TAEKWONDO GRADING PROTOCOL

Refer also to Dojang Etiquette for general protocol within the Dojang.

Kup Gradings

These cover all Gradings up to Black Belt. They typically occur on a Sunday afternoon at Freckleton Memorial Hall. Occasionally we will conduct in-class gradings (i.e. a Grading during a normal class).

Students judged to be ready for grading will be invited to attend a Grading session by Master Michael, Master Gary or Master Cameron.

A Grading costs £25 per student.

Grading sessions (unless it is an in-class grading) are usually preceded by a practice session, allowing students last minute practice and a bit of getting in the zone before the Grading. There is then a short break for students to drink and eat (small amounts) before the Grading starts.

Spectators are allowed during Gradings and will be seated at the back of the Dojang.

Students sit at the back of the Dojang and wait to be called up by the examiners. Lower grades are called first and graded first. When your name is called the protocol is to stand, bow, reply “Present, sir” and run onto the floor into position. Looking confident and enthusiastic makes a difference.

The Grading itself will start with a short warm-up, led by an instructor.

The examiner will then ask for a particular move to be performed. It will be a move which you have covered in class already and with which you’ll be familiar. For lower grades, a senior grade will be on hand to demonstrate the move as a prompt if needed. This process is repeated with the examiner asking for several other moves to be demonstrated - some stationary, some moving.

Following this, you will be asked to perform the Poomsae associated with your grade. Nerves can get the better of you at this point and you’ll weirdly forget a sequence with which you’re massively familiar. Don’t worry - just stop, return to the beginning and start again - it won’t affect your grade.

After the Poomsae, you will be asked to demonstrate some one-step sparring techniques. This is an important preparation element in the weeks leading up to your grading. Ideally you need to have 4 or 5 techniques up your sleeve that you can cycle through and perform well. As you progress to higher grades the difficulty of the techniques should ideally increase, as opposed to just the number of distinct techniques recalled.

Finally you get the chance to show off your kicking techniques with no-contact free sparring against a partner. Try to keep a high tempo, show enthusiasm and conviction but remember to look after your partner at all times (it is ZERO contact sparring), and make sure you let them show off too.

That’s it! Grading complete. Your examiner will announce the end of the grading and will typically provide feedback straightaway - either to the group or individually, depending on what’s appropriate, so you don’t need to wait ages to find out how you’ve done.

If you’re a lower grade, and there are higher grades grading that day, its worth staying and watching the higher grades perform, as a lot can be learnt - plus you may be called to help out with their one-step and free sparring, which is great extra experience.

Belts and Certificates

If you pass your grading and you have, as a result, changed belt colour (as opposed to adding a a colour tag to your existing belt which happens for half of the grade levels) you will have the option of taking a second-hand belt for free if there is one available (there usually is) or buying a new belt for £5.

Certificates are awarded to students who pass a grading. These are handed out at class at some point soon after the grading.