Traditional ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) Taekwon-Do Training

Under the leadership of President Choi Jung Hwa(The son of the founder of Taekwon-Do General Choi Hong Hi), we pride ourselves in keeping the tradition alive as General Choi directed. President Choi continually stresses the importance of proper teaching within the Dojang(training hall/area). Without proper instruction, students often get the wrong focus.

There are far too many fraudulent Instructors claiming to teach ITF Taekwon-Do simply to capitalize and take financial advantage of unsuspecting students and parents. This is the worst type of instructor! Because they lack integrity, therefore, could never develop the character of their students.

This type of instructor will do things such as promote themselves in rank or claim to have multiple black belts in different disciplines. Meanwhile, the average person has no concept of how long it takes to become a black belt under proper guidance and instruction, nor does the average student who is promoted too rapidly.

For instance, the question could be asked; How long does it take the average person to become a black belt?

The average person never attains a black belt because they quit!

However, the average adult student at a traditional ITF Dojang will take approximately 3 years of training at a minimum of 2 classes per week. There are some exceptions, such as a student who dedicates 3, 4, 5, or more classes per week will progress faster provided they work hard and actively apply instructions and corrections during their progression. A child or junior student, on the other hand, could take 5 years or more to attain a black belt.

Beyond this, most people have no idea that a first-degree black belt is just the beginning and is the lowest plateau. Once a first-degree black belt is attained there is a minimum time criteria for advancement which is only one component of the eligibility prerequisites.

For each subsequent degree of black belt, a student has to meet standards of character and work ethic in addition to contributions and servitude within the Dojang, Taekwon-Do organization and their community. Let it be known that from 1st Degree black belt to 2nd Degree Black Belt the student is required to train consistently for a minimum of 2 years, and for each degree thereafter the time requirement is the consecutive number of years corresponding to their desired rank.

From 1st to 2nd, 2 year, and from 2nd to 3rd, 3 years, and from 3rd to 4th, 4 years etc. Furthermore, contrary to the many myths around the Martial Art of ITFTaekwon-Do, 1st Degree to 3rd Degree black belt is only "Assistant Instructor", and only under the condition that they actively assist their Instructor and develop the skills and knowledge to competently do so. This rank of black belt can not even award a belt to a student.

The rank of 4th Degree Black Belt to 6th Degree Black Belt is recognized as "Instructor", and they must complete a training certification (International Instructors Course) and maintain their status with a subsequent equivalent training course at a minimum of one every 3 years.

The rank of 7th & 8th Degree Black Belt is "Master" which requires approximately 30 - 40 years of dedicated training, teaching, and service to become eligible for consideration.

9th Degre is "Grand Master".

Those practitioners who simply train without teaching are not "Instructors". They are simply Black Belts.

With that being said, there are also other considerations such as experience which separate Black Belts further, just to name one additional criterion to consider.

ITF Taekwon-Do has a unique distinction over all other "so-called" or commonly referred to as "Martial Arts", and that is that ITF Taekwon-Do is the only discipline with the true distinction of being developed in the military, by a military officer for the military. No other commonly referred to as "Martial Art" can claim this.

There are other very historically legitimate systems of combat and self-defense such as Karate(which Taekwon-Do is in part derived from), Kung-Fu, and Ju-Jitsu with long-standing cultural significance, just to name a few. They can not say they a "Martial Arts" by definition.

Taekwon,

Sabum El Bey, ITF 6th Degree,

Cerified International Instructor,

CAN-6-1019