Minimum Requirement for First Degree

[Truestar]

I've read countless amounts of topics on here about "young black belts" and whatnot. I figured I'd ask at your school, what are the minimum requirements for someone in your school to achieve their first degree black belt? It doesn't matter what style you take, just explain what is necessary in your school to achieve the rank. Junior black belt does not pertain to this topic.

In our dojang a black belt must be at least 16 years of age, and display the "5 Tenets" in their lives everyday. (Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, Indomitable Spirit). They must also know the 9 Tae Kwon Do forms Chon-Ji through Chung-Moo with appropriate focus, snap, power, and yes: the correct stances and technique. They must perform every technique from white belt to red belt from the simple outside low forearm block to the jump turning side kick. They must demonstrate appropriate grappling and self-defense abilities that would prove effective in a real world situation, and they must survive a sparring match or twenty. Then on the last day they must attempt one kicking technique to at least one patio concrete block, and one other technique (elbow, hammer fist). If they can do all of this you are given your first dan in our school.

So in simpler form, to achieve Shodan in our school you must:

• Be at least 16 years of age
  
• Know the 9 hyungs/katas (Chon-Ji through Chung-Moo)
  
• Demonstrate effective defensive tactics
  
• Demonstrate appropriate sparring technique
  
• Breaking
  

So in your school what are the minimum requirements for first degree black belt? Do you feel they are appropriate? Too lenient? Too strict?[/i]

[tenshinka]

The "young black belt" thing has always cracked me up, as has the jr. black belt. IMHO You either have what it takes, or you do not. Anything else is strictly marketing.

[Truestar]

Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art with similarities to Tae Kwon Do if I am correct, please correct me if I'm wrong. What are the requirements like in your school tenshinka?

[tenshinka]

Feel free to call me Josh.

Tang Soo Do was the fore runner of Tae Kwon Do. It is somewhat similar to ITF (Changhon style) minus the sine wave, but bears no resemblance Kukki TKD. It places equal emphasis on hand and foot techniques, or at least the way I learned it did lol.

The minimums accepted for Chodan by most TSDer of Moo Duk Kwan lineage today is as follows:

10 Hyung, Forms:

Kicho Il Bu

Kicho Ee Bu

Kicho Sam Bu

Pyong Ahn Chodan

Pyong Ahn Eedan

Pyong Ahn Samdan

Pyong Ahn Sadan

Pyong Ahn Ohdan

Balsae

Naebujin Chodan

Kyuk Pa (Breaking):

Several Breaks w/ various hand and foot techniques.

In Neh (Endurence):

Dependent on School

Knowledge of History, and Terminology

1-10 Pg. Paper of TSD as it applies to your life.

Some schools have MUCH more, some have a little less...Just depends

[Truestar]

I actually hold more knowledge and terminology than what is required at our school. My recent promotion I guess sort of sparked a renewed interest in the art.

We didn't have to do it this time but in my previous red belt test we also did have a few short paragraphs to write as far as "how TKD has applied to your life" and whatnot. I wouldn't have really minded to do it this time to be honest.

The endurance aspect is the major part of our test. Our test takes 21 days to complete spending 2 to 3 hours a day working on various exercises and technique. After running, push ups, and pull ups for a half hour doing our forms is a very interesting thing to see. But it shows who has it in them to find that extra little bit of "umph".

[bushido_man96]

In my organization, no age requirements kick in until 3rd dan, and I think it is 16? Have to check, for sure.

As for the test, all colored belt forms, 10 total, along with the one-steps, which I think number 27 total, along with a Do-Kang, which our GM came up with for Black Belt basics. From there, it is sparring at least two matches, one from the rank you are reaching for, and one other. Board breaking finishes out the test.

[Throwdown0850]

In my Judo class:

- cant start training until 16.

- perform all 67 traditional throws correctly

- perform all NeWaza and Joint techniques correctly

- Randori... lots and lots of Randori through competition

and sparring in class.

Usually takes 4 to 6 years to get Shodan.

[tallgeese]

For 1st dan- (no particular order)

demonstrate:

basic to advanced strikes hand/foot all in combination

our sytems "angle drills" thru the ranks

proficient in grappling with empahsis on positional concerns

submission skills

rolls/falls/throws

taking strikes

knife and club skills and defenses

trapping drills

tuite manuvers from designated attacks

joint manipulation skills from various attacks

self defense from grabs through to spontaneous defenses agaisnt random attacks starting with punches/kicks and working up to knife/club and gun and integrating the above skills.

defese against an armored opponant set to "attack mode"

next add weapon

free grappling and free sparring, various rules, gear, start positions and contact levels. At black belt level this is an hour long portion, it is capped by rounds of multiple attackers.

Some of our schools also have some intereset in pressure point fighitng and this is tested as well. As for my guys, demonstrated proficiency in handgun safety, care, and use is also mandintory.

There is also some suggested reading material by this point. Secrets of the Samurai, LIving the Martial Way, and a few others.

Total time for the test is around 3 hours.

Time from WB to BB is between 4-5 years on average.

Lat time I checked, for an adult rank, we didn't test anyone for this rank before they were 16 on paper. In reality, I think 18 or 19 was our youngest by far.

[Throwdown0850]

Tallgeese, that looks like a pretty cool setup there.. What style was you talking about? looked like Kenpo?

[tallgeese]

Thanks, Throwdown.

It's a modern-origin, kempo-based system called Bujin Bugei Jutsu. It's heavily influnced by Ryu-kyu kempo and Goju as well. Lots things taken from boxing and kickboxing as well. We started studying grappling back around UFC 1 when everyone else did too. Initally, we hooked up with a shootfighthing organization, and later, got people involved in the Brazilian game so we could get greater depth of skill in it.

The above list it pretty much the core of what we expect from black belts. Since we are heavily principle based in thinking, everyone is farily individualized as fighters. This shows in our teaching practices. As I said, some of our guys have taken great lenghts to learn pressure point tactics, I'm not really one of them, but they will also expect their black belts to be at least proficient. Some of our guys still do some forms and hence, expect their bb's to be able to as well. Every test is a little different. I fought amature so my guys all look more like MMAers than other schools. It's part of what I like about our group of bb's. Lots of variety with combative efficiency at the core of our programs.