Who's Taekwondo on this Board – Rank, Years?

[rainbows]

I'm a red tag (3rd gup), ITF. I've been doing TKD for 2 years and I was doing kenpo for 7 years before that. I'm hoping to test for red belt next month.
:asian:

 

[Ahriman]

I know this post is late, but I just recently joined :idunno:

I've been doing Tae Kwon Do for over 9 yrs. First dan black belt.

 

[Gizmo]

I'm 32, in TKD since 1986. Currently 4th Dan, no plans of testing to 5th in the nearest future

Regards

Gizmo

 

[Gizmo]

BTW - being an instructor since 10 years, and working with kids, I also don't really know what do we need the 4th Poom for... :idunno:

Gizmo

 

[hardheadjarhead]

47, 5th, martial arts since 1973.

Regards,

Steve

 

[terryl965]

Good question.

Our Grandmaster is 9th Dan in Tae Kwon Do. What that means is that, although we are affiliated with the WTF, by virtue of his rank and position in the Tae Kwon Do community, he is not absolutely bound to accept all their rules. For example, if we were strictly USTU or WTF, and especially if he were not 9th Dan, we would not have as much autonomy as we do.
As far as free fighting, we follow WTF rules. However, even though the WTF may allow the promotion of a 16 year old to 4th Dan, he would not. That is his choice. Let's say that, hypothetically, the student decided to go over his head and protest not being allowed to test due to his age. That would be a grave insult and would most likely result in expulsion.
Basically, his organization his rules. Usually WTF or Kukkiwon rules for testing are obeyed (use of forms, sparring rules, length if time). However, our Grandmaster also reserves the right to use rules at his discretion. He cannot go under Kukkiwon guidelines (testing below a certain amount of time) but he can most certainly go over. A 16 year old teen may technically be allowed to test 4th Dan (Kukkiwon guideline), but it is highly unlikely that he would follow that. Guess what? The student has no choice. Noone else can recommend him. If I choose not to allow my student to test for whatever reason (age, time between testing, lack of ability), they can't test. Unless they quit and go somewhere else, they have no choice.

See this is what I like about you MTKD you are very percise about your views and are able to give qaulity proof behind your statements. Keep up the good work here on MA talk.com. We are a value to any forum. GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[Sarah]

Hi I’m from New Zealand; I have been training for almost a year and have just graded to Yellow Belt Green Tip. My Dojo is a combination of different styles but our traditional aspects/basics/hyungs etc lie in TKD.

We also do a lot of grappling/ground fighting/joint locks/pressure points/full contact sparring (no headgear, just mouth guards)/stick fighting etc etc.

We train hard and it is tough to grade, we are only allowed to grade a max of twice a year, so at the least it will take 4.5/5yrs to reach BB. I have seen at other TKD clubs you can go from white belt to black belt in three years.

It’s not like that at our club, it is a long hard journey to Black Belt, but that’s how it should be, and that is why the high ranks in our club are respected.

Its sad that TKD has a bit of a rep for being soft, but maybe thats just here.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Hi I’m from New Zealand;

We also do a lot of grappling/ground fighting/joint locks/pressure points/full contact sparring (no headgear, just mouth guards)/stick fighting etc etc.

Tough school, tough standards.

So when you guys fight, you try to put each other down and out? You go for the knockout on each shot?

Regards,


Steve

 

[Sarah]

No, we don't try to pummel each other, because at my level what would I learn?? Our job is to make our partner a better fighter, to learn to read them to look for and make holes, when I find a hole and tag my partner they are learning where their weakness is.

Our Instructor makes sure people at our level don’t get to carried away, becuse with beginners there is more ego than ability, but when we are fighting the senior we can get knocked around a bit. The difference is the seniors have more control so they push you enough to be uncomfortable but not so much that we go home crying!!

Most of the injuries/KO's tend to be in the yellow belt class....egos coming out to play, especially with the guys.

My instructor has just started having an event every three months at our Dojo a 'Fyte Nyte' which is kinda like K1, lots of lights, a boxing ring etc etc, it's heaps of fun, people from other clubs wont to be part of it now...in these fights people go hard!!! I haven’t entered one yet because I dont have the confidence, but it will be something to aim for.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Okay. So you do in fact use control...not full contact. Leastwise not at your level.

