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

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

  1. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    Perseverance? Someone should make that a tenet of an art :)

    Mitch
     
  2. Infesticon #1

    Infesticon #1 Majesticon

    Hehe, that is a very good point. For some reason I had totally forgotten that.
     
  3. Alansmurf

    Alansmurf Aspire to Inspire before you Expire Supporter

    Read the sig......


    Smurf
     
  4. qwerty1

    qwerty1 New Member

    I go to an ITF Taekwondo school under British Taekwondo and I have two main instructors, a 7th degree master and a 5th degree international instructor.
    If you are under eighteen (and therefore it is illegal to contition your body against bricks, etc.), you are classed as a child and can only receive a junior black belt (that is an actual black belt with a white stripe). Otherwise, these are the ages as follows:
    1st Degree Black Belt - Must be at least ten (the quickest I've ever seen anyone grade from red stripe is five months and they did seven hours a day, but most people take a year. Also, I was told that if you put in an average effort, it will take ten years from white stripe).
    2nd Degree Black Belt - Must be at least fourteen. Should take at least a year from previous belt.
    3rd Degree Black Belt - Minimum age 16. Should take at least two years from previous belt.
    4th Degree Black Belt - Must be at least 21. Must have trained for at least three years since previous belt. Must attend at least one international instructor's course.
    5th Degree Black Belt - Must have trained for at least four years since previous belt. Must attend at least one international instructor's course.
    6th Degree Black Belt - Must have trained for at least five years since previous belt. Must attend at least one international instructor's course.
    7th Degree Black Belt - Must have trained for at least six years since previous belt. Must attend at least two international instructor's course.
    8th Degree Black Belt - Must have trained for at least seven years since previous belt. Must attend at least two international instructor's course. Curriculum vitae, Thesis, Letter of approval of NA or AA are also required.
    9th Degree Black Belt - Must have trained for at least eight years since previous belt. Must attend at least two international instructor's course. Must be endorsed by at least three ninth degrees. Must be a taekwondo ambassador for their country. Attend a tribunal panel. Lead at least three masters.
     
  5. Friction

    Friction Valued Member

    I guess it will always depend on your school, but in general you have to pass a certain amount of poomse (typically 10) to be ready to grade for a black belt. You also have to take in consideration how often the gradings are held. I'm sure you also have to attend a certain amount of training classes before your instructor will even consider letting you grade for your next level.
    So taking in account that if you trained 2 times a week, gradings were held every 3 months, and you had to pass 10 poomse it would take you 2 and a half years.
     
  6. 47MartialMan

    47MartialMan Valued Member

    And that is after spending $$$$$$$$ :evil:
     
  7. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    I never earned my black belt in taekwondo. But I studied it from 1983 to 1989 and got to the belt just before black belt (brown belt w/ black stripe in my dojang). So I was definitely not on a fast track.
     
  8. Noomi

    Noomi Valued Member

    I don't know if I could respect someone who gained a black belt after such a short period of time.
    I train five times a week, and I don't expect to gain my black belt for at least another five years - making it nine years since I first walked into a dojo.

    The average here is 6-7 years. And this is GKR, the club many like to put down.
     
  9. imagineflying

    imagineflying New Member

    In my dojang (maybe also in my nation, but Im not sure) we have to wait at least 6 months to take exams. I got to the black belt in 6 years, but I do not know anybody who did it in less than 5 years. You can't learn that much in such a short time! Here you MIGHT get to the blue belt in three years. You should have a special maturity to have a black belt. And you can only get it in years and years of training.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2015
  10. blinki

    blinki New Member

    My school works to this, it's considered the minimum not a promise you'll grade in that time. I like it, it seems a fair amount of time to have actually improved/learned enough

    [​IMG]
     
  11. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Am I reading that correctly? Black belt in two years?
     
  12. Kave

    Kave Lunatic

    I read it as 5 years and 4 months?
     
  13. Noomi

    Noomi Valued Member

    If you add up the months, and stick to the absolute minimum, you get 40 months, which is three and a half years - still way too early in my opinion to be awarded a black belt for any martial art.
    That said, this is our grading system:

    [​IMG]

    The minimums are just there as a guide. No one has ever gotten off blue or red in the five month period. So far in my local area, I've graded from blue to red quickest, and that still took me just over a year.

    I think you included the two years in which you would go from red belt to dan belt.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2015
  14. Kave

    Kave Lunatic

    I think it is saying it takes two years after 1st gup red belt to get to black belt, so 5 years and 4 months. I'm probably reading it wrong though.
     
  15. Noomi

    Noomi Valued Member

    Hmm...I see what you are saying. Five years does sound more accurate.
     
  16. Sijo Frank

    Sijo Frank New Member

    Totally depends on the school/system. In Hurricane Combat Arts, the average time is anywhere between 5 to 8 yrs, depending on the individual.
     
  17. imagineflying

    imagineflying New Member

    Yes but 3 years is way too early to get a black belt
     
  18. blinki

    blinki New Member

    It notes the amount of time you spend as that grade before you can progress- you must be 1st dan for two years before you can grade to 2nd


    So min 40 months to get a black belt, in practice more as it is designed more to stop rushing through too much. Based on training 18hrs a month, if you only came half the time it'd take twice as many months to progress.

    I think actually getting there in just over 3 years in only likely if you are pretty good at practising at home an get lucky with grading timing. Plus few people will manage to train 18hrs/month for years, everyone has times when other stuff take priority and you train a bit less.
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2015
  19. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    3-4 is about average, and when you consider it ias about teh same length as an undergraduate degree it is even more realistic.

    A black belt means little beyond "you know the syllabus" anyway
     
  20. FunnyBadger

    FunnyBadger I love food :)

    Although for an undergraduate degree I think they assume you will do more than 4.5rs work a week (although that may be generous from some of the students I have encountered)
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2015

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