Who is the highest ranking TKD master in the world?

[Marginal]

I don't know who is the highest ranking master, but I do know that I don't want to be called master just because of a rank that I have earned. What ever happened to true mastery?

Begs the question, what is mastery? Technical skill? All around knowledge? Tournament rankings?

Is a minor called a master because they are truely skilled at being children?

Master's just a word. You define it.

 

[celtic bhoy]

You are very correct 'master' is just a word.

'Master' can be a different word to different people.

In the ancient orient I believe master status was earned as much for humility and integrity etc, as it was for martial skill.

In the modern world I believe it is earned mainly as a procedure of rank, nothing more.

The term 'master' is akin to the word 'perfect', you cannot really define either.

 

[ShaolinWolf]

Right. Rank does not always define skill.

 

[Disco]

Correct, just a word and it all depends how you say and use it.

Like here in the south, it's even spelled different - "massa". :idunno:

Yes-um massa, miss lukey done died from da pox. :waah:

So ya sees, it's not all that impotant of a word. Ya'll come back, here... :uhyeah:

 

[MichiganTKD]

LOL Disco!

 

[Mike_TKD]

In WTF TaeKwonDo I have heard that once you get to 4th dan black skill no longer matters earning dan rankings is just a process of how much you have given to the art and how long you have been doing it, so I wouldnt be very concerned about dan rankings...I would concered about skill.

 

[MichiganTKD]

True to a point. In WTF Tae Kwon Do, 1st-3rd Dan is set aside for technique. If ALL you want is to master various techniques, then you just need up to 3rd Dan. 4+ Dan is reserved for students who contribute to their organization, National Tae Kwon Do, and World Tae Kwon Do. So if you are 7th-8th-9th Dan, you are contributing to TKD on an international level. Which means these "Grandmasters" who are mostly local (like some in my area) are phonies.
Our Grandmaster is 9th Dan WTF, and we usually don't see the guy because he's travelling, either somewhere in the U.S. or outside the country (often Korea, Europe, or S. America).

 

[Disco]

I wouldn't necessarily call them all phonies. Not all high ranking Dans travel around the globe for TKD. My instructor didn't and he was Korean, 8th WTF and 9th under the Kwan. Now statewide and region wide he was involved to a degree, but there was no globe trotting. He had schools and an organization to take care of.

 

[MichiganTKD]

True, different Grandmasters can be involved in different levels. Our GM feels that the Masters should be responsible for their own schools without him being involved in every little detail. As a result, while I still see him from time to time at testings, he travels around the country and world meeting with other Tae Kwon Do Grandmasters to discuss and plan world TKD events and the future. His black belts can take care of themselves.
It is the so-called Grandmasters who don't have national and world credibility I'm talking about, and there are quite a few.

 

[Disco]

Now, that's a :deadhorse of a different color. I would have to agree with you in that case. :cheers: It's the multitude of self promoted people that have hurt TKD in many ways. They should be all lined up and given a :btg:

All those that agree, do the wave... artyon:

:uhyeah:

 

[Kodanjaclay]

Fourth is the cut-off and typical administration ranks don't typically start until 6th dan. That being said, the term Grandmaster does not exist in Korea. My feeling is that it whould not exist here either. Its confusing. I had the occasion to speak with several high ranking Koreans who live in Korea and they don't understand what a "Grandmaster" is. I have heard, and I agree, that Kwanjangnim is better translated as Head Master. That is probably better.