My compliments to your instructor for his uncompromising standards.


Regards,


Steve

 

[Sarah]

Sorry, misuse of description, just meaning that we don’t use headgear etc, just gloves and shin pads.

My instructor is very good, but it must be pretty hard trying to keep young guys with big egos and there first coloured belt under control.

Sparring is a challenge for me, when I started I had never been hit before and it was a weird concept having someone trying to hit me. Luckily at our Dojo we have amazing seniors and Black Belts who have taken it really slowly with me and I am gradually getting more confidence.

 

[Ahriman]

I wish the best of luck to you in your training. And when you do enter your first 'Fyte Nyte' (sorry if I misspelled it), good luck and post how you do, I'd like to hear how well you do. When I did my first tournament, I was extremely scared with no confidence. Yet I placed first in my division (imagine the suprise I had).

 

[Sarah]

I wish the best of luck to you in your training. And when you do enter your first 'Fyte Nyte' (sorry if I misspelled it), good luck and post how you do, I'd like to hear how well you do. When I did my first tournament, I was extremely scared with no confidence. Yet I placed first in my division (imagine the suprise I had).

I sure will, however it wont be for some time yet, maybe next year when I have learnt more and am feeling more confident.

Its the old catch 22, I dont wont to enter until I feel more confident, but once I do it I will be proud of myself for getting in there and will feel more confident !

 

[Klondike93]

I started originally in 1975, ITF style for a little over 2 years then was out of an official school til 1985. Made 1st Dan in 1987 and have been that rank ever since. After 87 I started to learn Kenpo and stayed with that til last year, but now spend my time with Systema.


:supcool:

 

[Sarah]

I started originally in 1975, ITF style for a little over 2 years then was out of an official school til 1985. Made 1st Dan in 1987 and have been that rank ever since. After 87 I started to learn Kenpo and stayed with that til last year, but now spend my time with Systema.


:supcool:

How do you find the difference between the Three??

I have heard a little about Systema, is it similar in any ways to eastern MA??

 

[Klondike93]

How do you find the difference between the Three??

I have heard a little about Systema, is it similar in any ways to eastern MA??

I like TKD for kicking people in the head, went to kenpo to learn to use my hands and the self defense aspect.

The closest art you can compare to Systema would be aikido, but the system is softer, yet harder. It's really hard to compare it to any other MA, so there's a saying, "you can't explain the system only experience it". If you just watch it, it looks like a bunch of people falling down all the time, you have to actually get out on the mat and feel why they're falling down. I guess a good way to put it would be the system is what you make it. Some times soft, some times hard and other times a little of both.


:supcool:

 

[hardheadjarhead]

I started originally in 1975, ITF style for a little over 2 years then was out of an official school til 1985. Made 1st Dan in 1987 and have been that rank ever since. After 87 I started to learn Kenpo and stayed with that til last year, but now spend my time with Systema.


:supcool:

Nice diversity in training there, Klondike.


Regards,


Steve

 

[bluespacething]

I started back in 2001....I'm currently a brown belt WTF.

I don't know if many schools do testing this way...but once a student gets to purple...then they have to get a senior belt of that color before moving to the next color. So we go white, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, purple senior, brown, brown senior, red, red senior. So it's basically getting a second belt before moving on to the next level. Do any of you have this in your ranks?

And my school has just instituted a new testing for those going for their brown senior and red senior belts. People going for these belts (which will be me at my next test) have to do all the patterns, know how to teach three different breaks, be able to command a class, teach a class, do the techniques from the last 2 quarters. This is to prepare us for our black belt test...and I know it will be tough, but I look forward to it.

 

[TigerWoman]

Hi bluespacething,

Our school is white, yellow, orange, green, high green/striped black, blue, high blue/striped black, red, high red/striped black on the inside, recommended black belt/striped black on outside, black lst dan TW

 

[MichiganTKD]

Our organization is WTF as well. We do white, yellow, yellow green (some do orange), low green/high green, low blue/high blue, low red/high red, black. No breaking until black belt test, 1st Dan testers must write a three page essay, no teaching until after black belt. You only perform your current form at testing. And free fighting is light to moderate contact, but you must show you can contact with at least one technique.

In 20+ years of practicing, I haven't seen many changes in the way we conduct testings. Other that headgear, our testings have been the same for 30+ years.