Class Bulletin

Gup tests take place twice a year -- usually in May and December. Students will be admitted to tests based on the following requirements:

Class attendance

Attitude

Effort

Implementation of 7 Tenets

Technical Development

Test results will reflect

Effort

Attitude

Implementation of 7 Tenets

Class Attendance

Technical Development

A word about testing and promotion:

How your name comes to be on the test roster is, to some degree, based on your technical development between tests. Some people develop more quickly than others. So, some people will test more frequently than others.

I'm hopeful you can see that your technical development is the last thing on the list. It's the last thing of importance in the requirements. It's the last thing I'd be surprised by at the test.

In the tradition I know and respect, one doesn't get a black belt in two years (or even four, for that matter). One of the main things that distinguishes Tang Soo Do of Santa Fe from other martial arts programs is that there is no rush to get promoted here.

My main objective is to have students match their gup level, not precede it.

I've been training in Tang Soo Do for some years. I'm not telling you this out of pride; I just want you to know, I'm not in any hurry for me or you. I'm in the training. It's nothing I'm looking to finish. There is no finish.

I visit many martial art studios. Many of them have a motivational banner on the wall that reads, "Black Belt is our Goal". Were I to hang such a banner here, it would read:

"Black Belt Is the Beginning."

The consistent hard work is what's worthwhile, not these outward constructs. If what you want is a black belt, tell me your size. I'll order you one.