Promotion of Master Walter L. Lang to Grandmaster

[DArnold]

Westminster, CO -- On March 10, 2007, Walter L. Lang, VIII degree black belt and co-founder of the Yom Chi Taekwon-do Association, will be promoted to the rank of IX degree black belt and will become a Grandmaster of Taekwon-do, a Korean form of martial arts. The promotion takes place at the Yom Chi Taekwon-do Association’s 5th Annual Colorado State Championships held at Front Range Community College. Master Lang’s senior student, Mr. Douglas Arnold, VI degree black belt and head instructor for Front Range Taekwon-do, will present Master Lang with his promotion. “It is with great honor and pride that I have been selected to present Master Lang with his IX degree black belt,” said Mr. Douglas Arnold. “Master Lang has taught tens of thousands of students in his career and to be the one student that is selected to do this is one of my greatest honors.” It takes roughly 40 years in Taekwon-do to achieve the rank of 9th degree Grandmaster. There are fewer than ten IX degree black belts in the world. Master Lang started his Taekwon-do training in 1966 at the University of Colorado-Boulder Taekwon-do club. Soon after his promotion to 1st degree black belt in 1970, Master Lang spent the next two years in Vietnam aboard the USS Haleakala. He returned to Denver in 1972 and became head instructor of the University of Colorado Taekwon-do club. Active in all aspects of Taekwon-do, Master Lang coached the U.S.A Taekwon-do World Team in 1998. Master Lang currently resides in New Mexico and teaches a monthly black belt class in Albuquerque as well as conducts seminars and camps for the Yom Chi Taekwon-do Association in the United States.

The promotion will take place during the Yom Chi Taekwon-do Association’s 5th Annual Colorado State Championship Tournament being held this Saturday from 8:00 am – 5:30 pm at Front Range Community College. “Being promoted to 9th degree black belt is a rare and unusual event and I am honored to be a part of it,” said Pete Medaugh, III degree black belt and Chief Referee for the tournament. Over 160 adult and child color belt and black belt participants from across the US will compete in sparring, patterns, breaking, and self-defense events. There is no competitor registration at the door, however, spectators are welcomed and are charged an entry fee of $3.00. Master Lang’s promotion ceremony will start at approximately 1 pm.


Yom Chi Taekwon-do Association is a non-profit, nationally recognized organization teaching Taekwon-do throughout the United States. The Mandate of Yom Chi is to teach and promote Taekwon-do according to the guidance and teachings of the late General Choi Hong Hi, creator of Taekwon-do. More information can be found www.yomchi.org.

 

[terryl965]

DArnold this is a great honor for you Congrats and congrats to your GM as well.

 

[troubleenuf]

OK, at the risk of raising some hairs but I have to ask the question is he being promoted or is he promoting himself? This day in age were everything can be bought I guess it dosnt realy matter but I am just wondering how many have gone the way of promoting themselves rather than dealing with the problems of being promoted?

 

[terryl965]

OK, at the risk of raising some hairs but I have to ask the question is he being promoted or is he promoting himself? This day in age were everything can be bought I guess it dosnt realy matter but I am just wondering how many have gone the way of promoting themselves rather than dealing with the problems of being promoted?

Sir he is being promoted by the organization he belongs to, he is very talented and is a great ambassador to the Art of TKD.

 

[Kacey]

DArnold this is a great honor for you Congrats and congrats to your GM as well.

Master Stoker, thank you for your good wishes - Mr. Douglas Arnold (DArnold) is my sahbum, and Master Lang - soon to be Grand Master Lang - is Mr. Arnold's sahbum.

OK, at the risk of raising some hairs but I have to ask the question is he being promoted or is he promoting himself? This day in age were everything can be bought I guess it dosnt realy matter but I am just wondering how many have gone the way of promoting themselves rather than dealing with the problems of being promoted?

Master Lang has been asked to accept this promotion by the Board of Directors of YomChi TaeKwon-Do (and before you ask how I know this - I'm Secretary of the Board). Master Lang has resisted accepting this honor in the past; however, at the urging of the Board, as well as several other VIII Dan Masters who consider him their seniors and who will soon be accepting IX Dan rank at the urging of their own organizations, he has agreed to accept promotion to the rank of IX Dan Grand Master at the Colorado State Tournament this Saturday. Please let me be perfectly clear: at no point did Master Lang seek this rank himself; others both within and without the YomChi TKD Association have pressed him to accept this rank, which he has now agreed to do.

Sir he is being promoted by the organization he belongs to, he is very talented and is a great ambassador to the Art of TKD.

Master Stoker, he is indeed. Master Lang began TKD in 1965, and has been active in it - as a student and instructor - for that entire time. A brief biography can be found here.

