USAT National Dan Program

[TrueJim]

USA Taekwondo Announces New National Dan Program

If I understand the new dan program right, the idea is to open-up USAT competitions to more people. It's even easier now for ITF and ATA practitioners to compete at National-level events.

• I wonder why this applies only to National-level events, and not all USAT-sanctioned events? I guess it's because USAT trying not to be too prescriptive for events they don't control?

With regard to the Dan Conversion program,

• The FAQ talks about registered "USA Taekwondo Clubs". I'm not familiar with that phrase...is that a new thing?

 

[WaterGal]

I did find it curious that they mention on there that people with non-KKW/USAT black belts will no longer be allowed to compete at nationals. Were they really allowed to before?

I don't know how new the USAT club thing is, but it just means that the school itself is a member of USAT and can send athletes and coaches to USAT events.

 

[TrueJim]

I did find it curious that they mention on there that people with non-KKW/USAT black belts will no longer be allowed to compete at nationals. Were they really allowed to before?

I found that interesting too. The Protocol of Accord with ITF would allow ITF competitors to compete in WTF-sanctioned events, but I'm not clear on how that might apply to Nationals?

Also...I was having lunch with a KKW 2nd-dan friend of mine yesterday, and we were discussing the new US National Dan Program...specifically the notion that USAT would be doing dan testing at Nationals. Will that mean that (as an example) a karate person could self-study to learn KKW Poomsae and WTF sparring, then walk-in off the street and get a 1st-dan US National Dan Certificate? My friend's point was: is there even any requirement that the candidate actually has a history or practicing taekwondo specifically, as long as they can pass USAT's test?

 

[WaterGal]

I read another document about this recently, and overall it sounds to me like this test is for two kinds of people:

1) people who already have a KKW 3rd or higher and need someone to test them for a higher rank for whatever reason (I guess this is the first implementation of the new KKW testing rules), or

2) people who have a TKD dan ranking from someone other than KKW, who want to "convert" it over to a 1st-3rd dan KKW cert

I think for #2, they mentioned ITF, ATA, and "school" black belts from a KKW-certified teacher as being the kind of certifications they'd accept for "conversion".

 

[TrueJim]

I read another document about this recently, and overall it sounds to me like this test is for two kinds of people:

1) people who already have a KKW 3rd or higher and need someone to test them for a higher rank for whatever reason (I guess this is the first implementation of the new KKW testing rules), or

2) people who have a TKD dan ranking from someone other than KKW, who want to "convert" it over to a 1st-3rd dan KKW cert

I think for #2, they mentioned ITF, ATA, and "school" black belts from a KKW-certified teacher as being the kind of certifications they'd accept for "conversion".

Agreed about #1. I thought they were saying that if you had an ITF or ATA dan, that could be converted over without even taking a test.

• "To make the transition as simple as possible USA Taekwondo has developed a Dan Conversion Program that allows holders of a local School/Club Black Belt to convert to a U.S. National Dan Certification at the same level simply by paying a processing fee. The Dan Conversion Program (up to 7th Dan) is also available to holders of National or International Taekwondo Organizations that are deemed as recognized by USA Taekwondo and the US Taekwondo Grandmasters Society (see FAQ below)."

The FAQ sites ITF and ATA as already being "recognized". So I don't think the ITFers and ATAers even need to take a test? They just need to pay a fee to get a US Dan Cert, and then they can compete in USAT events, which is really interesting.

But they also say you can only do that once. So if you're an ITF 4th day, you can become a USA 4th dan just by paying a fee...but then if you want to become a USA 5th dan, you'll need to take a test at Nationals...that's what it seems to be saying?

 

[TrueJim]

Now that the initial shock of this has worn off ...

I'm wondering what kind of curriculum the USTGS will design for dan testing? Like...obviously the standard Kukkiwon poomsae and WTF-style sparring will be part of the test, but what else? Kicking combinations? Breaking? Physical fitness? Essays?

It occurs to me that once USTGS (and I assume the decider is the USTGS more than USAT)...once the USTGS decides what the dan tests will look like at the National Championships, those tests essentially define a "standard" curriculum for USAT participation. Sure other curriculums will still be able to compete (using Kukkiwon, ITF, or ATA dan ranks)...but for schools who are looking for a curriculum to adopt, or for schools who are looking to update their existing curriculum, it would be logical to tailor the curriculum for passing the USTGS dan tests. I'm not suggesting that this would happen overnight, but over a period of years...maybe?