Rank and tournament eligibility

[MichiganTKD]

If your style participates in tournaments, what is the highest rank you can be and still be allowed to compete?

In the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF), tournament competition is open to those up to 3rd Dan. Those holding 4th Dan and above (Instructors) are ineligible to compete. They may judge, referee, and work behind the scenes, but they can't compete.
Also, while some WTF events may have special Masters demonstrations, there is no Masters Division. So I'm curious: in your organization, what is the highest rank you can hold and still compete, if there are cutoff points.

 

[Blindside]

In most open tournaments there isn't a cutoff point, you are either a black belt or you aren't. There really isn't any way to compare rank between different systems, and trying to differentiate between ranks of black is laughable.

Lamont

 

[tsdclaflin]

I was at an annual tournament last spring that had a "Masters' Division" for the first time. This allow 4th dan and above to compete against each other. It was a Tang Soo Do tournament, association = Pyang Hwa Kunan.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I've seen 6th, 7th, and 8th Dans compete against each other in forms. Most tournaments will have a masters division if they can get enough people to compete.
As for fighting most tournaments I've been to will have a age division breakdown and maybe a rank break at 4th

 

[Miles]

The USTU (now USAT) does have a division for 4th dans to compete in Poomsae. Not to toot my own horn, but I got 2nd at Nationals in 2002 in the lightweight old farts' division.

The WTF, as yet, does not have Poomsae competition. But there is a huge push to standardize Poomsae (Dartfish DVDs, Kukkiwon Foreign Instructor Course, Poomsae seminars) so it is likely coming in the future.

Miles

 

[DuneViking]

If your style participates in tournaments, what is the highest rank you can be and still be allowed to compete?

In the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF), tournament competition is open to those up to 3rd Dan. Those holding 4th Dan and above (Instructors) are ineligible to compete. They may judge, referee, and work behind the scenes, but they can't compete.
Also, while some WTF events may have special Masters demonstrations, there is no Masters Division. So I'm curious: in your organization, what is the highest rank you can hold and still compete, if there are cutoff points.

No limits that I know of, but practically speaking, those higher ranks that do compete have a lot of fun in the "Executive" divisions and they all sem to know each other and are friends

 

[masherdong]

No limit in the arts that I have studied.