Black Belt Test

Black Belt Test

Overview

The Black Belt test is considered the halfway point in TKD. The axiom is, once you have made it to Black Belt you have mastered the basics. Students who take the black belt test are expected to show a mastery of the basic physical and mental practices including the kicking drills, patterns, releases, and one-steps, as well as endurance running and extending periods of sparring. The test itself typically takes anywhere between 4-7 hours and will be performed in front of a panel of 5+ black belts. In order to take the black belt test a couple of prerequisites must be met;

  • A formal request must be made to an instructor eligible to test to black belt;
  • The student must show all 27 kicking drills and 8 patterns as a prerequisite;
  • The student must demonstrate good athleticism and have a solid understanding of the material required;
  • The student must be in good standing with the World TaeKwonDo Federation and instructors;

Upon meeting these prerequisites the instructor will reach out and contact the other 4 instructors and agree with the student upon a time and place. A pretest/mock test may be set up for the student during this time to review any material. The test is typically held in a gymnasium or public place so spectators are welcome to watch. The testing requirements typically follows the order listed below.

  • 5 Mile run
  •  Kicking Drills
  • One-Step Sparring Drills
  • Patterns
  • Breaking
  • Instructor Questions
  • Sparring
  • Award Ceremony

Transfer black belts or black belts in a different style are required to take the black belt test to become a black belt in the World TaeKwonDo Federation. Exceptions may be made but on a case by case basis.

5 Mile Run

The 5 mile run will mark the beginning of your test, it must be completed within a 1 hour time limit. It is recommend the student arrives 15-20 minutes prior to the start of the 5 mile run to stretch and warm up, it is also recommend that the student can comfortably run 7-10 miles to ensure an easy run.

All running gear is allowed, this includes headphones, water bottles, energy bars, etc. The track will be set up and agreed upon by the students and instructor beforehand. Typically the track is outdoor, either around a track or a marked trail (around a neighborhood). Treadmills may be an alternative if there is an issue with the weather.

Kicking Drills

Kicking drills are the first critical area of the test. A student that doesn’t know the kicking drills or performs sloppy kicking drills may be asked to repeat the kicking drill. A student that cannot correct their mistake may be asked to retake the test at a later time after they have learned the proper kicking drill. It is for this reason that a student must demonstrate all 27 kicking drills as a prerequisite before being allowed to schedule the test.
Throughout the kicking drill the panel will be looking for;

  • Proper technique (right part of the foot)
  • Proper Chambering
  • Good Balance
  • Good Speed/Power

One-Step Sparring/ Releases

There are 10 One-Step Sparring/Release exorcises that are to be demonstrated in front of the panel (Typically 5 of each). These exorcises may be taking from Green Belt or higher, personalized variations on these may be allowed as long as they follow the guidelines below. A list of eligible One-Step Sparring drills can be found at the bottom of this page.

Guidelines for One-Step Sparring/Release Drills:

  1. The drill must prevent the student from any threats, this includes addressing potential threats that may arise from certain movements. (Note: An example of would be blocking a punch with both hands but not addressing the attackers second hand. Another would be a grapple or throw that may cause the loss of balance by the student.)
  2. The drill must prevent the attacker from continuing their attack. This includes a pinned opponent or reducing the opponents will to fight by striking them.
  3. The drill must be performed in “real-time” speed.

The attacker will either be a judge or another student. It is recommended you practice these one steps with opponents of different sizes to have a solid understanding of balance and force needed.

Eligible One-Steps:

  1. One-Step #5- Green Belt
  2. One-Step #6 The Uppercut – Green Belt
  3. One-Step #7 – Blue Belt
  4. One-Step #8 – Blue Belt
  5. One-Step #9 – Purple Belt
  6. One-Step #10: Thundering Hammers – Purple Belt
  7. One-Step #11: Pinning the Ram – Brown Belt
  8. Lunge Punch Defense #1 – outward block-3rd Red
  9. Lunge Punch Defense #2 – inward block-3rd Red
  10. Lunge Punch Defense #3 – shoulder throw-3rd Red

 