 

[exile]

This is I think a great thing both for Gm. Lang and for TKD generally. It's rather sad, but probably inevitable, that these kinds of extremely advanced promotions raise credibility issues in the MA world, where the Horror Show forum has so many examples of people conferring knighthood, so to speak, on themselves.

It's good to be reminded that, as per Kacey's post, this isn't always the case, and that there are great practitioners devoted to their art who genuinely deserve such promotion on the basis of a lifetime dedicated to achieving competence in, and the progress of, their chosen art. I'm very glad to read what Kacey has to say about this promotion; being cynical all the time gets tiring, and it's nice to have reason not to be, every so often...

 

[andyjeffries]

Walter L. Lang ... co-founder of the Yom Chi Taekwon-do Association

Master Lang has been asked to accept this promotion by the Board of Directors of YomChi TaeKwon-Do (and before you ask how I know this - I'm Secretary of the Board).

Those of you I've corresponded with in the past will know that I'm not a troll and I don't want to take anything away from Master Lang's achievements...however...

I'm not sure I agree with a group of juniors (in relative terms) promoting a senior.

There, I said it, flameproof suit on and ready for the responses!

Seriously, I personally don't mind who is promoted to any rank, but I just am traditional in that I think a senior should promote a junior. So Master Lang's new rank should come from the ITF or the WTF (or a recognised 9th Dan from another organisation).

Maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick and there are 9th Dans already on the board of directors of Yom Chi, but if so why didn't the announcement simply say that Grandmaster X Y Z, 9th Dan is conferring the rank of 9th Dan on Master Lang.

Anyway, as I said, I mean no disrespect, just stating an opinion that I like to see seniors promoting juniors rather than a group of junior grades promoting one of "their own" to a senior.

"If you want to climb a mountain, talk to the man that's already climbed it"

 

[IcemanSK]

Congrats to GM Lang on this great accomplishment. I know that that in the years since GM Choi died, there are very few high ranking folks in his lineage. I know that GM Lang is worthy of that honor.:asian:

 

[stoneheart]

Nothing against Mr. Lang (I don't know him from Adam), but I also agree that the promotion is a little shaky. In contrast, the late H.U. Lee from Songahm TKD fame tested for his ninth degree in front of thousands of spectators from his martial arts family. I recall reading something about Mr. Lee and his organization getting letters of recommendation and acknowledgement of Mr. Lee's fitness for the rank from a variety of TKD notables like Jhoon Rhee also.

 

[Kacey]

First, we aren't in the ITF, and haven't been for some years.

Second, the procedure in the ITF at the time we were members was that VIII Dans would vote among themselves to promote other VIII Dans to IX Dan... but this never happened, that I am aware of. Before Gen. Choi died, he nominated and promoted 3 VIII Dan to IX Dan, and I can't honestly recall if there was a vote - but if they were nominated by Gen. Choi, and you were asked to vote, how would you vote?. Obviously, direct promotion by Gen. Choi can no longer happen. Given the number of VIII Dans who have asked Master Lang to accept the rank of IX Dan, I consider that the alternate process - voting among his peers - has been followed as best as could be under the circumstances.

Third, regardless of your approval or disapproval of this process, the fact remains that Master Lang did not seek this rank - it was offered to him by his peers - more than once - and the Board of Directors of the association of which he is the senior rank asked him to accept it - more than once. This is, IMHO, much more appropriate than those who promote themselves.

Is it "traditional"? Well... given that Gen. Choi was the only IX Dan for decades, and only promoted 3 people to IX Dan shortly before he died, that leaves somewhat of a void in the "traditional" process. We have followed it as best we could under the circumstances.

 

[IcemanSK]

First, we aren't in the ITF, and haven't been for some years.

Second, the procedure in the ITF at the time we were members was that VIII Dans would vote among themselves to promote other VIII Dans to IX Dan... but this never happened, that I am aware of. Before Gen. Choi died, he nominated and promoted 3 VIII Dan to IX Dan, and I can't honestly recall if there was a vote - but if they were nominated by Gen. Choi, and you were asked to vote, how would you vote?. Obviously, direct promotion by Gen. Choi can no longer happen. Given the number of VIII Dans who have asked Master Lang to accept the rank of IX Dan, I consider that the alternate process - voting among his peers - has been followed as best as could be under the circumstances.

Third, regardless of your approval or disapproval of this process, the fact remains that Master Lang did not seek this rank - it was offered to him by his peers - more than once - and the Board of Directors of the association of which he is the senior rank asked him to accept it - more than once. This is, IMHO, much more appropriate than those who promote themselves.

Is it "traditional"? Well... given that Gen. Choi was the only IX Dan for decades, and only promoted 3 people to IX Dan shortly before he died, that leaves somewhat of a void in the "traditional" process. We have followed it as best we could under the circumstances.

