Blue belt grading - 4th KUP

This weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to take my 4th Kup (Blue Belt) grading. My son James was also grading for his Green Tags (6th Kup). James, I felt, did me (and himself of course) proud. His pattern (while of course not perfect) was in my humble opinion well carried out, and he certainly has understood the sequence of moves, and how to get the stances right. I could clearly tell the difference between his long and walking stances, and that back leg of his has stopped bending in long stance. I didn't spot any errors in his three step sparring, and he was as exuberant as ever in free sparring - maybe a bit too keen as I did notice the odd bit of contact when he was sparring.
My grading was a little longer - there were three other 5th Kup grades and we got to do Taegeuk O Jang, Sam Jand and Ee Jang. O Jang (the fifth pattern) being the main criteria for the grading. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I did my worst on that particular one - the last move in particular I managed to foul up.
We also did two step sparring, which I felt fairly confident with.
For breaks, I had a Horyo (reverse turning kick), a suspended board to punch and a 360 degree turning kick. I broke them all with just one attempt and doubtless that was the best part of my grading. I don't think I broke any toes this time around!
The grading must have been tougher than it felt at the time. I spent the rest of Saturday aching and feeling utterly exhausted. My wife didn't appear to want to sympathize though - there was still a load of housework to be done when I got home...

Results are out on Wednesday - I'm hoping the pattern didn't let me down too much but if it did there is always next time. Perseverance!

How long does it take to achieve a black belt in Taekwondo?

The length of time required to acheive the coveted 1st Dan Grade (Black Belt) is an oft talked about topic. Should it take a year, 5 years or 10 years. I really got thinking about this after reading and commenting on a post here and after talking to a couple of girls on holiday this year who'd achieved their first Dan grades within 3 years.

I've been training a long time, although I will be the first to admit my attendance is by no means the greatest. I always make at least one training session per week, try to get to two and on the odd week I make it to three. Realistically, a first Dan is AT LEAST another three years away from my grasp (and I am aware that I may not get it if I train for another 100 years!).

How long it should take should be irrelevant. It's a question of a number of factors which will be different for every student including fitness, talent, number of hours trained each week, commitment and probably many more aspects.

If a club tells you you WILL get a black belt in a given time, I would be cautious however short or long that time may be. This would indicate they simply "give away" belts in order to attract more grading fees. If you need a black belt and are prepared to pay for one, you can save time & money by just buying one - you can get them for about a fiver almost anywhere.

So what do I think?

Three years is too soon unless you are perhaps able to train 5 times a week.

There is no such thing as too long a time - not everyone will make it, but those who truly persevere will.

How much do you pay to take a Taekwondo grading?

I recently met two Taekwondo students from the north of England. The subject of the cost of taking gradings in TKD cropped up and they told me at their club a KUP grade cost £45. On top of that, failing to pass the grading would result in having to pay the grading fee again.

By comparison, at my club a KUP grade test is £15. If you fail it, you can re-take it at no further cost. I don't know what our instructor charges for Hapkido gradings (another Korean Martial Art he teaches) but would be surprised if there was any difference.

The two Northerners told me they had achieved First KUP grade (red belt/black tag) in three years with their club - that'll be a topic for another post later...

So how much is the "right" amount to pay for a martial arts grading? Should it be dependant on what the club needs to charge in order to stay operational? A quick glance at the BTCB website didn't offer any kind of guide, but I'd say £45 sounds expensive.