This young man (James Chua) is a Southern California phenom. He's 8 years old & performs Tae Guek 1-8 & all yudanja poomsae.

Performs?? More like mimics them; many errors...balance, to name just one.

Wow, at 8 years old. The WTF must not worry about students doing forms ahead of their rank?

I was wondering the same thing myself.

Who in their right mind taught a student forms that are above that students current rank?!?! Unless he taught himself the forms out of a book/DVD/internet. Still, his CI needs to curb him away from the forms that are above his current rank.

He does struggle with the BB poomsae, yes. He doesn't perform them in competition, however. He is simply not allowed to do so. As has been mentioned on other pages of this thread, in WTF elite poomsae competition, poomsae is done by age and rank. For example, at age 10 a 1st poom would do the 2nd Dan poomsae, at most. A 55 year old BBwould need to prepare up through Ilyeo (9th Dan poomsae) regardless of their Dan rank.

Since the early 2000s, the WTF decided to change the way poomsae competition is done in order to showcase the value of poomsae. Previously, poomsae took a back seat to the all important kyoroogi. It is a pendulum swing from the 80s when the 1st Dan poomsae was the only BB poomsae performed, because it was the only poomsae any BBs of any Dan rank knew. I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Honestly, I don't mind that they do it that way. If someone has the skill to perform it, then let them do it. They can improve all other aspects from there. On the flip side of that, if someone really wants to crack down on one form, and make it "their" form, then I'm all for that, too.

Since the early 2000s, the WTF decided to change the way poomsae competition is done in order to showcase the value of poomsae. Previously, poomsae took a back seat to the all important kyoroogi. It is a pendulum swing from the 80s when the 1st Dan poomsae was the only BB poomsae performed, because it was the only poomsae any BBs of any Dan rank knew. I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea.

an interesting blog post in the link below - would you re-sequence the BB poomsae if you could? Chongkwon and illyeo seem physically demanding for the ages you would have to be by the traditional schedule of learning.

http://jungdokwan-taekwondo.blogspot.com.au/

I think it should be a consideration, for sure. If not for the organization as a whole, but an option for the older practitioners to look into.