Grading procedures

[Gwai Lo Dan]

We have two black belts (not from the candidates dojang) grade each candidate with a sheet that has several categories. They are scaled 1-10 in each category. After the test all the black belts and go to a back room and discuss whether the candidate has passed.

Does anyone ever fail? If no one ever fails, then it's arguably a moot point to assign grades. If people can and do fail, then the grading has meaning and purpose. Presumably some people at your school do fail, which is interesting from a motivational point of view. I could see kids getting upset and wanting to quit.

 

[troubleenuf]

We have a policy in place that if a student fails part of the curriculum testing they have a month to retest and pass on that subject before the final portion of the Black Belt testing (this includes mandatory curriculum demonstration and their own demonstration in front of an audience, this gets the parents involved as our tests are closed for Black Belt). This includes breaks that have been missed. If a student fails 1/2 of the test (and we have had several over the past years) they must wait 6 months and retake the entire test. (We do not charge for retest)

 

[IcemanSK]

We bow to three flags that are at the front of the room. American, South Korean and the Chung Do Kwan flag, and then recite the Chung Do Kwan pledge. We issue Kukkiwon Certification.

Do you also offer them CDK certification as well?

 

[rlobrecht]

Does anyone ever fail? If no one ever fails, then it's arguably a moot point to assign grades.

I can't answer the how question about grading. I've seen our grading sheets both before and after tests, and can't make any sense out of how the score is arrived. I'm not the one scoring people, so it's not important to understand.

As I said above, people do fail, but its very rare. We give three trophies at each colored belt test: Best Effort, Most Outstanding, Most Improved. Most Outstanding is the highest single grade. Most Improved is a combination of effort in class, and the increase between your previous belt score and today's score. We also allow colored belt students test 1 month early if their score is greater than 95. I've never seen a child under the age of 14 or so get that high a score.

Rick

 

[masterchase]

"Does anyone ever fail"?
Not very often.
Is it because no one brings a candidate before the board that does not meet our requirements? Is it because we have relaxed the standard? Is it because of fear of hurting feelings?
We are an association much like this board is an association of martial artists. You must be very careful what you say and how you say it or the resulting confrontation can come back at you with more aggrevation than the original statement was worth saying in the first place.

Do we offer CDK certification?
Both KKW and CDK is not a choice, it is a requirement.
It's in our bylaws from long ago.

 

[andyjeffries]

No one has mentioned the grading sheet. Do you scale from one to ten? Do you go with just a pass/fail. Do you go with a pass/fail for each category (poomse, sparring, breaking etc). Does just one person decide who passes/fails.

Sorry, I missed this part. With my first club grading coming up I've obviously been thinking more about this.

For Kup ranks I'll be grading out of 100 points for each category (or technique at the lower ranks before poomsae really kicks in). A candidate has to get no more than one category (there are normally 6-8 categories/techniques) below 60 and no lower than 60 on average to pass. When they go for poom/dan ranks it's 0 categories below 60 (but I'll make allowances for Kup ranks).

The final percentage is then converted to a grade (C-, C, C+, B-, etc up to A+). If the student gets an A or A+ (which equates to 90% or more) then they double grade. I'm expecting this to be very rare (as I'm VERY picky).

Students will start with 100 points on each section and lose points for technical accuracy and the other criteria as defined by the Kukkiwon (same principles as for poom/dan ranks but on an earlier scale). Failing to complete destruction will never be a failure for me. If they strike correctly and with full effort but don't break the board(s) then I'm OK with that. Of course, I'd rather they break it, but a bad/unlucky break won't force a fail when the rest of their test may be excellent.

For the kup ranks it will just be me. For when they get to poom/dan ranks it will likely be a panel of 3 (but I'm a way away from worrying about that yet), but I have no issue with it being a single promoter (I was promoted by my grandmaster and have no doubts that he is capable of determining my rank, in turn he has no doubts I'm capable of determining ranks below me).

 

[Dirty Dog]

Our Moo Duk Kwan school grades on a 1-10 scale. Categories are:
Poomsae, Self-Defense, Free Sparring (Offense, Defense, Combinations [multiple opponents at higher ranks]), Breaking, Knowledge, and Manner/Discipline/Behavior (which is graded by family as well as instructors).
Minimum of 6 in each category to pass. I've never seen anybody fail, because students are tested every class. They're not invited to participate in the formal exam unless they are already consistently performing at the higher level. If the candidate scores less than 6 in any category, their promotion is held until they are able to complete that section. I've seen this happen a few times. Mostly younger students who had difficulty with the breaks.

