Black Belt Gradings

[Nidan Melbourne]

Hey all,

I am curious to see what all you senior instructors throw into each section of a Black Belt Grading.

These are the areas we have:

Warm-Up

Basics

Combinations

Kata

Pre-arranged Sparring (our normal pre-arranged we teach all students, Gekasai and saifa bunkai - gekasai for blue belt and above and saifa shodan-ho and above, and kyogi)

Sparring

And just so you know we normally combine basics and combinations together

[bushido_man96]

We usually just do all forms, all one-steps, sparring, and board breaking. We don't usually do any basics in testing.

[DWx]

We just had one last weekend.

1st to 3rd can be conducted on a local or regional basis. For 4th and above you have to apply to headquarters and they choose who you should test under and subsequently where you will have to go for it (may be another country!).

Anyway, 1st to 3rd testings start several months in advance of the actual testing date. You attend a "pre-grading" where your general ability and physical fitness is assessed. If you pass you get invited to the actual grading.

- Start by written paper (multiple choice) theory questions and those going for 1st dan must submit a short essay on any aspect of TKD they like.

- Non-examinable are warm-up and any line work the instructor wants to get candidates warmed up.

- Then all forms up to grade.

- Set-sparring including 3-step, 2-step, 1-step. Unlike some schools were don't have any set combinations; you have to come up with your own responses to both pre-determined attacks where the examiner will tell your opponent what to attack with next then also one's where your partner can attack with whatever they like.

- Hosin Sul or what is essentially self-defense against grabs and more realistic "street" attacks

- Normal free sparring, 2-on-to-1, 3-on-to-1, foot only sparring

- Power breaking and special breaking

Then just for fun students can opt to do pre-arranged fight/self-defense sequences using their TKD.. non-examinable.

[MasutaDeKaba]

Well, when I graded for my Black Belt, I did Basics, Renraku Wazza, Sparring and a Kata, which was Hangetsu. There are different Kihon you learn as you progress at my club, the only main change is the Kata. Next was Sochin, and for my current rank, Empi.