Black Belt Test

[Bart Adkins]

My son, Damon got his test requirements for his Black Belt test this summer. He is almost twelve years old and is now officially a Black Belt candidate.



Some of his requirements are as follows:



He is of course required to know all of his Taekwondo poomses (form or pattern...like a kata in karate) from white belt all the way through...and they are expected to be flawless.



He must also know all of his required Judo throws and self defense techniques.



He is required to know all of his Korean termonology.



He must answer 8 essay questions.



From March 1, 2008 yuntil the test date (June or July date TBD) He must be at the Taekwondo Dojang 4 nights a week for four hours a night to prepare.



He must fast for one day.



He must pass the physical fitness test....This is perhaps the most daunting of all...



He has to run 3 miles in under 30 minutes . He has to run two 200 yard sprints.



He must do 250 push-ups and 250 sit-ups!



Sound tough?...If it were easy, everybody would be a Black Belt!



In a year and a half, my oldest son AND myself will be taking the same test.

 

[EddieS'04]

Good luck to you both...

 

[Kevin Lang]

3 miles in 30 minutes isn't running. 6 mph can be walked, though for 3 miles, it would be challenging.



The push up and sit ups aren't mandated to be done in a certain time, are they?



This test sounds like fun, except for the korean terminology part--we need an art which uses Western terms. Why must one bend to the ways of the orient?



Many moves in tkd are a major pain to learn, let alone use effectively. I wish you guys luck.

 

[Chris Kulbaba]

Congrats! Thats great for you and your son... I recently enrolled my 5 year old in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and he is loving every minute of it so far. I cant wait till I get to see the day my son bears a black belt in Jiu Jitsu (as long as he still wants to take it)

 

[Woppy V]

That is way more than I thought it would be! Good Luck!

 

[Michael Martin]

Good luck on the test! My 3rd degree test was a workout! All my forms from white belt up to 3rd degree, not once but 3 times. Sparing 1 vs 3. More board breaks than what's in a house! It was all worth it!



I don't practice anymore, but I do hold 3rd degree black belt, chief instructor and regional examiner in Choi Kwang Do.

 

[Michael Sugarman]

My 1st degree test lasted 6 hours. That included the 5 mile run at the end. My daughter is taking her TKD black belt test at the end of the month. The requirements sound close to the same. It will last about 2-3 hours. She has been taking for over 4 years (since she was 7).



A lot of people think black belt is the end of the line, but it is really just the beginning. Obtaining a black belt means you have learned the basics and are ready to start you martial arts education. I equate it to graduating high school (for lack of a better analogy).



I am in class 5 - 6 days/week, 2.5 - 3.5 hours a day. It keeps me out of trouble.



Good luck to your son. Maybe we will see him in the Olympics some day.

 

[Bart Adkins]

Thanks to all for the encouragement...and Kevin, we learn Korean to show respect to the people who have passed our art down from one generation to the next. It is a Korean art, so the forms and techniques have Korean names. It's a traditional type thing. We chose to enroll in these classes, we aren't being forced into conformity...there's nothing wrong with learning a second (or third) language.Kids in Karate classes count in Japanese, kids in Taekwondo count in Korean, and most High School kids learn Spanish or French. They do have a fighting technique that uses more Western terms...I think it's called "boxing"