Testing is generally on Saturday. Results are sent to our Kwan Jang Nim who signs off on the certificates (for geup ranks or MDK Dan ranks). Belts and certificates are generally awarded about two weeks later. The certificate is read, the student is called forward and their rank is awarded.

There has only been two students promoted to Dan ranks (One Chodan, One Eedan) in the 2.5 years we've been at this school (we were at the tests, but were in Cancun diving when they were awarded), so I don't know exactly what the promotion "ceremony" is, but I suspect it's pretty much the same.

Dan testing is a bit more involved, but not much. Students are promoted to Cho Dan Bo and hold that rank for a MINIMUM of 6 months, until they are invited to test for Chodan. We had a Dan test in November. One candidate had been Cho Dan Bo for 2.5 years (he just turned 16, which is our minimum age) and I had been Cho Dan Bo for 6 months. Dan testing is longer, naturally. For Geup tests, students perform 1-2 forms. We performed Kichjo Il Jang, all 8 Poomsae Palgwae and Koryo. I was prepared to perform Taegeuk and Chang Hon forms as well, but at 50, I was quite happy to stop after 10. At geup ranks, students have mandatory breaks based on their rank. Dan candidates choose thsie own breaks. The other candidate did a 4-station break with 1" straight punch, 2" skip side kick, 2" spinng hook kick and 2" standing side kick. His power break was 4" with a flying side kick. I did a 4-station break with 2" knee, 2" rear elbow, 2" standing side kick and 1" forehead. My power break was 5 16x8x2" concrete pavers. For sparring, we did free sparring against each other, free sparring against 3 opponents, one round vs a 2nd Dan during which we were defensive only (which was especially fun, since I tested with my left hand casted and held behind me) and one round with a 1st Dan during which we were to be as agressive as possible.

Scoring for Geup ranks is done by whichever black belts are there that day, supervised by Sabumnim. Cho Dan Bo are occassionally asked to help.

Scoring for our Dan test was a panel. A 1st and 2nd Dan who gave instruction, sparred with us, etc. And a 3rd and 4th Dan who did the actual scoring.

Two pictures. My power break, and one from the sparring. I'd pulled the guys hands down with a spinning hook and followed up with this roundhouse.

 

[igillman]

It's different to me to incorporate a national oath into TKD. I'm used to bowing to the 2 flags (home country and ROK), but not a further oath. At my school, we tend to have international students, so a pledge to the country would not be applicable for them. Do foreigners just stay silent during the pledge?

According to the INS non-citizens should stay silent during the pledge. I asked them about that before I became a citizen because I was a boy scout leader and they say the pledge every week so I thought I would clarify the situation.

To answer another question, yes the pledge is definitely an American thing (and a Texas thing, they have a pledge to their flag as well). As I am sure those of you in the UK know, you do not have a pledge or anything similar so it is difficult to equate it with anything. There are a whole host of rules about flying the US flag over here, saying the pledge etc... that those of you in the UK are missing out on with your flag.

 

[puunui]

We bow to three flags that are at the front of the room. American, South Korean and the Chung Do Kwan flag, and then recite the Chung Do Kwan pledge.

Originally under GM LEE Won Kuk, the Chung Do Kwan membership oath was something that you read and signed before joining. It wasn't something that was recited in class. GM Lee took at oath seriously. If you violated that oath in a material way, then it would be grounds for expulsion from the Chung Do Kwan.

Also, we do not bow to flags; we bow to people. For flags, we put our hands across our chest like we were saying the Pledge of Allegience. I remember going to seminar once with GM PARK Hae Man. You might have been there. In the beginning of the seminar, we did the attention bow to the flag and the great majority of students in the gym physically bowed to the flags, except for GM Park, myself and another Korean born student. GM Park held his hand over his chest for what seemed like a very long time, 30 seconds or more, to emphasize the point. At the end of the seminar, we did the attention bow out, and this time, some bowed, some put their right hand over their heart, and some put their right hand over their heart while the bowed.