Testing


      Testing for promotion in rank is a way to push yourself to achieve goals. Even your teachers have to test, although the higher you get in rank, the further apart your tests are. 

       "Each time I test, I find another door has opened in my mind, increasing my understanding of my art and myself"    - April Carothers 6th Dan [6th Degree Black Belt]

Master Carothers performs his hyung at his test.


Sparring at sixth dan test.

Students test in Forest Grove.
Instructors congratulate students.
Black belt tests take place in Forest Grove or Portland (contact Grandmaster Tesdal or your instructor for info); lower belt tests take place at our school.

A minimum of two months after you start classes, you may be eligible to promote to the next level: yellow stripe. Cost: $85 [First two tests, same price. Next two: $90, etc. Each belt color goes up $5]

If you decide you want to promote, you will be evaluated by your teachers, who decide whether you are ready and offer tips and advice for improvement. At the formal test, you perform your hyung (form), then you spar for one minute with a partner. This is a specific style of sparring called demonstration sparring. It differs from tournament sparring or free sparring in that demonstration sparring is meant to demonstrate all the techniques you have learned.

After the first promotion, you are eligible to test every three months or so. After three months into your new rank, your instructor will tell you when you appear ready for your next test. The address for black belt tests is below.

Long ago I read that "testing is more for you to prove something to yourself, rather than to prove something to your instructor." As a student, I didn't understand. The test simply seemed a way to prove that I was ready for more advanced training. Now I realize that each test I took showed me that I was making progress. My instructor always knew what skill level I was at; he didn't need a test to show him that. The test is more of a ceremony in which a Grandmaster awards the individual with their new level of rank. 

What do you get for your money? Your formal level of rank in our school is recognized by martial arts schools around the world: you earned that rank through a legitimate, well established organization under the guidance of trained masters. Grandmaster Kim, who established our organization in 1971 and died in 2019, trained with General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of our style. Grandmaster Tesdal has taken charge of schools in the Portland area; Grandmaster Knife is in charge of schools in Idaho and surrounding areas; Master Henkel is in charge of schools in Washington. We continue to maintain close ties throughout our organization, driven by love and respect for one another; this also makes us all accountable to each other, giving us an enormous advantage over smaller schools.

Promotion Chart: 
Cost         Belt                                                   Hyung              Significance                      Rank
                White Belt                                        Chon-Ji                   Innocence                            10th Kup 

$85          White Belt & Yellow Stripe             Dan-Gun                Planting the Seeds                 9th Kup

$85          Yellow Belt                                      Do-San                   Yellow Sprout                        8th Kup

$90          Yellow Belt & Blue Stripe              Won-Hyo                Yellow Sprout Growing           7th Kup
                                                                                                        Under Blue Sky 
$90          Blue Belt                                          Yul-Gok                 Blue Sky                                6th Kup

$95          Blue Belt & Purple Stripe               Joong-Gun              Blue Sky Helps Growing       5th Kup 

$95          Purple Belt                                      Toi-Gye                   Noble                                    4th Kup  

$100        Purple Belt & Brown Stripe            Hwa-Rang              Growing Nobly Towards         3rd Kup
                                                                                                       the Harvest
$100        Brown Belt                                      Choong-Moo          Harvest                                  2nd Kup

$105        Brown Belt & Black Stripe       Review All Hyungs     Working Hard Towards             1st Kup
                                                                                                        Perfection



View Larger Map

Black Belt Testing in Portland: 13th and Tacoma. Click HERE for map and directions.

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