Credentials Required to Give KKW Black Belt

[Gwai Lo Dan]

What exactly are the requirements to be able to give a KKW black belt? I know obviously the KKW sets the minimum requirements for the student, but what are the requirements for the person submitting the form to the KKW?

- minimum 4th dan?
- associated with a registered school?
- more than one minimum 4th dan observing and grading the student?

For instance, could a 4th dan submit the form on his/her own, outside any school?

 

[d1jinx]

What exactly are the requirements to be able to give a KKW black belt? I know obviously the KKW sets the minimum requirements for the student, but what are the requirements for the person submitting the form to the KKW?

- minimum 4th dan? YES. 4th can promote to 3rd. 5th can promote to 4th, 6th can promote to 5th, etc.
- associated with a registered school? NO. not if going directly through KKW. If using an ORG to process, then most orgs require membership with them.
- more than one minimum 4th dan observing and grading the student? Not required for low DANs. When higher Dans are tested, yes, but still only 1 name goes on app.

For instance, could a 4th dan submit the form on his/her own, outside any school? There are no more paper applications. It is done online. the 4th dan can register online with KKW and submit the application electronically. Usually ORGs still do the paper apps, where you fill out the application and send it to the org.

THESE ANSWERS APPLY TO THE UNITED STATES ONLY.
other countries may require submission through the MNA (Member National Association), Example Great Britian you submit through their National Org and test in front of a Board (Andy can Correct me if Im wong).

all of these answers can be confirmed on KKW website.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Thanks!

 

[bluewaveschool]

Would I have to join the WTF to get a KKW dan cert? I've got a few offers/options on the table, all but one require me to learn a new form set and all mean paying to join some org that I won't register my school with, because several of my student flat out can't afford yearly fees and such. They are on scholarship to the Y and pay nothing. Hell, I'm not sure I can scrap together the money to join myself, might be trying to get the Y to foot my own dues.

 

[chrispillertkd]

THESE ANSWERS APPLY TO THE UNITED STATES ONLY.
other countries may require submission through the MNA (Member National Association), Example Great Britian you submit through their National Org and test in front of a Board (Andy can Correct me if Im wong).

all of these answers can be confirmed on KKW website.

Why would the KKW have different requirements for different countries? Are they requirements set up by the KKW or by the country in question?

Pax,

Chris

 

[andyjeffries]

THESE ANSWERS APPLY TO THE UNITED STATES ONLY.
other countries may require submission through the MNA (Member National Association), Example Great Britian you submit through their National Org and test in front of a Board (Andy can Correct me if Im wong).

I agree with all the rules answers you posted. And you are right that some countries must go through their national association, however, Great Britain isn't one of them.

If you are a member of the official WTF MNA (British Taekwondo) you must grade/test/promote through them or you risk being kicked out of British Taekwondo (it's a high risk - if they find out, you will be). However, there are plenty of other associations in the UK (the UKTDC for one) that allow any KKW 4th Dan or above to promote their students.

I may have confused things because I am now in British Taekwondo so I can't promote my own students to KKW dan rank. I was in British Taekwondo, then left to join the UKTDC and then my instructor died so I rejoined British Taekwondo as the students of his club wanted to remain there. It's a complex political story...

Korea I believe is one of the countries where you have to promote through the national association KTA (which is handled by regional testing boards) rather than individually.

If anyone comes across the full list of countries that are and aren't allowed to direct promote, I'd be interested in seeing it.

 

[andyjeffries]

Why would the KKW have different requirements for different countries? Are they requirements set up by the KKW or by the country in question?

The Kukkiwon rules on this are (if memory serves) that if an MNA gets to promote 80% of the students to Dan rank, then they become a different category of country and get the monopoly. Some say this is why British Taekwondo has it in their rules that all promotions for BT members must go through them - if they can get to the magical 80% then they get the monopoly for all of Great Britain (and hence all the promotion money). Their argument is that it's better for quality monitoring.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

(deleted - double checked a few things and was wrong)

 

[Archtkd]

Would I have to join the WTF to get a KKW dan cert? I've got a few offers/options on the table, all but one require me to learn a new form set and all mean paying to join some org that I won't register my school with, because several of my student flat out can't afford yearly fees and such. They are on scholarship to the Y and pay nothing. Hell, I'm not sure I can scrap together the money to join myself, might be trying to get the Y to foot my own dues.

