question from a karate person

[Shogun]

But then again, there was a school in my area who had ranked a 15 year old at 3rd Dan.....

 

[bignick]

yeah...3rd dan at 15 years old is just silly...in my tkd school you can't even reach 1st dan until your 15...every one younger is a poom or junior black belt

 

[XxTKDPenguinxX]

I'm new to MT here and would first of all like to say "Hi All!"

Anyways. There is a great deal of TKD schools and orginizations out there. WTTU, WTF, STF, ATA, KTA, etc,etc,etc. This doesn't count the small dojangs out there with the little business who's independant and teaching pure traditional stuff.
It matters a great deal on the instructors of each school to know who is ready and who is not. In my school, I must admit, I have seen several students receive a black belt when I did not feel it was truly earned. I'm old school, mind you, and my ideas on this matter are not in consideration since I do not own the school, merely help instruct others.
With a background in karate, and now training in TKD, I believe that it all depends on the student's progression. To say that someone with a natural ability to absorb allthe information and techniques should not receive a black belt before a certain alloted time is a crime in itself (save for the youngsters out there who don't have the capability to be responsible enough (and I know a few that are)).
I received my 1st degree black belt almost two months ago. Bumps, bruises, blood, sweat, and even tears earned me that belt. I have accomplished myself, over and over, within the school and the orginizations (ranked in the top two for my state in one catagory or another).
So, as it was stated perfectly... Please do not place all TKD people in the same ring. It's all about the individual here. There are times I can beat a higher rank and times I can not. There are other styles I have competed against and won, and lost. It will depend greatly on how the person whom holds the rank will; practice, strive, learn, retain information, cares, or not cares.

 

[Raewyn]

Where I train, it takes approximately 4 - 5 years to receive a black belt. As you get higher up the ranks it gets harder and harder. We grade every six months. If the instructor thinks you are not ready to grade then you do not grade. We actually get internally assessed each month. And if you dont have enough marks to grade then you dont grade.

 

[sandstorm]

I lived in Korea for a few years and during my first year there, I trained 5 nights per week for about 10.5 months (minus about 5 weeks of missed training due to tearing 3 ligaments in my ankle) and was allowed to grade for my black belt!!! within a year!!!

I have a background in Karate (3.5 years, 1st kyu before starting TKD) which helped me pick up the style quickly... but like another poster mentioned earlier, a black belt grading in Korea is not considered mastery of the art at all... it's probably not until you are 4th dan that you are considered to be experienced.

It's interesting to note that most men in Korea have achieved a black belt in TKD due to the mandatory military service requirements and the training they undertake.

Also, the requirements for the black belt grading were ridiculously simple... the whole grading took about 5 minutes from start to finish. I was still disappointed, despite having watched black belt gradings prior to my test.

I could've gone for my second dan before I left Korea earlier this year, but I just didn't feel deserving of it.

Still, I console myself with the knowledge that I was able to achieve what I did without a word of English being spoken EVER and by training VERY hard every night for about 1.5 hours. I miss those days

The TKD schools in Korea are predominantly money spinners and it's standard for a person to get to a black belt ranking within a year, regardless of how well or how poorly they are performing. I've yet to meet someone who failed a test in TKD in Korea!!!

I also miss how they have these big yellow vans in Korea to pick you up and drop you off after class as part of your monthly training fee. Man, I'd love to see some of those in Australia

 

[Bushi40]

To answer your question.

Some schools teach 45 minute classes. 1 -2 - or three times a week. Other schools teach 1 hour, hour and a hald or up to 2 1/2 hours. It all depands on how long the lessons are. To answer your question, To be elegiable for black belt testing, you shoul have 750 hours of lessons, this means learning nothig else. This would give you a good idea, this is 2 lessons a week at 2 1/2 hours a lesson for 5 years. break it down any way you wish.

Grand master Gene Perceval