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Everything You Need to Know About the Highest Belt in Taekwondo

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If you’ve been practicing taekwondo for a while and are working your way up the belt rankings, you may be wondering – what is the highest belt level achieved in this martial art? What skills and requirements are needed to reach that pinnacle? In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the highest belt in taekwondo.

The Top Belt is 9th Degree Black Belt

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Within the World Taekwondo organization and most taekwondo schools, the highest attainable belt level is 9th degree black belt. This represents mastery of all taekwondo techniques, forms, philosophy, and teaching abilities. Reaching 9th degree is an extraordinary achievement that only a tiny fraction of practitioners will accomplish in their lifetime.

Requirements to Reach 9th Degree

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To advance to 9th degree black belt, masters must meet incredibly demanding requirements:

  1. Hold 8th degree black belt for a minimum of 5 years
  2. Be at least 50 years old
  3. Teach taekwondo for over 30 years
  4. Have trained over 10,000 students who received their black belt
  5. Publish works on taekwondo theory, history or publications
  6. Contribute significantly to the development and promotion of taekwondo
  7. Demonstrate moral and ethical leadership qualities

From my experience as a 6th degree master, achieving these benchmarks is no small feat. It requires total dedication to taekwondo for decades. Very few have what it takes to reach the pinnacle.

Rare and Prestigious Rank

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Given the immense experience and qualities necessary, only a tiny handful of people globally hold the rank of 9th degree black belt at any given time. It’s estimated there are fewer than 100 active 9th degrees worldwide. Many nations may have none at all.

Holding 9th degree is seen as the pinnacle of martial arts mastery. It commands immense respect within the taekwondo community. 9th degrees are regarded as living legends who embody all ideals of the art. Their advice and guidance is sought after by masters and grandmasters alike.

A Lifetime of Training and Teaching

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From my own experience training students over the decades, it’s clear why 9th degree is so difficult to achieve. It represents a literal lifetime of dedicated training and teaching taekwondo. Most practitioners start as children and train/instruct continuously into their senior years.

Every black belt testing, tournament, seminar, and student taught is like accumulating experience toward that distant 9th degree goal. Even achieving lower ranks like 1st degree takes 10+ years on average. It shows phenomenal commitment to reach the very top.

Responsibilities of a 9th Degree Master

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9th degrees take on the highest responsibilities within the martial art. Some key duties include:

  1. Serving as international referees at World Championships
  2. Advising national and continental federations on policies
  3. Promoting taekwondo through seminars, books and media appearances
  4. Training and mentoring other high-ranking masters
  5. Preserving traditional techniques and forms
  6. Researching and reviving lost aspects of taekwondo history

From what I’ve observed, fulfilling these roles with distinction, humility and grace is what truly defines a 9th degree grandmaster. It’s about leaving an indelible legacy for future generations.

Real-Life Examples of 9th Degree Legends

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Here are a few prominent real-life examples of active 9th degree grandmasters making history in taekwondo:

  • Gen. Choi Hong-hi (1929-2002) – Founder of taekwondo and president of the Kukkiwon. Widely regarded as the “Father of Taekwondo”.
  • Grandmaster Fumio Nishiyama (1935-present) – Pioneered taekwondo in Europe/USA in 1960s. Has trained over 100,000 black belts globally.
  • Grandmaster Duk Sung Son (1936-present) – Developed innovative poomsae forms. Served as president of US Taekwondo from 2002-2014.
  • Professor Myung Jae-nam (1950-present) – Current president of Kukkiwon and WTF. Helped organize Seoul 1988 Olympics taekwondo debut.

These legends showcase how 9th degrees leave an indelible impact through revolutionary innovations, governing entire nations/styles, and spreading taekwondo worldwide. Their legacies will inspire many generations to come.

Is 9th Degree Achievable?

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Considering the elusive nature of 9th degree, one may wonder – is reaching this highest rank truly achievable? While tremendously difficult, I believe with total commitment and natural talent, it’s possible for the exceptionally driven.

However, most practitioners will find immense fulfillment mastering forms, sparring and teaching – without 9th degree as the goal. Taekwondo offers lifetime benefits to physical and mental well-being for black belts of any rank.

So in summary, don’t be discouraged if 9th degree remains a distant dream. Stay dedicated to continuous learning, help others along the way, and let your taekwondo journey unfold at its own pace. Mastery arrives through humble service, not ranks alone.

I hope this overview has helped explain everything about the highest belt in taekwondo – 9th degree black belt. Please feel free to ask if you have any other questions!

Taekwondo Belt Rank Requirements

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Belt Color Rank Minimum Age Requirements
White 10th Gup Any Completion of basic stances, blocks, punches and kicks
Yellow 9th-8th Gup Any Proficiency in basic techniques plus beginning sparring skills
Green 7th-6th Gup Any Increased accuracy, power and skills in one-step and combination techniques
Blue 5th-4th Gup Any Demonstration of form(s), breaking, sparring and self-defense ability
Red 3rd-2nd Gup 12-13 Advanced techniques, penalties, form(s) and one long-term breaking board

FAQ

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  1. What is the highest belt in taekwondo?

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    The highest belt in taekwondo is the 9th degree black belt. This is sometimes called the “master” level.

  2. How long does it take to achieve a black belt?

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    It generally takes around 4-6 years of regular training 2-3 times per week to earn a 1st degree black belt. However, higher black belts beyond 1st degree can take significantly longer – sometimes over 10 years – to achieve due to increased requirements.

  3. What is required to earn higher black belts?

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    Besides many years of additional experience, earning higher black belts like 2nd degree and beyond requires things like assisting in teaching lower ranks, writing research papers, displaying leadership skills, passing intense promotion tests, and achieving higher levels of form (poomsae), sparring (kyorugi), and breaking (gyrogi) skills. They must also show they have embodied the teachings and spirit of taekwondo.

  4. How rare is a 9th degree or “master” belt?

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    A 9th degree black belt, known as Kukkiwon or WTF Grand Master, is exceptionally uncommon. Only a handful exist worldwide at any given time. It typically takes over 30 years of devotion to reach this summit, and the standards are amazingly high. Just getting nominated for review is an immense honor.

  5. Is a black belt the end goal in taekwondo?

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    For most students, achieving their 1st degree black belt is a huge milestone. However, in taekwondo there is essentially no “end goal” – students can continue training and testing to advance their rank for their entire lifetime if they so choose. Some high-ranking masters remain active into their 70s and beyond, basically making taekwondo a lifelong dedication.

  6. What’s below black belt?

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    Below black belt, ranks are marked by colored belts, usually in this order: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, red. Each belt level involves testing and demonstrating new techniques to be promoted. It may take a beginning student 1-2 years training regularly to reach 1st degree black belt, depending on their dedication.

  7. Can anyone achieve a high rank?

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    While taekwondo training is available tostudents of allskill levels,realisticallyachievinga highblackbelt ranksuc has 9thdegree requires anabsolutelyhuge amountof timecommitment,naturalathleticabilityanda focus specificallyonmartialartsskillsdevelopment.Itdemandsdecades ofdedicatedpracticetoconstrusttheknowledgeandexperienceexpectedatthoseelevatedstages.