Individuals don't/can't join the World Taekwondo Federation. National bodies governing the sports element of Kukkiwon taekwondo join and make up the WTF.

 

[Marcy Shoberg]

If my memory serves me, it's if 50% or more of the people who practice taekwondo in that country register with the national governing body for the sport, then anyone who wants to get a kukkiwon certificate must go throught the NGB, but if not that many register with them, any 4th dan can submit paperwork for 1st through 3rd dan.
A person who wants to submit for their students degrees must be 4th dan and fill out a form on the kukkiwon website and be approved to submit applications. The form is quite difficult to fill out since the English doesn't always make sense. I had to email kukkiwon with questions a couple of times, and ask someone who reads Korean to help me piece together what they were asking for. I finally got it done and now submit directly to kkw for my students ranks.

 

[andyjeffries]

If my memory serves me, it's if 50% or more of the people who practice taekwondo in that country register with the national governing body for the sport, then anyone who wants to get a kukkiwon certificate must go throught the NGB, but if not that many register with them, any 4th dan can submit paperwork for 1st through 3rd dan.

We were both wrong (I said 80, you said 50). Article 5 of the Kukkiwon regulations:

1) Submission of Dan promotion test applications should be made only via the President of the Member National Association (MNA) of the WTF in nations where the MNA controls at least 70% of Taekwondo bodies and private instructors. It is not allowed to be recommended by the individual instructors in those countries. Individual instructors are not permitted to make personal recommendations.
2) In those countries which do not fall into this category (herein after called "the 1st category"), applications can be submitted by both the Member National Association and independent instructors.

A person who wants to submit for their students degrees must be 4th dan and fill out a form on the kukkiwon website and be approved to submit applications. The form is quite difficult to fill out since the English doesn't always make sense. I had to email kukkiwon with questions a couple of times, and ask someone who reads Korean to help me piece together what they were asking for. I finally got it done and now submit directly to kkw for my students ranks.

I don't know when you applied (so whether mine was before or after yours, I guess after) but when when I applied for KOMS membership (now KMS) in January 2011 the form was really simple/clear. I guess they've put some effort in to simplifying it.

 

[d1jinx]

I agree with all the rules answers you posted. And you are right that some countries must go through their national association, however, Great Britain isn't one of them.

If you are a member of the official WTF MNA (British Taekwondo) you must grade/test/promote through them or you risk being kicked out of British Taekwondo (it's a high risk - if they find out, you will be). However, there are plenty of other associations in the UK (the UKTDC for one) that allow any KKW 4th Dan or above to promote their students.

I may have confused things because I am now in British Taekwondo so I can't promote my own students to KKW dan rank. I was in British Taekwondo, then left to join the UKTDC and then my instructor died so I rejoined British Taekwondo as the students of his club wanted to remain there. It's a complex political story...

Korea I believe is one of the countries where you have to promote through the national association KTA (which is handled by regional testing boards) rather than individually.

If anyone comes across the full list of countries that are and aren't allowed to direct promote, I'd be interested in seeing it.

see, glad I pinged you about it cause I thought everyone on Great Britian did. thanks for the info.

I dont think everyone should get too hung up on the "why this country and not that country" concept. You have to remember, the KKW deals with EVERY country. not all countries are large and diverse. A country that is small in size can very easily have only 1 MNA who accounts for ALL KKW BB's there.

Its very easy to get confused if you dont see the BIG picture. remember, some countries are smaller than a state in the US. So the rules and guidelines are written to apply to ALL.

 

[d1jinx]

Why would the KKW have different requirements for different countries? Are they requirements set up by the KKW or by the country in question?

Pax,

Chris

Andy beat me to it. remember, KKW deals with countries of all sizes. I was confused about this for years and some people used to try and say that only they could submit and keep it a close secret how. because it was about money and control. now the cats out the bag.