Sho-ju Posted November 3, 2003 Share Posted November 3, 2003 It seems that the title master and often grandmaster is used a lot in TKD, I was thinking the title has a different meaning then it does in karate. How long does it take become a master or grandmaster? I've seen few karate dojo's who claim to have a master teaching, but it seems evey town has a TKD master... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufrthanu Posted November 3, 2003 Share Posted November 3, 2003 Generally speaking in TKD Master can be either 5-6 or 4-5 Dan Black Belt. I think GrandMaster you gotta be like 8th or 9th. But on the Title thing I think they are out of their minds. Personally I would never call anyone Master if you want to be called sensei or sabum fine or Ill call you sir. I have read in TKD magazines such idiotic titles as Great Grandmaster and Eternal Grandmaster. All i can do is laugh. Long Live the Fighters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommarker Posted November 3, 2003 Share Posted November 3, 2003 nevermind. I'm no longer posting here. Adios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitematt Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 [i have read in TKD magazines such idiotic titles as Great Grandmaster and Eternal Grandmaster. All i can do is laugh.] I don't know about other styles, but after his passing, our grandmaster (Haung Ung Lee, the founder of our organization) was elevated to the status of eternal grandmaster. This was done to honor his life and dedication to his art and students. In this instance I don't find the title either idiotic, or laughable. Matt White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufrthanu Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 The titles ar * lets just say it right out. They have no real purpose in Martial arts. Long Live the Fighters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitematt Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 [The titles ar * lets just say it right out. They have no real purpose in Martial arts.] You're entitled to your opinion. Here's another opinion that floats around... belt ranks in martial arts are *. Due to the differences in styles and schools, whatever color material you wear around your waist is not a true indicator of your skills. Matt White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBN Doug Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 Everyone is more than welcome to express their opinions here. However, just be careful to do it in a respectful manner. Kuk Sool Won - 4th danEvil triumphs when good men do nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanjusko Posted November 14, 2003 Share Posted November 14, 2003 I have a problem with founders of various "styles" that simply do so in order to become the grandmaster of their particular style of tae kwon do or tang soo do or karate, etc. It is very rare for a person to stick with a large organazation (WTF, ITF, etc.) and be a master or grandmaster. Therefore, I do not respect a lot of claims to either be master or grandmaster in smaller organizations. I mean I could start my own organization if i wanted to and being a first dan blackbelt (ITF) I could call myself grandmaster wrap seven stripes around my belt and i suddenly have all the townsfolk thinking that they have an authentic grandmaster from Korea teaching their little five and six year olds how to do the incorrect versions of front snap kick or roundhouse without anyone knowing differently. No offense to any people here who have 8th dan instructors who "founded" their own style, but I do not respect anyone's master or grandmaster status unless they are affiliated with a very large and very respected organization. But hey, that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TangSooGuy Posted November 14, 2003 Share Posted November 14, 2003 nevermind. Well, I tend to agree with that statement, but I'll field it anyway, just hoping I don't write myself into too much trouble Not that it's really a secret or anything.... In The World tang Soo Do association, it works something like this: Master: To receive master status, you must be 4th dan or above, at must fulfill the following criteria: 1. You must own and operate your own studio. In order to have received studio status, you must have registered at least 25 students, and must keep both instructor and studio certification up to date. The ONLY exception to this would be for people who have made extraordinary contributions to the art and association, but for some reason cannot run their own studio. 2. You must be recommended by a current master, and be approved by the grandmaster. 3. You must submit a reseach paper/ thesis on a topic approved by the grandmaster consisting of at least 20,000 words. 4. You must have an exemplary record of attending various local, regional, and international events. 5. You must be a lifetime member of the Association (dedication, loyalty) 6. You must have actively trained for a minimum of about 12 years, and must be at least 22 years old. Note: This is EXTREMELY rare. I trained 17-18 years straight before being asked to test the first time, and the youngest promoted master I believe was 25. 6. You must pass a written test that encompasses knowledge of history, philosophy, teaching ability, technical knowledge, terminology, and first aid. 7. You must undergo (for 4th dan master) a MINIMUM three-year physical testing cycle: 1st Year: Initial evaluation, given areas to work on for following year 2nd Year: Test for 4th stripe on belt, must have shown substantial change from previous year. Not everyone will pass the 4th stripe test in 2 years. (This is far as non-studio owners can go) 3rd year: (or whenever you pass 4th stripe test): Studio owners may test for Master's belt Grandmaster status: "Grandmaster" is reserved fr the head of the association. Grandmaster Jae C. Shin trained directly under Grandmaster Hwang Kee, and has been an 8th Dan for well over 20 years. Although other Korean grandmasters have asked him to take 9th Dan, I don't personally think he will do it until there comes a point where someone else in our association is ready to test for 8th Dan. Right now, we only have a couple of people who have gotten as far as 7th or testing for 7th Dan. I don't write this in order to say my association is any better than anyone else's. I do it because all too often these days it seems like people are ready to dismiss the master title before even looking at what is required to get it. I will test for my master's belt in 2004, and yes, I have done everything listed above to get as far as I have. (I may even have missed smething). I'm certainly not saying that I am better than anyone else, nor that I have learned all there is to learn. Not by a long shot. But I will gratefully accept the title of master when it is bestowed upon me, and I know I will get there, because I'll keep going back to test as long as they want me to. Now, there are a ton of self-promoted and undeserving "masters" out there. But that doesn't mean there aren't genuine ones, too. They say that when you get your first degree black belt, you have only just gotten to the point where you are ready to start learning. In essence you have only just begun to learn how to learn. To me, when you get your master's belt, that means you have only truly just begun to learn how to teach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozaru Posted November 14, 2003 Share Posted November 14, 2003 I feel sorry for anyone caught falsely claiming to be a master. In my past life I slayed hundredsand the life before that they played trumpets to warn you that I was coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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