Drum rolls …..here is our very own 1st Dan Black Belt Ms. V!

Last time I wrote a post she had just moved ranks, step closer to Black belt , she was a Sr. Red belt and here she is finally a✨ Black Belt,1st Dan ✨.In case you missed reading the previous post,may I suggest you to start from there.I have covered a lot of detail on what it entails to be a Black belt, and It would help you understand this post better.

Here in this post I am going to be covering everything about the test!Fair warning this is going to be one long post, I am beaming with pride and I plan to spare no details here.

It happened on the 2nd Saturday afternoon of this month over a Zoom conference call where she along with 20 odd kids and an adult performed 5 complex poomsaes (forms) one after the other followed by 4 complex kicking combinations.

Following which she performed 3 board breaking techniques before she was finally awarded her black belt!

We are so proud at what she has achieved and I can’t help but get teary eyed as I write this post.Anyhow let’s get to the details.

The Black Belt Test

Hang on, this wasn’t just a 2 day event.There was a long list of tasks that need to be completed and submitted even before she could qualify for her final test.The tasks remain the same for all colored belt tests, the exceptions this time being ,they had to write an essay and read up all the vocabulary they had learnt for all the belts up until Sr. Red belt.

• All vocabulary and belt meanings from White-Sr. Red Belt.
• 500 Word Essay”How Taekwondo has Changed Me”
• Sr. Red Power Word/Educatory Evaluation/Chore Charts

Only once have you submitted these documents will you be allowed to take the actual belt test.

The Knowledge Test

The knowledge test was no easy feat. All belts in the Martial Art are symbolic of the incremental steps from a novice level (White Belt) to an expert (Black Belt).

In last three years the students were introduced to meaning of each new belt that they would be testing for along with introduction to 4-5 Korean words/sentences pertaining to Taekwondo.

Each color belt is a physical representation of the achievement or acknowledgement by an instructor that the student has met a minimum level of improvement in knowledge, physical conditioning, practical skills, and other related and important areas of individual development on the path toward becoming an expert.

In White Belt Test they learnt how to say “Master, Hello Master,Good Bye Master” all in Korean finally learning names of all different kicks and stances in Korean by the end of their Sr. Red belt.

This time there were in all 44 Korean words/sentences, not counting the meanings of each belt from White belt to Sr. Red belt and reciting numbers 1-100 in Korean plus the 8 home rules as prescribed by Master Yoo. himself.

Remember our RV Road trip? Well I carried along her knowledge sheet while on vacation to help her practice the words.Even before she could go play on beach, she to revise the words !

Oh yes, it was that serious.

Once back from our trip, we went over the words for straight two weeks revising at a minimum of 3 times each day before she was finally ready for the knowledge test.And she nailed it and how! Phew😅.

Heck,Ask me the meaning of the words !I may have forgotten some words now but had you asked me 2 weeks ago,I am pretty sure I would’ve passed the test with flying colors 😂.

The Poomsaes

In all the colored belt tests prior to the Black belt test, she had to perform exactly one poomsae in her final test.

For this test she had to master 4 complex poomsaes that could be called out in any order and the kids had to remember each step and perform it to the T.

The road to the poomsaes wasn’t easy either. Up until two weeks before the final test, Ms. V was getting confused with 2 out of 4 poomsaes.She would left instead of right and from there everything would come spiralling down.

For the first time since we started Taekwondo, Mrs. Yoo, sent me not one but three emails asking Ms. V to focus and practice harder.

If that wasn’t enough, the poomsaes could be called in any order and you had to perform them. Now most kids including Ms. V up until 2 weeks leading to the final test had practiced them in a specific sequence.

And one day when Master Yoo. broke the sequence not a single kid came out unscathed 😂. That was one chaotic week.

Finally, She and I went through each poomsae step by step practicing 4-5 times looking up at the YouTube videos on their channel before nailing each one!To be honest, I was very hard on her, OK! I was brutal.If she so much as paused for a second,I would make her repeat each poomsaes from the start 😜.

Well after all the practice,where she even may have shed some tears, all thanks to me 😐,she was nailing the poomsaes in her class!

And on the day of the test,here we were fretting and sweating but she was cool as cucumber ready to give her test!

The test started with 4 small groups of 5 kids performing their poomsaes as Master Yoo randomly called out the names of the poomsaes,followed by 4 rounds of kicking combinations and finally once everyone had their turn they all had to do 100 sit ups,100 push ups 200 speed front snap kicks!

Yes,each and every student testing for the belt did those push-ups and sit ups!Having me as her counting partner didn’t help!At times I restarted the count when I thought she didn’t do the push ups correctly😬.

The Breaking

Phew!! We were finally done with 80% of the test on Saturday.We had one final test , the Breaking of Boards that was scheduled for following Friday.

Here’s the truth, having not practiced breaking for a year now, we choose to opt out of it.Heck,most of the kids opted out! Ms. V isn’t exactly on the strong end in terms of strength and when it comes to breaking she usually takes few tries before finally getting it right. So when we had a option of opting out, we did!

But then on D day Master Yoo. put every kid on spot asking “who all would be coming to the class for the breaking?”and just like that every kid ended up signing up last minute for the breaking! 🤣

Come Friday, She along with her bestie Ms. T gave their final black belt test. Boy O boy did they outperform themselves that day or what??I mean look at those pictures of these 8 years olds just giving their best !!

Yes, I believe all parents should be awarded a part of their belts for the hard work they put in ,in getting these kids to practice every day to get to a place where they surprised everyone including their masters coming out like champions!! Patting myself and S now 😛

Now as you can see the belt is Black over Red Belt! Here is the explanation as sent by Mrs. Yoo to all of us.

BLACK BELT MEANINGS:

SOLID BLACK BELT: Awarded to a student 15 years of age or older who has successfully passed their testing in front of Master Yoo.

JR. BLACK BELT or POOM BELT: is a student black belt rank (Black over Red color) symbolic of an interim period between color belt grades and adult black belt degree. The Poom is substituted for a Black Belt adult rank when the recipient has met all the requirements of the adult degree, but has not reached the age of maturity, usually 15 and older.

The Poom Belt indicates that the child has met specific requirements of an academic syllabus, and developed skills commensurate with his or her age, but can not be held to the same standard of performance or realistic self defense skills as an adult.

It is an honor and privilege to be awarded a “Poom” Black Belt at such a young age, and will likely enhance and enrich the student’s experiences as an adult. It is a good solid foundation for building a life-long education. 

So it basically means, Ms. V will continue to train, the training doesn’t stop here. !

Don’t miss the smile on Ms. N’s face. Here she is all proud smiling ear to ear,her sister’s forever cheerleader who practiced with her ,hugged her when mommy was being too hard on her,supporting her big sister in her own small sweet little ways!

As I write this post we are already on to the next journey of black belt as she now has started learning nunchucks!

I am running late on my posts, there are so many posts to catch you guys up on!Soon I’ll be out with them.Until then..here’s a thought for you!

Anything is possible-all you have to do is try!