Lots, Tell me if you think this is a feasible association. 1st Dan = High School/ Secondary Ed. Degree 2nd Dan = College Degree (2 year) 3rd Dan = University Degree (4 year) 4th Dan = Masters Degree (post-bacc) 5th Dan = Specialist Degree (post-MA) 6th Dan = Ph.D (interchangable with 5th) 7th - 9th = Honorary Degrees after years (or accomplishments in a field) of service. This is what I've always thought of, and used as an example...but never asked other TKD ists.... Cheers, DH
I've used a similar analogy. I also like to compare Dan rankings to a set of stairs. To the first step is the coloured belts. On the first step is first Dan, 5th step is 5th Dan and so on. It really puts things in perspective when you look at the stairs in diagram form. As a 4th Dan, one is just as far away from a white belt as to a 9th Dan. Think about that for a second.
In short, no . BUt this might have something to do with definitions 1st Dan - High School 2nd Dan - College 3rd Dan - College 2nd year ( syllabus doesn't change that dramtically) 4th Dan - University Degree 5th Dan - Masters 6th Dan - Phd 7th Dan - Head of Research Project 8th - 9th Dan - Honourary Degrees I would be perfectly happy to interchange 2nd and 3rd to High School level. Personally, at least in the UK 7th Degree is seen as when you should be at your MOST active, only recently did we have 3 6th Degrees promote to thier Masters degree by actually "performing" to a syllabus Tong-Il anyone?