How long does it really take to get a black belt?

Discussion in 'Tae Kwon Do Resources' started by Lafhastum, Dec 24, 2004.

  1. Lafhastum

    Lafhastum New Member

    Now while Taekwondo is a great martial art it's reputation has been severly tarnished by mcdojangs. I remember when I was kid one of the kids at my school became a black belt in a little less than 2 years. Nwo this kid was over weight, had a complete lack if respect and discispline and he went around hitting girls for no reason. But lets say somone was to go to a real Dojang and really learn TKD. How long would it take them to get a black belt? I am not interested in practicing TKD right now, just very curious.
     
  2. Amnion

    Amnion New Member

    Typically, 3 years. That's for an average person with something 2-3 classes per week. Obviously if someone is naturally gifted, has prior experience, or trains more than that, they might come along faster. But even so, the instructor SHOULD stick to the same testing schedule for everybody, so even then, it'll take the same amount of time. I can understand if it takes 2 years, but the person had also better be held to the same standards. That's just my opinion.
     
  3. Jackie Li

    Jackie Li Valued Member

    That fast! My school it takes about 7 years if your good enough!
     
  4. Chris_sirhC

    Chris_sirhC 6th Kyu, Yoshinkan Aikido

    I couldn't imagine any school giving out a blackbelt after only three years experience with an art.

    I know we all have our own opinions... and yes to each their own... but I think I would have a hard time respecting a black belt given after so short a time spent training. I think it completely belittles an art and the people who truely spent a much longer time in mastering it. I think it completely takes away the signifigance (spelling) of such a rank.

    But maybe thats the way now, I know it never used to be. I know through experience that even twenty years ago the idea of a black belt in three years was a near to impossible dream. Even in Taekwondo, my father ended his eight years of training with a brown belt.

    So are people just that good now, or are belts just meaning that much less?
     
  5. xxblackkatxx

    xxblackkatxx The Gimpy Taekwon Monkey!

    oh wow..... 7 years? at my school it takes about 1 1/2 - 2 years, but that's if you REALLY learn your stuff and are damn good at it.

    hearing that it takes everyone else so much longer makes me question the authenticity of my dojang, but it's odd, i feel as if everything they teach me is correct, i feel like it all mkaes logical sense...

    i don't know what to think about the time in my school compared to others... hmmm....
     
  6. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    The average student who works hard and pays attention can probably achieve 1st black in about 2 and a half years at my school. After that, though, it's at least 2 years to 2nd, and I don't know how long to 3rd. I do know we had our first 3rd dan test in over 10 years back in October.

    I've seen some of our black belt classes, and they really start to open it up there. All the stuff in the gup ranks are fundamentals and they start to come together once you get first black.
     
  7. NRees

    NRees Taekwon-Do II Degree

    Not saying you are in a mcdojang, but think of it this way. It would make sense, because you don't know otherwise :p

    In my club it usually take 6-7 years, and thats if you pass every grading in the minimum time.
     
  8. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    I wouldn't worry about it too much. Eventually, you may want to see other school or enter in competitions just to see how well you stack up against other people though.
     
  9. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    for a proof of a "REAL MCDOJANG", read my last journal entry, though i don't know if it's true, my friend said it cam out on the newspaper,
    paraguay is full of mcdojangs
     
  10. JWH

    JWH New Member

    Chris,
    I would like to make a point, Gen. Choi stated to be a 1st dan you have to know all the" basics". When you reach 1st dan Black Belt in Tae kwon do you are a long ways from "mastering" it. He didn't even consider 2 and 3rd Dan to be advanced.
     
  11. TKD-Junkie

    TKD-Junkie New Member

    took me about 5yrs of combined trainning to get my black belt. honestly, i hate seeing so many black belts with such poor skill. the only thing i can say on their behalf is that some people have physical and mental limitations and SOMETIMES thats the best they can be. (yes their ALOT of BB who dont desreve it)

    really i think it should come down to not only the school thinking ur rdy but u yourself. if u know that u are not black belt material, then DONT TEST. i passed up black belt testing twice b/c i knew that i still had things i needed to improve.

    lastly, getting ur black belt is when the real trainning starts in my opinion. :)
     
  12. TigerAnsTKDLove

    TigerAnsTKDLove Ex-TKD'er 2005.

