dern: I went through the same thing, twice. If your new school was truly interested in awarding you the proper rank, they would have tested you. Geez, you move to a new state and your previous driver's license is no good. But they award you a new one, in respect to your previous one, by giving you a driver's test.
What the new state of your residence is interested in is your skill as a driver, that you won't accidentally kill people or yourself by your incompetence.
Your new TKD school should have had the same interest, the level of your skills and their effect on your personal safety and the safey of the public.
They should have had you spar a bit. Given you a refresher on forms and self depfence, and then had you demonstrate your ability.
They should have then given you the belt they honestly thought you deserved. And they should have been able to explain point-by-point why you merited the belt they gave you. And given you proper instruction on necessary improvements. You would not necesarrily have had to train in their school to make those improvements, just demonstrate them to their satisfaction.
On the other hand you may have advanced during your time away from a school. Then the test would have shown that, and you would attain a higher rank. That would be fair. At my present school I 've seen one person drop ONE level in rank ( from 6th to 5th Degree for not attending, even though he had a multitude of reasons for doing so.) He's a wild man that scares the piss out of me (Think of Micheal Myers without the mask, but with hair that covers his face anyway.) But he accepted the reduction in rank because he thought it was fair, and the master of the school is scarier than Micheal Myers. This is a guy you really want to be fair with. Really. Or he will kill you.
I joined a school in Milwaukee after many years of daily training, and because it was a TKD school I had not trained with before, I was told I had to begin again as a white belt. I beat every student in that school to a pulp on the first day there, including a so-called black belt who had returned after a year's hiatus. I ended up only being allowed to spar with the teacher, who I will admit was a master and far better than me. Yet, I remained a white belt despite my being better than everyone else in the school below the teacher.
A year or two or three off will not make you a white belt, even though your skills will have definitely declined.
On the other hand, a school's greed for belt money will be an incentive to reduce your rank to the minimum.
Don't think about rank. Think about your effectiveness as a martial artist. I've faught numerous high degree black belts and defeated them, yet none of them has taken their belts off an given them to me. In touranments years ago I noticed that for some reason the brown belts exceeded the black belts frequently.
If you want a black belt, buy a white one and dye it black if you can do so in good conscience, then prove it by sparring or fighting. If you lose a fight, give your belt to the guy that beat you and start with a lower belt. I think they do that in professional boxing.
Never seen that happen in eastern arts where lower belts beat higher ones often.

I have seen that many schools do things differently regarding this.

One school of Akido I went to allowed any black belt from any art to wear their grade (once proven), which made the classes a bit strange for those of us watching "senior" technique.

If there is anything approaching a rule, I would say that you will get some props' if you actually have a black belt. This is because in most, if not all, arts the black belt is a BIG step up from the prior (red in my case). Think of it like having a degree. Almost having a degree counts for ****.

The world is full, chock full, of brown/red belt's who have "been out for a while because of injury/problems at home/other commitments/bullshit".

Most of them are simply quitters. No props' there.

Secondly, the time spent out counts for a lot too. No club will let you walk in with a BB if you are totally unfit. Don't expect to as it shows disrespect. Do your time in the lower ranks and get back that sparkle you had before.

Thirdly, since patterns/kata differ, and in most clubs are a requirement for grading, don’t expect to move up faster than anyone else. I say "expect" because there is one fundamental thing that is in your favour:

If you have a lot of talent, maturity and commitment, this will be recognised.

Humility counts too.


Basho

www.outsidecontext.com

Sorry if this is off topic but the terminology derailing makes this seem like an appropriate place to ask.
What's the distinction between poomse, hyung and tul? I seem to come across poomse in a WTF context and tul for ITF, is that generally the case?

Hmmm, if I had found this earlier I could have helped the guy. He's from my old organization and I'm still in touch with the founder, Master Vierra who now trains with Cesar Gracie and trains MMA fighters. He can get you a copy of your rank Certificate and put in a good word for you with whatever instructors you decide to train under. But I had this same issue after the ITC shut down. I started at white belt a few different times but after a few months of showing that you know all of the material and clearly have the knowledge of that rank you can usually get moved up. Either way, it's no big deal.

Woah, Wade Vierra?
If so, I trained with him for a weekend in 86 at a camp by Sacremento. He had a mean twist kick! His journey sure has taken him down a different path, it's great to hear he's still ripping it up.

Sorry if this is off topic but the terminology derailing makes this seem like an appropriate place to ask.
What's the distinction between poomse, hyung and tul? I seem to come across poomse in a WTF context and tul for ITF, is that generally the case?

Yes, WTF=Poomse, ITF=Tul.

They want to sell you the rank. Drop the TKD and take up Muay Thai, BJJ, Boxing or something else. Seriously. TKD is basically a competitive sport, so, if you aren't going to compete, and compete within their rule set, why bother. Also, if you really want to compete, it doesn't hurt if you are Korean- that always gets you extra points. From a TKD Black Belt.


Not all TKD schools sell rank. We do not sell rank, as we do not sell membership or charge dues.

Our ranking promotions are given to those who earned it. Period. The test fee is a whole $5 bucks, that covers the paper work( print cost) period. Should you pass and move on, you may purchase the belt from us at cost( another whole $5 ) or you can buy it somewere else.

Sharkonis

Not all TKD was created equal.

There is no "all the way" - if you're thinking that reaching a belt level is the apex of training, you're way off base. Martial arts is about increasing fighting skill, and that has no end to it. Your biggest regret should be all the time you wasted when you could have been learning how to fight, not taking a test and getting a piece of cloth..


EternalRage I couldn't agree with you more.

To the OP: I've seen a lot of people (especially teens) acheive their first Dan and then disappear...not realizing that achieving a 1st Dan (or Don) is really nothing more than showing a certain "mastery" of the basics.

I think most good instructors probably think of themselves as nothing more than "senior students" at their Dojangs/Dojo's anyway.

Also the title of your thread: The silly necessity of rank in organized Tae Kwon Do. (http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=52997) Might lead someone to think..."cool, someone else who thinks skill is more important than rank."

After reading your responses I don't think this is the case with you at this time.

Follow some of the suggestions you've read here....and get to training!