  1. Half Nelson- Orange
  2. Double Hand Grab With Joint Lock- Green
  3. Cross Hand Grab W/ 360 Takedown- Blue
  4. Double Hand Grab with Elbow Break- Blue
  5. Cross Hand Grab with Elbow Takedown-Purple
  6. Rear Sleeve Grab with Takedown-Purple
  7. Rear Double Hand Grab-Purple
  8. Shoulder Throw-Purple
  9. Hip Throw-Purple
  10. Backward Foot Throw-Purple
  11. Cross Hand Grab with Escort Hold- Brown
  12. Cross Hand Grab with Joint Lock- Brown
  13. Double Hand Grab with Elbow Strike Takedown- Brown
  14. Cross Hand Lapel Grab- 3rd Red
  15. Double Hand Shoulder Grab – 3rd Red
  16. Cross Hand Lapel Grab – 3rd Red
  17. Full Nelson- 2nd Red
  18. Rear Hand Shoulder Grab #1 – 2nd Red
  19. Rear Hand Shoulder Grab #2 – 2nd Red

Patterns

There are 8 Tae-Geuk Patterns that must be demonstrated. The patterns and grading standard are listed below. It is highly recommended that these patterns be perfected before approaching for the test. The patterns will be graded the hardest, and the student will have just exerted a fair amount of energy before hand. At any time any one of the panel of judges may stop a pattern and ask the student to start over. If any of the criteria is not met the student may be asked to start over, if a student repeats a mistake multiple times they may have to retake the test after they have corrected the mistake. It is for this reason that the demonstration of the patterns is a prerequisite to test.

 

Grading Criteria:

  • Proper movements
  • Proper chambering (of hand movements and kicks)
  • Proper stances (foot position and spacing are key)
  • Proper blocks and strikes (this includes that both hands during every move)
  • Proper power
  • Starting and stopping in the correct spots
  • Proper yells
  • Proper focus

Patterns to know:

  1. Tae-Geuk IL Jang
  2. Tae-Geuk EE Jang
  3. Tae-Geuk SAM Jang
  4. Tae-Geuk SA Jang
  5. Tae-Geuk OH Jang
  6. Tae-Geuk YOOK Jang
  7. Tae-Geuk CHIL Jang
  8. Tae-Geuk PAL Jang

Breaking

There will be a minimum of 2 required breaks for black belt. The two breaks are:

  • 3 Wooden boards (no spacers) with either a straight punch or inward knifehand strike
  • 3 Wooden boards (no spacers) with either a back kick or a side kick

While breaking should not be the most stressful part of the test, keep in mind the boards we use for the black belt test are much denser then our regular boards.
While these two breaks are required, there may be more breaks if agreed upon by the panel of judges and the student.

Instructor Questions

This part of the test in the mental portion. Instructors may ask students as many or few questions as they wish and the student must come answer to the best of their ability. The material in question may cover a wide range. Possible questions may cover; specific moves in patterns, specific kicks or strikes and how to execute them, fighting techniques, stances or blocks, or any question similar to these.

One important idea to remember is; since the universal language of Tae Kwon Do is Korean, and instructor may ask the student to perform a block or strike in Korean and the student must identify it. These are some of the more difficult questions and therefore will almost always be on the test. It is highly recommended that the student learn the basic Korean words before taking the test.

Sparring

Sparring is the final part of the black belt test. The purpose of the prolonged sparring is to simulate a losing fight. That being said, alterations can be made for age or health problems, but these must be addressed before the test. The sparring is the most efficient way to impress the judges. It consists of 30 minutes of fighting broken down into the following sections.

  • 10 minute of 1 on 1 fighting
  • 10 minutes of 3 on 1 fighting
  • 10 minutes of 5 on 1 fighting

The opponents will be members of the panel of judges or other upper level students. During the course of fighting the instructors are looking for control from the student in the 3 different areas. Areas of control are;

  • Breath control (not getting winded)
  • Calm and calculated attacks (wild attacks tend to provoke black belts)
  • Good ring control (be aware of your surroundings, don’t get stuck in the middle of 5 people)
  • Good stamina