FYI. Kukkiwon Regulations and Fees

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by Kodanjaclay
Friend,

I understand why you think this:

<<Duk Sung Son is a well-known guy in the Northeast region of the US and is known for his contributions in Korea. I'm betting he got his 9th dan from Kukkiwon.>>

But it is absolutely untrue. You are talking about someone who was a grandmaster before the formation of the KKW. Many of the older masters were offered KKW certification when the KKW was formed, but some of them rejected it, among them Lee, Yong Woo, President of the JungDoKwan.

Grandmaster Son does not practice KKW TKD. Kukkiwon only recognizes the Taegeuks for promotion. Grandmaster Son does not teach those forms. In fact they are new, and I'm not even sure they were in active use when Grandmaster Son came to the US.

I hope this helps.

That is not an unheard of story. But who issued his rank? Remember, TKD as you see now is a fairly new art and very few people were qualified to give out a 9th dan. Or, could it have been possible he had a rank in a Japanese system?

 

[fissure]

The Master of the school I teach at has been a friend for a long time. He has asked me to test for my third dan (I have been a second dan for a LONG time!), since he is a friend he will not charge me any fee above that of the Kukkiwon's own cost. The price for a third dan certificate is around 150 dollars. Using this a starting point, it's not hard to see how much money can made charging 500-1000 dollars for testing!

 

[Kodanjaclay]

I just spoke with a good friend of mine who asked the head of the KKW High Dan promotions committee about your statement. The Kukkiwon does NOT issue rank to ITF yudanja unless they are already KKW certified, and have the prerequisite rank. Should you wish more information, please feel free to contact either KKW (I believe their url is www.kukkiwon.kr but I could be wrong.)

Major General Choi was not from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He was from the ROF who after being expatriated under the clause of treason, relocated to the DPRK. This is common knowledge in both the TKD world and in the ROK.

Grandmaster Son had his rank issued by Grandmaster Yi, Won Kuk, his instructor and founder of the ChungDoKwan. I am unsure if he recieved rank from KTA; however, I would presume it to be a possibility. By the time KKw was formed, Grandmaster Uhm was head of the CDK. Now there is some confusion in Korea because Grandmaster Uhm is doing some things, and Grandmaster Park, Hae Man others. Some who do not want affiliation with Grandmaster Park, I have heard, have gone to the JungDoKwan, a related school, which is headed by Yi, Yong Woo who is head of the KKW high dan promotions committee.

To answer the possibility if he had rank in a Japanese art, I suppose it is a possibility. I don't know. I almost wonder if originally the system went to 5th dan, like in Shotokan, and the other ranks added later... Maybe if I get a chance I'll ask GM Son. Gm Yi passed away, so I cannot as him.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Kodanjaclay,
Welcome aboard to the MT board sir. I'll be looking to your posts for helpful info., and instruction... :asian:

 

[Kodanjaclay]

Thank you very much.

 

[Andi]

Originally posted by Kodanjaclay
The Kukkiwon does NOT issue rank to ITF yudanja unless they are already KKW certified, and have the prerequisite rank.

Out of interest, what does yudanja mean? Is it a term equivalent to kareteka for TKDers? Or is it a korean instructors term? Hmm. Either way, I've not come across it before...that I can remember!

In fact looking at your username, would I be right in guessing that it's a related term to Kodanja?

 

[Kodanjaclay]

Andi,

Yudanja simply refers to a dan holder, of any rank. Yugupja is any gup level student. Kodanja is a high ranking black belt, and some use it to mean "master". I prefer to think of it as meaning "advanced white belt".

Hope this helps.

 

[Damian Mavis]

"Today, most ITF instructors do get their rank from Kukkiwon"

Dude... personally I like you but your insistence in believing and propagating this lie is getting a little annoying. I operate an ITF school, I am a 4th dan International instructor in ITF, I have met thousands of ITF practitioners and hundreds of instructors. NONE OF US GET KUKKIWON CERTIFIED!!!!!! If that one guy got Kukkiwon certified then maybe he is affiliated with both but that seems highly unlikely but it is possible. But that is one guy out of over a hundred thousand! The rest of us do not and have never gotten rank from the Kukkiwon, what you are suggesting is the same as saying I got my fighter jets piloting license at the local DMV. They are totally and completely seperate entitys and cannot certify eachother.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

 

[Kodanjaclay]

Right on Damian. One of my old Korean instructors had both; however, he trained in Korea before the split.

ITF Taekwondo is more traditional in it movements, and WTF TKD is more "progressive". It is an undeniable fact that WTF TKD is a sport as sanctioned by President Park in 1961. It is the express mission to promulgate the sport of TKD internationally. ITF TKD is more like TSD in that it is more, for a lack of a better term, "martial artsy". They have different aims and goals. There may be a push since Gen. Choi's death to reunify, but it is doubtful this will happen.

 

[Andi]

Right, thanks. Yeah, that's exactly what I was after.