Since there are only 3 IX Dans in that system, it only makes sense that a pannel of VIII Dans would make that decision.

I'll defer to LF, Miles & other more learned folks than I on KKW procedure, but isn't it that same there? A pannel of judges for 9th Dan wouldn't neccesarily be made up of all 9th Dans. 8th Dans would most likely be on there as well.

 

[terryl965]

Since there are only 3 IX Dans in that system, it only makes sense that a pannel of VIII Dans would make that decision.

I'll defer to LF, Miles & other more learned folks than I on KKW procedure, but isn't it that same there? A pannel of judges for 9th Dan wouldn't neccesarily be made up of all 9th Dans. 8th Dans would most likely be on there as well.

The thing is 9th and 10 th in the Kukkiwon is a honorary rank for what you have given back to the growth of TKD and realyy more of a formality than an actual test. I believe I said this right.

 

[IcemanSK]

The thing is 9th and 10 th in the Kukkiwon is a honorary rank for what you have given back to the growth of TKD and realyy more of a formality than an actual test. I believe I said this right.

I think that you're right, generally speaking. However, one can test for 9th Dan also. GM Ed Sell did actually test for his. 10th is generally given posthumously. I'm not sure I want to have that test.:ultracool

 

[terryl965]

I think that you're right, generally speaking. However, one can test for 9th Dan also. GM Ed Sell did actually test for his. 10th is generally given posthumously. I'm not sure I want to have that test.:ultracool

Iceman to be political correct here GM Sells did a demostration for his 9th Dan that alot of folks took as an actual test, his 9th was not a matter of him passing or failing, he was being awarded with it either way.

Just for the record here GM Sells is a great MA'ist and a wonderful person that has truely deserve his title and I in no way is saying anything different.

Just like GM Lang he deserve what his fellow Master believe he should have with all that he has done in his Career of TKD, I would love to train with either men for they are true pioneers of the Art of TKD.

Just my perspective here.

PS If I offended anybody it is not my intention and you all know this especially you Iceman, like I said it is my understanding it was this way I was not there and have not talk to GM Sell about his test so I could be absolutely wrong here.

 

[IcemanSK]

Iceman to be political correct here GM Sells did a demostration for his 9th Dan that alot of folks took as an actual test, his 9th was not a matter of him passing or failing, he was being awarded with it either way.

Just for the record here GM Sells is a great MA'ist and a wonderful person that has truely deserve his title and I in no way is saying anything different.

Just like GM Lang he deserve what his fellow Master believe he should have with all that he has done in his Career of TKD, I would love to train with either men for they are true pioneers of the Art of TKD.

Just my perspective here.

PS If I offended anybody it is not my intention and you all know this especially you Iceman, like I said it is my understanding it was this way I was not there and have not talk to GM Sell about his test so I could be absolutely wrong here.

My understanding is that he did test for it. Regardless, no offense taken.

 

[terryl965]

My understanding is that he did test for it. Regardless, no offense taken.

Ok I was mistaken then no offense taken and you know I have the highest regards for him.

 

[exile]

Given the number of VIII Dans who have asked Master Lang to accept the rank of IX Dan, I consider that the alternate process - voting among his peers - has been followed as best as could be under the circumstances.

There are plenty of other circumstances in which people advance in rank on the basis of the vote of their peers. In my university department, for example, the chair is elected by the faculty—everyone, not just the fulls, not just the tenured profs, but everyone who has a regular line in the department votes. The crucial concept is, a number of advanced practitioners agree that one of their number stands out from the rest as a part of the organization whose special status must be recognized. Dan ranking is a standard way to do this. So the idea of a group of VIIIth dans promoting one of their own to IXth doesn't strike me as odd, or questionable. Certainly the circumstances around this promotion as Kacey has reported them make it seem like an entirely honorable and appropriate course of action.

 

[Miles]

Congratulations to both (soon to be) Grandmaster Lang and our own Darnold. I've never had the pleasure of meeting him, but his reputation precedes Master Lang. His lifetime of study and promotion of the art has positively impacted thousands. He is deserving of the rank.

The Kukkiwon does have a test for 9th dan and the old newletters we'd get every 6 months would show numbers of folks testing and passing (or not). GM Sell's test was very public and he obviously took it seriously-there are photos of his training preparation on his website and he was in remarkable shape for it.

The issue of who can promote whom is really the subject of a different thread-maybe not even just germaine to TKD.

Miles

 

[Carol]

Congrats Master Lang and congrats DArnold and Kacey! :highfive:

 

[TraditionalTKD]

Who's Walter Lang?

I've heard of many people in Tae Kwon Do (some I wish I hadn't), but I've never heard of him.