Black belt - is this ok?

[TigerLove]

it's just about i dont want to take right to mention names of my instructors in so public places, especially in this context. no any other reason for hiding.

just it, i train because i love it. about belts, time will show everything. i believe i deserve my belt.

even if i didn't, maybe doesn't matter. or i will stop train soon and my certificate will be just paper on the wall, or i will continue through years and i will definitely justify bb i earned these days.

 

[terryl965]

it's just about i dont want to take right to mention names of my instructors in so public places, especially in this context. no any other reason for hiding.

just it, i train because i love it. about belts, time will show everything. i believe i deserve my belt.

even if i didn't, maybe doesn't matter. or i will stop train soon and my certificate will be just paper on the wall, or i will continue through years and i will definitely justify bb i earned these days.

like I said enjoy your training and remember evrything is not what it seems. I have enjoyed this thread and maybe if I ever get tp your necj of the woods we can train and enjoy a good meal.:asian:

 

[TigerLove]

i also enjoyed, just disliked justifying for my bb, but i understand you and the others, no hard feelings. all i have to say is in my post before this one.

about this you mentioned..hope so! life is unpredictable :asian:

 

[Tames D]

I train Taekwon do for 10 months, six times a week, two hours training, most of the time intensive and hard training.

I earned black belt.

I asked my master is is ok, he sad it is, and if i missed something, i have almost two years until i can go for 2nd Dan, so in that time i will compensate it.

He sad i completely deserve my black belt.

Sounds like you are a talented individual. You know, Joe Lewis earned his Black Belt in the same amount of time as you. I don't recall
ANYONE questioning his promotion then or now. I'm not saying that you are of Joe Lewis's caliber, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now.

Dude, keep doing what you are doing. You're on the right path.

 

[granfire]

i also enjoyed, just disliked justifying for my bb, but i understand you and the others, no hard feelings. all i have to say is in my post before this one.

about this you mentioned..hope so! life is unpredictable :asian:

Well, the true learning starts now!
Have fun on the journey!

 

[MBuzzy]

Everyone should remember that Tigerlove is in another country - so posting personal information or information about an instructor may not be as simple of a matter as it is here. Things may be drastically different there, so don't judge based on American standards.

 

[Earl Weiss]

i am in the general choi's itf. rest of info i don't want to place here because of practical reasons - i just wanted to hear oppinions from others, .

Well, opinions are as follows:
1. If you say you are in General Choi's ITF either you are hiding something or are blissfuly unaware of what's going on, or perhaps even being ripped off. (You wouldn't be the first).
2. General Choi died in 2002 and 3 groups use the term ITF. That is why I asked what group you were in and if you did not know the name of the president on your ITF Cert. Since each group has many members disclosing this would not reveal any personal info you wish to keep secret.
3. For any student to think that they can improve material they should have been more adept at before a test, after a test when new material should be introduced is a bad model.

 

[TigerLove]

Well, opinions are as follows:
1. If you say you are in General Choi's ITF either you are hiding something or are blissfuly unaware of what's going on, or perhaps even being ripped off. (You wouldn't be the first).
2. General Choi died in 2002 and 3 groups use the term ITF. That is why I asked what group you were in and if you did not know the name of the president on your ITF Cert. Since each group has many members disclosing this would not reveal any personal info you wish to keep secret.
3. For any student to think that they can improve material they should have been more adept at before a test, after a test when new material should be introduced is a bad model.

I don't want to discuss anymore, at least not in the way i do now with you. This thread is about my question what people thinks on gettin bb in 10 months of training, and not about justifying myself for that.

I sad this third time now, and you now becoming unpolite, because of asking me same questions again. I respect you and all you accomplished ( :asian: ), but also i ask for same from you, since i didn't do anything bad.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I train Taekwon do for 10 months, six times a week, two hours training, most of the time intensive and hard training.

I earned black belt.

I asked my master is is ok, he sad it is, and if i missed something, i have almost two years until i can go for 2nd Dan, so in that time i will compensate it.

He sad i completely deserve my black belt.

Lets put it into perspective: Average time to BB in most commercial schools in the US is 18-24 months in TKD, with students going to a one hour class class 2 times a week on average. That comes out to 144 hours in 18 months and 208 hours for 24 months. Six two hour classes per week in ten months, averaging four weeks per month, comes out to 480 hours.

So if your only question is the amount of time it took you from white to black, in terms of time actually spent in formal training, you ahve more than twice that of the average two year black belt.

As far as the quality of your training, knowledge of curriculum, depth of knowledge, sparring skill, and overall quality, that is something that your instructor knows better than any of us.

I am of the opinion that, even within the same organization, a blackbelt has little meaning outside of the school that issued it. If you go to another school, they will know fairly quickly what your quality is as soon as you step onto the mat and start performing, regardless of what belt you are wearing.

You take the class to learn what the teacher has to teach, not to get a belt. The belt serves only to mark where you are in the curriculum and that you are proficient in what you have learned before that point. That is all.

I do think that you should try to answer Earl's questions regarding federation and president, as that will not say anything about your master or school. You certainly don't have to, but Earl is very knowledgeable and can likely give you a very good perspective on your question. But organizations differ in time in grade averages, so it may be helpful to let him know.

Lastly, congrats! Remember that a blackbelt is a white belt who didn't quit. A second dan is a blackbelt who didn't quit. A third dan is... well, you get the picture.

Daniel

 

[Manny]

Tiger Lover, it took me 4 years to ern my bb in TKD at a steady pace, some times training two hours a day three times per week, some times one hour per day, etc,etc, I never push the time limit, my sambunim let me do examination when he think I was ready.

