TKD Belt Promotions

what do you folks think is ample time for someone to test for their first promotion? in this case it would be going from a white belt to a yellow belt. also from your experiences what is needed of the student to know in order to be considered for promotion. i recall as a youngster and going through Tae Kwon Do training we would practice for hours the basics, such as horse stance, punches and basic forms. the reason i ask is cause my son is enrolled in TKD classes and has only been it for 6 months and they are wanting to test in the near future for his classes second promotion, in my eyes he is not ready for it, he has not even been taught his basic form yet. just wondering what your thoughts are on this. oh yea each promotion test is 60 dollars, thanks.

This is something you should have discussed prior to enrollment (belt charges, frequency of testing, etc…) That being said I know many schools that test seminannually, so that is not an issue, IMO. If the school you are training at is an established facility, the instructor generally has a flow for what he is doing. Testing frequently has been linked to increased retention of students, which should be your goal as well as the schools. I know some schools that used to test semi-annually, then split their ranks in half, and tested quarterly. The student body size skyrocketed. (This school does not charge for testing).

Rank testing is like a pizza. You have a body of knowledge or curriculum to teach to get a person from White to Black Belt. If you have four, six,twenty ranks in between, it doesn’t reduce the quality of the students. If you take the pie and cut it into eight or sixteen slices, you still are eating the whole pie. In fact, it may if used properly, make the student better, as you are able to make sure each step of the way that the student is developing properly.
Of course, too many tests, becomes too many test fees, and if the quality is not improving, you should be shopping around for a better school.
That being said, most beginner ranks are used more for encouragement and retention than for skill asessment. The first one hundred days is crucial in developing a student who will continue his training. That is when the honeymoon phase could end, and most students drop out., so the teacher makes sure that the student feels connected with the school and the instructor, and encouraged with tip tests, or promotions.

thanks for the response guys, this places things in a diffrent perspective. i am old fashion, tradionalist you might say. i was taught in a different way than what this school my son is enrolled in.

[QUOTE=BrokenTitanium;893023]thanks for the response guys, this places things in a diffrent perspective. i am old fashion, tradionalist you might say. i was taught in a different way than what this school my son is enrolled in.[/QUOTE]

I might not be able to spell, but at least I don’t end my sentences with a preposition!:smiley:

your a funny person mr Green Cloud, you seem to be a very angry person. relax you will ejoy life more. sheesh i did not know that this was an english grammar forum. have a good day

[QUOTE=BrokenTitanium;893048]your a funny person mr Green Cloud, you seem to be a very angry person. relax you will ejoy life more. sheesh i did not know that this was an english grammar forum. have a good day[/QUOTE]

I am not angry. I am sarcastic and sardonic. You did not use caps to lead off a sentence. No one can enjoy life more than I do.:mad:

While we’re in English class, It’s You’re (You are) not Your (Possesive).

-And you leave my Grammar outta this. She’s a sweet old lady, who never harmed ANYONE!

-although she did once kill a rat with a matzoh ball.

[QUOTE=TenTigers;893072]While we’re in English class, It’s You’re (You are) not Your (Possesive).

-And you leave my Grammar outta this. She’s a sweet old lady, who never harmed ANYONE!

-although she did once kill a rat with a matzoh ball.[/QUOTE]

Grammar…HAHAHAHA

[QUOTE=TenTigers;893072]

-although she did once kill a rat with a matzoh ball.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I can see that, them there Matzoh balls are a lethal weapon !

[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;893101]Yeah, I can see that, them there Matzoh balls are a lethal weapon ![/QUOTE]

Especially if you eat them!:D:D:D