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"Understanding Rank Promotion" 
by Senior Master William J. Babin
7th Degree Black Belt

The students who came before us today have qualified for advancement in rank.  Over the last several weeks, they have learned, practiced, and performed a curriculum specifically for their rank.  This curriculum contains a unique FORM and 1-step sparring combinations for each belt color.  Additionally, camo belts and above perform free sparring and brown belts and above do board breaking.

During recent weeks these students have earned three or four stripes on their belts, thus signifying their satisfactory performance of their requirements and their readiness for NEW rank.

They come before us today, to show off, to recite with enthusiasm, the patterns and techniques they have been studying.  Please support them with your enthusiastic applause.

All brown, red and 1st degree black belt recommendeds have also broken their boards at some earlier time during their regularly scheduled classes.

We have drawn a distinction in testing procedures at the rank of 1st degree decided black belt.  All those testing for 2nd degree black belt and higher, and those 1st decided and higher black belts who are midterm testing, perform FORM, sparring and board breaking at our rank promotion ceremony.

To help you understand how students are promoted to higher rank, please consider the following comments.  Grandmaster H.U. Lee's vision is of a Taekwondo system in which everyone and anyone can experience achievement.  He calls this concept -- PERSONAL VICTORY.  The most important skill you should learn to master as Taekwondo parents--other than a punch and front kick which you can learn by taking class yourself--is the art of watching your own child without comparing him or her to other students.

There are many reasons for this:

1. WE ARE NOT COMPARING THEM TO EACH OTHER.  We work with all children as individuals and consider each one's performance on an individual basis.
2. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT BACKGROUND ANY STUDENT OTHER THAN YOUR OWN BRINGS TO THIS RANK PROMOTION CEREMONY.  One spectator may complain that one student received help while doing her form and yet received the same rank advancement as another student who needed no help.  This same spectator will be quite surprised later when he realizes that this child who appears to be totally normal, actually suffers from a learning disability or has experienced a terrible trauma at some time that has affected her ability to memorize.  And this spectator also fails to acknowledge that this student has already perfomred her rank material satisfactorily as indicated by her having earned three stripes.
3. THERE IS ENOUGH COMPETITION IN OUR CULTURE THAT WE DO NOT NEED IT IN OUR CLASSROOM.  As a Karate for Kids school of the American Taekwondo Association, our theme is Every kid is special.  Every kid is a winner.  We strive to reach that goal, realizing that competition inevitably leads to humiliation for the vanquished.  Even our tournaments--a clearly competitive environment--are designed to fulfill this same objective through our 4th Place trophy system and the red K4K star.
4. FINALLY, WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT OUR ULTIMATE ACHIEVEMENT WITH THESE CHILDREN--and with all our students--IS ON THE INSIDE NOT THE OUTSIDE.  What value is there in noting how weak or sloppy a child's front kick is when that front kick has led her to feel more confident and excited about being who she is?  What value could there be in noting that her stances are sloppy when those stances have encouraged her to take on even greater challenges, a form that is 10 movements longer or a jump spin kick?  Let us always remember that our ultimate objective is to shape what is on the inside--to build discipline, character, and strength.  For what good is a strong front kick, sharp stances, and a fast punch without discipline and character?

So Learn to master this fine art of appreciating what these children bring to us today for what it is--their best effort at one of the most challenging physical and mental activities around--Songahm Taekwondo.