You made your bb test and erned your grade in 10 months giving it all to reach bb status, that's fine your master tought you deserve it and that's fine for you that's what counts.

Now you have to train harder to obtain your second dan black belt in two more years, practice and refine your techs, I made my bb test back in 1987 and I am hoping to do my second dan black belt on june this is almost 22 years afther. Maybe you went to fast maybe I went to slow so what the heck!!! You deserve it and earn it that's ok.

Manny

 

[garrisons2]

Master Sullivan, all I can say it wow to the average of between 144 and 208 classroom hrs for BB, I figured it took me about 450 and couldn't imagine feeling BB ready in less than half that time.

 

[terryl965]

You know what really cjaps my ***, is the fact everyone believe they should test in two years after recieving there 1st. That is called minimal timeframe not you have time in so know you are a second? What happen about learning the roots of TKD beyond the normal materials?

 

[Dirty Dog]

5.chon ji
dan gun
do san
yul gok
joong gun
toi gye
hwa rang
choong moo

Interesting. You did say this was "General Choi's ITF", correct? I know, you don't wish to say which of the several "General Choi's ITF" federations your Master is affiliated with. The reason people have asked is because the curriculum is not necessarily the same for all of the splinter groups that have arisen since the time of the Generals death.

Operating strictly from my admitedly faulty memory (and possibly someone with more recent ITF training will correct me if I am wrong), the ITF, as originally structured by General Choi, also required Kwang-Gye and Po-Hoon for BB rank.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Master Sullivan, all I can say it wow to the average of between 144 and 208 classroom hrs for BB, I figured it took me about 450 and couldn't imagine feeling BB ready in less than half that time.

Just Daniel is fine. I do not consider my self a master. Just an instructor, though I thank you for the compliment.

I will say that I do not think that 144-208 hours is enough or desirable. It is just what seems to be the average in commercial schools. Certainly, I may be wrong, but that is the feel that I get in talking to others both in my area and on the web. Twin Fist has ranted about this on numerous occasions, and for the most part, I agree with him. I do think that if you are in a WTF school that does nothing but train for sparring competition (no forms), two years of intense training is probably enough to compete in that bracket; less material to digest, and comp-only school students tend to train more frequently than the typical commercial school student.

The general mentality is that people won't stay involved in anything longer than two years, so give them the goal of blackbelt at the end and hit them with a good amount of testing fees along the way. Students then "graduate" from your school with their black belt and diploma (certificate).

The only reason that I mentioned it is because Tiger has more time in training than most students of commercial TKD schools in the US.

In the end, it is between him and his instructor.

Daniel

 

[granfire]

Interesting. You did say this was "General Choi's ITF", correct? I know, you don't wish to say which of the several "General Choi's ITF" federations your Master is affiliated with. The reason people have asked is because the curriculum is not necessarily the same for all of the splinter groups that have arisen since the time of the Generals death.

Operating strictly from my admitedly faulty memory (and possibly someone with more recent ITF training will correct me if I am wrong), the ITF, as originally structured by General Choi, also required Kwang-Gye and Po-Hoon for BB rank.

Along that line, I think the million and one organizations have taken what the General forced upon them and made their own adjustments. ITA certainly falls in the Gen Choi lineage (so I have been told) but Po-Hoon was never on the list of requirements...and (oh lord it has been so long) Kwang Gae being the first if the BB hyongs, he might not have mentioned it...

We really need another General to stream line this mess...but that's a story for another day.

 

[granfire]

You know what really cjaps my ***, is the fact everyone believe they should test in two years after recieving there 1st. That is called minimal timeframe not you have time in so know you are a second? What happen about learning the roots of TKD beyond the normal materials?

have some Desitin, it didn't take me but a year to get to 2nd

 

[dancingalone]

Is that common in your org, Granfire? From what I can remember from my niece training in the ITA (she switched to ATA after making 1st recommended in ITA) your length of time between 1st and second isn't too out of the ordinary. It's a bit quick though because of those recommended and decided ranks groups like the ITA/ATA use.

 

[granfire]

I am rusty and they implemented several more changes while I wasn't looking.

But yeah, you used to get your BB in a shade under 2 years if you stayed around, 2-3 times a week and missed non of the gradings ever 2 month.
Disclaimer: they added another step at each belt color, so things a drawn out a bit.

Then you went from testing ever 2 month to 4 month and at the time with - OK, I lied at 4 levels, one ever 4 month it's a bit more than a year. But I really did not keep time. But swift, regardless.

 

[TigerLove]

@daniel sullivan

thank you for suming this, i didn't know it until now! plus i practiced at home a lot..

for information, i stay no with it. i know it's maybe not so good for some serious organisation of tkd to give bb for ten months of training, and lots of people despise it. i don't want to put in question name of any organisation, instructor, or my self. i hope you understand it, and probably most of the people would act same.

@dirty dog

kwang gae and po eun aren't required for pass 1st dan test. but in competitions, judges can ask 1dan for those two forms, so most of people here learn them. i didn't.

maybe the best way to sum this is what daniel said: bb matters inside the school you earned it. you can go to school across yours and see totally different bbs. what really counts, is higher dans, where requirements are same everywhere (as i know).

 

[terryl965]

Ivan Location Croatia Primary Art and Ranking Taekwondo Organizations Moosoolwon, International taekwando federation I hate top break this to you but most of your info is on file here on Martial Talk, so just by checking I know somethings about you.

Well Ivan I would like to say hello from Texas and of course my name is Terry, I belong to the USAT and A.A.U. we do both ITF and KKW TKD and I call it traditional and the sport side of TKD. I hope you remain with the board, let me ask you this in your country is it regulated by region or is it like here i the states where anybody can open and run a school? I know in Korea you need permission to get one open, just courious.