ABOUT

KEY INFORMATION

• Saturday 29th June
  
• Kings Hall Community Centre, Willesden Green. 155 Harlesden Road, NW102BS
• Taekwondo X official uniform must be worn to the exam (including the belt). If you don’t have the TKDX brand uniform yet you must get one before the exam. Please note no other uniform will be allowed.
• The student grading must bring their own FULL sparring gear (including mouth guard) for the exam.
• Please bring a bottle of water and a towel.
• Estimated duration of Black Belt exam is 2 hours.
• The content of the exam will be divided into the sections shown on the image on the right (or below if you are using your phone)
  

–What is a Black Belt Exam?

Becoming a Black Belt in Taekwondo signifies that the individual has a complete understanding of the fundamental principles of our martial art. This achievement allows them to begin teaching others these fundamentals and start their journey toward mastering Taekwondo.

–What is the meaning of the Dan?

When a person earns their first black belt, it is called a First Dan (or First Poom for those under 15 years old). From there, they begin learning the advanced levels of Taekwondo and training toward their 2nd Dan. There are 10 Dan degrees in total.

The minimum training periods between Dan degrees are as follows:

• From 1st Dan to 2nd Dan: 1 year
• From 2nd Dan to 3rd Dan: 2 years
• From 3rd Dan to 4th Dan: 3 years
• And so on, increasing by one additional year for each subsequent Dan level.

A Taekwondo black belt reaches the title of Master upon achieving the 4th Dan. When they attain the 8th Dan, they are considered a Grand Master. A Grand Master is also spiritual and can teach others at a higher level than a Master.

–How does a Black Belt gradings work?

A black belt grading usually lasts around 2 hours. Candidates must arrive before the starting time and begin their own warm-up and stretching to be ready at the designated time. Upon calling, they will follow the instructions given.

The grading typically starts with a fitness test, followed by a Poomsae section where students will be asked to perform their latest Poomsae learned, plus two or three other Poomsae or patterns of the examiner’s choice. This is followed by a drill section, one-step sparring, self-defense, and WT full contact sparring against different opponents, lasting 2 to 3 rounds with each opponent. The last part of the exam will be board breaking and may conclude with a theory test.

All Taekwondo X members receive a graduation award certificate and a National Martial Arts Committee of Great Britain certificate. These are awarded by a qualified instructor following the Kukkiwon syllabus, recognising their rank among martial artists in Great Britain and worldwide.

Students can attend their grading exam once they are invited. Being invited to grade depends on how often the student trains, how much they practice, and how quickly they improve.

No visitors or companions of any kind are allowed during the exam. Only students who are currently grading at each time slot are permitted to be present while the exam is taking place.

It is a high achievement to be invited and qualified to attend a grading at Taekwondo X, so we hope you can attend.

–What happens if a candidate fails their Black Belt Exam? 

Students who fail their black belt exam will have a second chance to retake the exam, free of charge, after 6 months. They will be invited to the next exam (after a minimum of 6 months of training) where they will have a second opportunity to take their exam.

If the student fails again, they will have to restart the application process. This means they will need to continue training and wait until the next black belt exam to apply, only if the instructor has invited them.

Congratulations for being invited to the grading and best of luck!