    3 to 4 years.. I go to TKD 3 days a week. My last 2 belts Junior Deputy is 4 months cuz u have to know everythingfrom White to Purple and thats everything... Senior Deputy 6 months and longer cuz you have to know White- Senior Deputy and that contains everything also. The Testing for black belt at my school is like around 3 hours maybe more. Every school is different. :bang:
     
  13. samharber

    samharber New Member

    Theres a reformed McDojoist over at Bullshido.net who's posted some interesting stuff that will probably be of interest to people in this thread.

    http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19824
    http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19870

    For those of you at dojangs where fast promotion is the norm, consider how much money you pay for your gradings and how much you will have spent in the course of becoming a blackbelt.
    The returns for the dojang tend to be much higher if the rate of promotion is faster. God help you if you got your blackbelt as part of a package deal with the rest of the family.
     
  14. tekkengod

    tekkengod the MAP MP

    at my school, one of the BB's who missed like 7 testing opportunities got his after 3 years, typically it takes 18 months if you are good, an average person takes 2 years though.
     
  15. Kwan Jang

    Kwan Jang Valued Member

    I think part of the problem is that in Japan and Korea, students can receive their first dan usually in 18 months. Over there, 1st dan really is not as big a deal as it is taken elsewhere. To a large extent, when the first generation of instructors went abroad, especially those trained in the military returning home, many (if not most) were 1st or 2nd dans. When they promoted these "new" arts in their native countries, their status as black belts were perceived and often promoted as experts.

    To compound the problem, back in the 50's-early 80's, most schools had their brown or red belts as very tough, high level athletes and fighters. To reach black, you truly were a step above with many of these schools. Starting in the '80's, there was a watering down of standards in Asia due to the widespread inclusion of these arts in the regular education system. Also, in the USA and later Europe and Australia, you saw a shift in emphasis form effectiveness to effort.

    In part, I agree that in many ways that this was a good thing to change from an elimination process to a growth one. It helped many students truly reach a high level by encouragement and support rather than driving them away. However, both factors have been exploited by those who wanted to water down the standards for economic gain. The attitude of "well, at least they come to class...(or at least pay their tuition), and "it takes this long in Japan/Korea/Fill in the blank"; can justify this to some.

    For my school and our assn., the average for a progressing, hard working, student is roughly 4 years of consistant training and progress to reach 1st dan. I have had students that have trained consistantly for more than eight years not reach black until they realized that they had to step it up a level and really bust it. I have had a few that have lived and breathed their training (and I felt like just putting a cot in the school for them who have done it in 3 1/2 years. Keep in mind, our cirriculum is comprehensive to Muay Thai, Submission grappling, TKD, and arnis by 1st dan. So there is quite a bit to gain a level of competence with. It would be VERY difficult to achieve this in less time than 3-3 1/2 years.
     
  16. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    No wonder it takes so long if you're doing all that. We used to have Hapkido classes along with Taekwondo, but they stopped that just before I joined up. There's still some remnants of it in the Self-Defense classes, but nothing on the tests until blue or brown belt.
     
  17. JKD_forever

    JKD_forever DEADLIFT!!!!!!!!!!!!

    At school my brother goes it takes around 7-10 years + 10 years from 1 dan to 8 dan. There are some serious looking yellow belts
    lol
     
  18. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    I guess the meat of his curriculum is given in the ranks leading to 1st dan, if it takes that long to get it, and that long again to get through seven more dan ranks.
     
  19. Amnion

    Amnion New Member

    I mentioned this in another forum, but I'll do it here as well. Bill Wallace got his black belt in 6 months. This may sound absolutely absurd, but Bill Wallace then went on to win 23 consecutive fights, and retired undefeated. At one point, his feet were the fastest in the world, clocked at over 60 mph.
    I don't think it's the belt that makes you good, but I can understand certainly that if a person put in a lot of time, effort, and dedication and got their black belt, that seeing someone get one who probably doesn't deserve it is a pretty hefty blow.
    But I wouldn't stress over it, because I don't think anything can be done about it. When/if you get your own school or get to teach, just be sure you hold every one of your students to that high standard that you know should be there, and no one can hold it against you. Plus, you'll always know that you deserve everything you get, and you'll also know that your students also deserve it.
     
  20. Xue Fang

    Xue Fang Bluebelt

    In my school, it'll take you three and a half years, minimum to get to black belt, that's if you grade every time and pass every time, but some people in my school don't always grade. If our instructors feel that you won't be able to pass the grading, they won't submit you, and they'll make you stay at the same belt for another three months before you can try to grade again. But I think that's good. If my instructors don't want me to grade, I respect their judgement, and I'd be happy to have the opportunity to learn more about the level I'm on. I'd rather not grade if I'm going to fail than grade and make a fool of myself and have wasted money on the grading.
     

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