I inquired a few times at a different WTF TKD school in another state. I was told that she won't allow me to keep my black belt. She also said I would be charged a fee to evaluate me to see what rank I am at her school, but that most likely I would be put in the blue/red belt class which is like intermediate level at that school. I've never heard of being charged a fee to be evaluated just to join a new school. So the 6 years I studied TKD before was worthless I guess.

I don't do TKD but I'm all for evaluating an "expierenced" new student sounds like a decent measure of QC. If some guy had a BB 15 years ago and has done nothing but eat and get fat since shouldn't he be reevaluated to see if he has retained his BB curriculum/"skillz"? As for the fee sounds like BS to me, but I don't know much about how this stuff usually works.

It seems to me she is putting a little too much emphasis on rank, and maybe trying to make some extra money on a new student. But honestly I wouldn't let anybody take away by bb.

It's not so much her taking away my BB. Its more the fee. I think of it this way if she didn't evaluate me then I would be thrown in with the white belts and while I'm not as good as I used to be I'm sure I would intimidate noobs especially knowing the kicks and forms, etc. Not to mention I've also studied hapkido and judo and have a tendency to throw people during one step sparring like we did at my old school. Plus it would be boring to go through many years of classes again with beginners to get back into a BB class. Like I said I don't think I'm a MA hot shot, but also am not an absolute beginner even though I've been sidelined a few years from injuries and illness which I'm now strengthening from and losing a lot of weight. I'm currently doing kickboxing, interval training and weights at home, but want to go back to a dojang where there is more challenges and hopefully chance of learning new techniques.

**** the belt politics.. are you doing kickboxing at a club? I can't tell if you're doing everything at home or just the weights

I was never charged any evaluation fee by my current school AND they let keep my current rank at the time which was red/black. I had to show them that I knew what I was doing however. It also did not hurt that I knew half of their forms which I had learned myself (since my old school was on some made forms).

It seems to me she is putting a little too much emphasis on rank, and maybe trying to make some extra money on a new student. But honestly I wouldn't let anybody take away by bb.

Then stay at your school. Many arts make you start over regardless of your rank. No one is "taking away" your Black Belt, they aren't allowing the rank in their school.

Huge difference.
TWT: your logic makes no sense. Intimidation? Whit belts? Who cares?
The fee is the only thing I question. She should be able to see where you are at and start you there for free. Other than that, her school her rules.

If your rank is so important, find a school that will let you keep your rank.

It's not so much her taking away my BB. Its more the fee. I think of it this way if she didn't evaluate me then I would be thrown in with the white belts and while I'm not as good as I used to be I'm sure I would intimidate noobs especially knowing the kicks and forms, etc. Not to mention I've also studied hapkido and judo and have a tendency to throw people during one step sparring like we did at my old school. Plus it would be boring to go through many years of classes again with beginners to get back into a BB class. Like I said I don't think I'm a MA hot shot, but also am not an absolute beginner even though I've been sidelined a few years from injuries and illness which I'm now strengthening from and losing a lot of weight. I'm currently doing kickboxing, interval training and weights at home, but want to go back to a dojang where there is more challenges and hopefully chance of learning new techniques.

If you're "kickboxing" is done at home then I don't see how you can claim kickboxing. I'd say you're just either doing bagwork or sparring w/ friends. In which case you're not a kickboxer, unless your friends drop coconuts from a tree while you do crunches, that means you are a badass kickboxer. If you take a class then i'll politely shut the hell up.

Then stay at your school. Many arts make you start over regardless of your rank. No one is "taking away" your Black Belt, they aren't allowing the rank in their school.
If you are moving from your area, have the head instructor make calls to schools in the area you are moving, that way any questions about actual ability can be answered.


Huge difference.
TWT: your logic makes no sense. Intimidation? Whit belts? Who cares?
The fee is the only thing I question. She should be able to see where you are at and start you there for free. Other than that, her school her rules.
Agreed. Perhaps your current instructor places a greater value on forms and kata then other surrounding instructors. Or on belt material. Or.....practical applications. What value YOUR instructor sees might not mirror what a new instructor might. So either deal with it or find another school.


If your rank is so important, find a school that will let you keep your rank.
If you think your rank is valid and within the accepted standards on other schools, for example you have competed in tournaments and showed well, then either have your instructor call and get it cleared away, go talk to the head instructor and make your case, pay the fee (which I wouldn't), find a school that will allow this or start from the beginning and let your experience do the talking.

If you are moving from your area, have the head instructor make calls to schools in the area you are moving, that way any questions about actual ability can be answered. This doesn't apply to feral00 who misunderstood the OP. You realize, I'm talking to feral00 not the OP right?

This doesn't apply to feral00 who misunderstood the OP. You realize, I'm talking to feral00 not the OP right?
Yes, however I thought it would be of importance to OP, perhaps I should have quote-blocked better.
All apologies.

Are you changing styles?

I have gone from school to school, and I have never been charged an evaluation fee. That is bull **** IMHO. What I have had to do is come to class and after about 3 weeks they say we can give this rank.... and I take it. And in those cases I was changing styles (TSD to Shito-Ryu and Daito Ryu to AJA jujitsu). Once, I was working with these ITF TKD guys and they let me keep my rank, but after I had learned their curriculum for my gup level ( I was a 1st gup that point) I was asked to test for my equivalent rank. Basically their position was they would accept my rank, but I had to test for the same rank in their style before being allowed to progress in their style. I thought that was fair.
In all cases, I was never changed some evaluation fee.

Your both Black Belts so tell her that only way that she can evaluate your deadly skill is through a "Vale Tudo" style match

Your both Black Belts so tell her that only way that she can evaluate your deadly skill is through a "Vale Tudo" style match

Quick! scurry back to newbietown where you are safe!

..But seriously, save yourself the money, say '**** you and your expensive TKD' and go do some kickboxing. especially seeing as you clearly have an interest in it

Hhmm, that sounds a little odd. Honestly if your black belt is that valuable (which it rightly should be seeing as you had to train very hard for it) then to hell with this school and find another one. The fact she wants you to test for equivalency itself isn't wrong but putting you with blue and red belts coupled with a testing fee? Come on that just seems a little fishy.

My school doesn't do anything like that. If a black belt from a different school wishes to join we merely give them a date for an equivalency test. Certain exceptions though are given time to train and prepare for it.

evaluation fee = bullshit. simple as that.

if she wants you to leave your belt at home, then that's her rules. train there under her rules or hit the bricks.

besides, at my uncle's dojang, he has a guy who's been ready for black belt for a year now, but he wont test for belts unless his son is testing (he's also able to sandbag color belt tournys that way). everybody know's he's as good as the black belts. everybody respects his sparring. the only difference is that he doesn't get bowed to at the end of class and he doesn't get to line up with the instructors for warm ups.
it doesn't matter to him because it shouldn't matter to anybody.

maybe you don't really want to train there. maybe you want to go do something different.