List Sho Dan requirements

[Sohan]

It's interesting how long black belts tests can be when actual fights are considerably shorter and of higher intensity. It's more like an endurance test than a test of true fighting ability in some cases, no disrespect intended.

I say put the BB candidate in a cage with a 500 lb gorilla and lock the door for 5 minutes. If they survive, give them their black belt.

Respectfully,

Sohan

[kyop]

We had to do all the preceding tests in order. Gold, green, blue, brown, etc. All basic stances with blocks and strikes, then every kick known progressing to flying front, round and side kicks. Breaking included jump spin back kick (easy on the kickers but hard on the holders). Flying side kick break (3 boards with no exception based on gender). Then forms - Korean forms from Chon-ji through Chung-mu+ Kwang-gae then Japanese forms Heian 1-5, Tekki Shodan and Bassai. Sometimes you had to do forms twice. Then lots of 1 step-sparring.

Then, when your legs were good and rubbery, the free-fighting started. Lots of one on one with your peers working up to 2v1, 3v1. The multiple opponent stuff was against gold and green belts but they hand picked thugs. At this point in the testing, you weren't supposed to win.

Like many of the hard-core school testings described above, the point of the black belt test was to take you to your mental and physical limit and then give you a kick in the butt beyond that breaking point. The goal was to survive not pass.

Probably the "best" part was little or no water for the 3 hours. Insane! I was up that night at 3AM uncontrollably slurping down water and refrigerated water melon. My thirst mechanism went haywire and I certainly should have been on an IV.

Years later, I tested at a traditional TKD school where, as the saying goes, during the trip from the orient to the states, the instructor/owner advanced one degree in rank for every time zone passed.

The test criteria there was this, "Did the check clear?"