April 10, 2022
By: Bill Conger
Three students from Middle Tennessee Tae Kwon Do in Smithville participated in the United States Chung Do Kwan Black Belt Exam at the 2022 National Taekwondo Conference on March 17 in Oviedo, Florida. Jacob Harrell tested for 1st degree black belt. Bane Averitte tested for 2nd degree black while Amy Lloyd tested for 3rd degree black belt. Madison Lack and Ivanny Earlington tested for 1st degree black belt last August in Louisville, KY, bringing to five the number of students who have tested for their black belt ranks the last six months. Master George Lloyd explains that students train from 3 to 5 years to attain a 1st degree black belt.
“Some of our students have overcome personal issues to make it to the black belt testing,” Lloyd says. “We are extremely proud of them all.”
“A black belt represents that you are a champion of his or her weaknesses,” says Lloyd. “Skill and mentality of black belt shows they understand the basics of the martial art and when to and when not to use their skills. As for each strip on the black belt, the skill mentality and understanding of the martial art increases for that student There is a long list of physical and mental activities each student at each rank must perform under stressful conditions. The students train for years to demonstrate their skills and abilities. Each higher black belt rank must perform the lower ranks material and then their new material. It can become a grueling test of stamina.”
“The average black belt testing takes 3 to 6 hours. The list of required material for testing includes a term paper, a training portfolio documenting their training, Basic fundamentals, Advanced fundamentals, One steps, Forms Free sparing, Takedowns, Self-defense, and Weapons self-defense. At the end of it all the students must do 1 minute of push-ups, 60 seconds of sit-ups, and 5 minutes of running.”
Student undergo a pre-testing to determine if they are ready for the formal black belt exam. Each activity gets a number score for an overall possible score of 100. 90 to 100 is an A, 80 to 90 is a B, and 70 to 80 is a C. Lloyd says the average score is a C+ to a B-. Lloyd says all of his students that tested completed their black belt exams above average.
“Our black belt testing requires multiple masters to sit on the testing board and to agree that the students meet the requirements,” Lloyd adds. “We also follow the United States Chung Do Kwon rules for testing, and those rules come from Korea. There are 9 colored belts to black belt, and all the fun training comes after students make black belt. There are 10 black belt ranks and a different set of training objectives for each rank.”
The Tennessee State Championships will be April 30, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., at the DeKalb County Community Complex. Competitors are registered from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee. The tournament is open for the public to come watch.