My son is taking Tae Kwon Do, how long should it take him to get his 1st degree black belt?

Thanks!

I dont know how fast they progress through belts in TKD, but it probably should take a about 4+ years.

But you are going to get a heap of replies saying 'He will get it when he is ready' etc.. and those replies will be true, but the usual time period is about 4 years to learn all technique.

He goes to practice about three times a week and seems to test about every eight weeks or so. Right now he is 10 years old and a blue belt.... he loves this and loves to spar. Thinking about letting him do competitions....

Randy

I have been in TKD for 4 years, and I'm just a red belt (2nd gup). But people I started with passed me in rank, so it depends on the person. But if he gets his BB before the age of 15 in WTF TKD, it's a "junior BB." In my dojang, the kids don't learn as much as the adults. But if they turn 15 before they test for BB, they have to learn the adult stuff, then test.

The kids usually take longer than the adults to test for BB. I seen adults test as soon as 2 years, but that's with previous MA training. Most of the kids here take 4 to 7 years, depending on their situation and how often they train. It could be different elsewhere, though.

well besides what other people have said there the school factor.You see sadly there exist what we on the net refer to as a McDojo or in your case a McDojang.I'm not saying that you or your son fall into this category,but since TKD is so popular there more of those types of schools.In that case if you guys were at that type of school,then you could get it as soon as 6 months.

I don't understand if your a kid why do you need a black belt and why worry how long it takes? when you get your BB what then retire?

nobody needs it,but it does make you look like your the best out there.That's why people sometimes want schools that easily hand them out so they can have the credit of being one.Also sadly a lot of kids do like to retire after they reach black belt because that's all they really wanted.

I wouldn't worry about your son being a black belt. Being a black belt, doesn't make you an excellent martial artist. It doens't make you stronger, it doesn't make you wiser, it doesn't make you faster. If your son no longer advanced in belts, would he want to continue? Would you want him to continue? A black belt rank is awarded to let others know of your achivement. That you have worked hard, long, and are ready to take on the challenge of life. Your son should know before he gets to black, that he doesn't need a belt to tell him he's good.

If I were you, I would worry more about the instruction/intructor, more than the color of your sons belt.

Agreed, the belt means nothing if it is not earned through hard study and effective learning, which is not guaranteed merely due to your son's efforts. If the school does not provide adequate learning, he will not obtain adequate instruction. Just like 'any' educational environment.

The questions should be posed... what are your goals for your son? And, for that matter, what are your son's goals?

This is why I'm not too fond of the belt system myself, but hey it's part of the style that I enjoy. I like the way some of the Kung Fu styles are.Because a lot of them don't have belts or sashes, so you just practice to learn and grow instead of doing it for what you wear around your waist.