be beat by lower ranked students from other academies.
 
What are your school's requirements to test for 1st Dan? I am curious to see how school requirements compare.
Palgwe(not actual) 1-8, 2 custom forms, a weapon form, and Koryo. A 12 station break, and reading out your "essay" about how you want you First Dan.

As I've learned more over the years, I've become increasingly disappointed in my association, but this is besides the point.
 
What are your school's requirements to test for 1st Dan? I am curious to see how school requirements compare.
Did you mean the actual tests, or what you have to do to be eligible?

Tests: Effective demonstration of self-defense ability. Demonstration of all 50 Classical techniques (short form and application). Demonstration of all kicks. Vocabulary test (oral). Explanation of key principles of all Classical techniques. Demonstration of all long-form kata.

Eligibility: At least a year at brown belt. Consistently good application of the principles of the art and use of the techniques, both in form and in free-form self-defense application. Effectiveness at sparring and randori. Ability to counter techniques (possibly being added to the testing). All of those except the time requirement are subjective observations by the instructor. (For mainiline NGA, there is also a year of student teaching required, as shodan is also teaching certification.)
 
Thorough understanding of and ability to demonstrate the Taegeuk series to a high degree of accuracy and proficiency in line with the definitions from KKW. No mistakes, hesitations, or incorrect techniques.

Demonstrable ability to apply basic techniques and those from the patterns across the disciplines:

Step Sparring
Freestyle Sparring
Hoshinsul (stylised) and Self Defence
Destruction for Power and Demonstration purposes
Sport Sparring
Footwork
Combinations of techniques on request
Terminology - all Techniques, Stances, Striking Surfaces and Directions contained in Taegeuk
Conduct in line with the values and tenets of Taekwondo, and evidence of living those values



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Just from memory about the style that had 'Dan' at the time I was there.
- being observed in training by several advanced black belts (in seminairs, usually).
- emotional / temperamental stability constantly tested by our boss which looked just offence and disrespect by outsiders (like in military, I guess)
- 3 min light (but fast) sparring against a higher rank opponent, no stop, and the true test,
- 3 min very hard sparring against a higher rank opponent, no stop (before time end). I saw one dropping many times, but no KO.
- Instructor course (100h?) since Dan level, was only for instructors.

In Muay Thai, for the 1st Dan equivalent level, I think we need to compete, up to all the technical and fitness requirements.
 
All forms from White Belt on up.
Sparring. Usually the required number of rounds, plus one or two more "challenge" matches, such as 3-on-1, etc.
Weapons
Board Breaks. May include a challenge board break as well.

Most important, they have got to look and act like a Black Belt - show the spirit, confidence and control that one would expect from a Black Belt.
 
Dirty Dog's summation was spot-on with my own WTF experience. The previous ATA experience I had involved the Songahm "set" of forms (starting out with the forms of the sme name, then they change, anding with 1st Dan of Shimjun poomse).

But, now in judo/aikido, the backdrop is different. Black Belt in Japanese arts is simply viewed differently by Japanese arts than Korean arts. For the Japanese, in my own experience, it's looked upon IMO as a basic competence with the fundamentals, something like a high school diploma, is all. For the KMA, it's a loftier goal, involving understanding principles, being able to effectively teach, etc. So, different responsibility levels.

For my own school now Shodan is: competence in all ukemi (falling in all directions), Tagetana-no-kata (Walk/breathing exercise), Hanasu-no-kata (8 releases (wrists), the Ju-nana-han kata (basic 17 techniques of the Tomiki Aikido system), Nos. 1 - 5 of Owaza Jupon (Big 10 Techniques, involves a lot of hyperkinetic situations being dealt with), and then I've added for my own school the complete Merritt-Stevens self defense system (10 techniques, designed for PD originally).
 
1st dan in Can-ryu jiu jitsu, all techniques from white to brown with up to 3 variations on each. All punching and kicking techniques demonstrated on pads. Blindfold circle for approximately 20-25 techniques. Free fighting against 3 opponents. Test takes approximately 6-8 hours.

Judo 1st dan consist of all techniques white to brown demonstrated on both sides and all 3 sets of Nage-No-Kata.
 

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