Belts

[Gyak]

My personal opinion is that belts are not important. Training hard to try and reach my potential best is the ultimate goal for me. You can strive towards this goal at any level/belt.

Dont get me wrong, I think they help to give a sense of achivement, especially to beginners, Im just saying I belive the goal of attaining personal best is far more important, or at least that is the case for me.

[Shotokan-kez]

When i train the adults and kids train together and sometimes i do find this a nuiscence because they can mess around sometimes. On the whole the instructor keeps them in place and he doesn't allow them to grade unless they are ready or good enough, so i guess i'm lucky really. I agree with the rest of the advice you have been given, you need to check out other clubs and maybe look for an adult class. Good luck to you i hope it works out.

Kez

[getawaytkd]

i have a question, i have a black belt test coming up. after 3 years of training in tae kwon do. the test itself is 900$. if i mess up on the test my master gives me a second chance to come up and fix the part where i messed up, is this a McDojo?

[Jussi Häkkinen]

i have a question, i have a black belt test coming up. after 3 years of training in tae kwon do. the test itself is 900$. if i mess up on the test my master gives me a second chance to come up and fix the part where i messed up, is this a McDojo?

Testing cost is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Kukkiwon's (head organization for so called "WTF"-taekwondo - WTF is actually just a competition organization of Kukki-taekwondo) certification fee is only about $70. I would definitely ask about the details of that payment - where does it go, what do you get etc.

I don't know whether your dojang is a McDojang or not, but the price is ridiculous. I wouldn't pay that much. A price I might accept would be $150 - $70 for Kukkiwon registration fee, rest for the belt (item) and support of your club. Anything above $200 would need very good explanation (if the fee would be $200, I'd expect it to include a certification fee, a belt and a new black lapel dobok).

Shortly: Don't pay $900. It just doesn't make any sense. You're being robbed.

[Brandon Fisher]

I have to agree $900 is crazy. I felt bad about charging $150 testing fee for shodan. However thats a Shureido embroidered belt and certificate.

[getawaytkd]

im getting a plaque that verifies i have become a black belt, a belt with my name embroidered in it. and the testing fee.

[cathal]

For us it is a $50 fee. No embroidery, that just covers the certificate and the test itself.

[Jussi Häkkinen]

im getting a plaque that verifies i have become a black belt, a belt with my name embroidered in it. and the testing fee.

Too much. $200 should be a top price for that - and it should include a certification of an international, Korea based organization (Kukkiwon, if you train in WTF-taekwondo). $200 would still be a heavy price for that. $900 is highway robbery. Don't pay it.

Personally, when I took my karate shodan grading, the test itself was free. I paid $70 for a certification (optional, but I wanted it - it's a certification of our international organization, signed by our style's Okinawan head, so it's nice to have). I bought the belt I wanted. "Grand total" was a lot less than $150, even though I got a really nice Shureido belt (and later a couple of more, so I would have a new, sharp looking one for the official seminars, instead of wearing a frayed "anchor rope").

Edited May 18, 2006 by Jussi Häkkinen

[Brandon Fisher]

When I was training in Shorinkan the Shodan test fee with Kyoshi Bethea was $300 but that included certification from Okinawa direct from Nakazato Sensei.

[getawaytkd]

well itstoo late now, ive spent 3 years in that place training for my black belt, if i dont pay it, i dont test for my belt. so what am i suppoed to do? find a cheper place and start from white belt again?