Possible to get promoted fast?

Daniel Sullivan

Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Joined
May 27, 2008
Messages
6,472
Reaction score
271
Location
Olney, Maryland
Hey i'm a first dan in ITF Tae Kwon Do, i'm 19 years old and i have spent 7 years in that specific art style and i have been doing full contact sparring for a year already. Before that i did Karate from 6 to 10, i quit because i moved to the USA but at 12 i took up Tae Kwon Do. I would like to start competiting in WTF style competitions and hopefully go to the Olympics in 2016 or 2020. I was wondering if it was possible to get promoted shortly to black belt or keep my current rank and test for black belt in Kukkiwon Tae Kwon Do. All that's really required is knowing the forms to test so do you think if i do learn them flawlessly could i get promoted to a black belt in Kukkiwon? I would rather not have to to through the entire ranking system again.

It is not uncommon for a student to begin as a white belt and attain first dan/poom in two years or slightly less, particularly if the curriculum is strictly Kukkiwon, which means no weapon forms or training. Having an ITF first dan may even accelerate that process.

I am not personally a stickler about time in grade, so the idea of a black belt in two years doesn't bother me. I am a stickler for the holder of the belt being a proficient practitioner, which often are rare at many schools.

Just consider why you want a Kukkiwon belt before signing up at a school, particularly if there are contracts involved. If it is with the intent of Olympic competition, then you need to choose your school very, very carefully. Most schools that bill themselves as Olympic do so because they train their students in WTF sparring, but cannot actually offer anything like the training that you'd need to even get started on the path, let alone get you competative. You don't want to be stuck in such a school for two years just to get a belt.

USAT has a provision for dan promotion, though I am not familiar with the workings of it, so that may address the belt issue. But if you've not trained in WTF sparring, but want to make the Olympics, you need to find a school that not only trains in that style, but one that has produced adult tournament champions in that style.

Being that you're already a dan rank practitioner in the ITF, I would assume that you can pick out a poor school by sitting in on a class or two. But you will also need to weed through some schools that may be very good schools in general, but not ideal for olympic training.

Best wishes to you, Inugami.

Daniel
 
Last edited:
OP
I

Inugami

Yellow Belt
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Well my plan was to find a school that can promote me fast to black belt in kukkiwon ranking during my time at my community college(2 years, starting tomorrow LOL). After that i'm moving to California to one of the Universities such as UC Davis. Most universities have Tae Kwon Do clubs and most do competitions against other universities based on WTF style.
 

tshadowchaser

Sr. Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Founding Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 29, 2001
Messages
13,460
Reaction score
733
Location
Athol, Ma. USA
Just jumping into this thread but if you have experience in other arts and can show that you are able to learn the requirements of the particular school you are ow in I would think that the instructor might consider promoting you faster than the students who have little or no experience
 

terryl965

<center><font size="2"><B>Martial Talk Ultimate<BR
MTS Alumni
Joined
Apr 9, 2004
Messages
41,259
Reaction score
340
Location
Grand Prairie Texas
Well my plan was to find a school that can promote me fast to black belt in kukkiwon ranking during my time at my community college(2 years, starting tomorrow LOL). After that i'm moving to California to one of the Universities such as UC Davis. Most universities have Tae Kwon Do clubs and most do competitions against other universities based on WTF style.

Where os this comminity college?
 

IcemanSK

El Conquistador nim!
MT Mentor
MTS Alumni
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
6,482
Reaction score
181
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Well my plan was to find a school that can promote me fast to black belt in kukkiwon ranking during my time at my community college(2 years, starting tomorrow LOL). After that i'm moving to California to one of the Universities such as UC Davis. Most universities have Tae Kwon Do clubs and most do competitions against other universities based on WTF style.


You wouldn't be the first ITF BB that comes to a university WTF TKD program. I'd talk to the university's instructor about how they handle it.
 

tko4u

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Messages
713
Reaction score
3
Location
Missouri
Hey i'm a first dan in ITF Tae Kwon Do, i'm 19 years old and i have spent 7 years in that specific art style and i have been doing full contact sparring for a year already. Before that i did Karate from 6 to 10, i quit because i moved to the USA but at 12 i took up Tae Kwon Do. I would like to start competiting in WTF style competitions and hopefully go to the Olympics in 2016 or 2020. I was wondering if it was possible to get promoted shortly to black belt or keep my current rank and test for black belt in Kukkiwon Tae Kwon Do. All that's really required is knowing the forms to test so do you think if i do learn them flawlessly could i get promoted to a black belt in Kukkiwon? I would rather not have to to through the entire ranking system again.


Okay, sorry to bust your bubble but taekwondo will not be in the olympics any year after 2012. The committee in korea actually voted against it. I guess they finally got tired of the negative publicity. In other light, to be honest with you, you can probably find a wtf school that the instructor might work with you and let you keep your rank (seeing as how you are still a taekwondo black belt) and just learn the forms as you go.
 
OP
I

Inugami

Yellow Belt
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Is that official? I Didn't see anything about it yet and saying it wont be back any year after 2012 is wrong but I really hope they don't take it out but i guess its not the end of the world, just a big disappointment.
 

mango.man

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
817
Reaction score
19
Okay, sorry to bust your bubble but taekwondo will not be in the olympics any year after 2012. The committee in korea actually voted against it. I guess they finally got tired of the negative publicity. In other light, to be honest with you, you can probably find a wtf school that the instructor might work with you and let you keep your rank (seeing as how you are still a taekwondo black belt) and just learn the forms as you go.

Can you post a link to such a report? At this point, it is not up to some committee in Korea to decide the fate of TKD in the 2016 games and beyond. It is up to a vote of the IOC and its members. That vote is not scheduled to take place for another 13 months.

Please post a link to backup your assertion.
 

tko4u

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Messages
713
Reaction score
3
Location
Missouri
Is that official? I Didn't see anything about it yet and saying it wont be back any year after 2012 is wrong but I really hope they don't take it out but i guess its not the end of the world, just a big disappointment.

I personally dont want to see it in the olympics anymore. With the ref kick, the lopez whining about calls, it makes tkd look bad. Taekwondo is supposed to be beautiful and graceful and full of respect, what they did is not a good example of any. My instructor was informed that tkd would be in the 2012 olympics but not in any more after that.
 

Laurentkd

Master Black Belt
Joined
Jan 2, 2007
Messages
1,376
Reaction score
43
Location
Kansas City
I personally dont want to see it in the olympics anymore. With the ref kick, the lopez whining about calls, it makes tkd look bad. Taekwondo is supposed to be beautiful and graceful and full of respect, what they did is not a good example of any. My instructor was informed that tkd would be in the 2012 olympics but not in any more after that.

I'll bet your instructor is assuming (and maybe hoping!) it won't be in after the 2012 games. Probably a good assumption, but nothing has been decided yet unless something weird is going on. The IOC vote is next year.
 
Top