Certifications and Kukkiwon

At Tae Kwon Do Academy our mission is to provide our students with World Class instruction in traditional and Olympic Tae Kwon Do. In order to assure such standards are met the Academy and Instructional team at TKDA attend the yearly accreditation classes and seminars given by the Kukkiwon, also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters. Kukkiwon is the home of the World Taekwondo Academy where the official Tae Kwon Do governing organization was established by the South Korean government. The Kukkiwon is supervised by the International Sports Division of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism for the Korean Government.

Legitimate accredited rank in Tae Kwon Do is given by the Kukkiwon and is recognized worldwide. It acts as a resume and a passport that allows legitimate blackbelts to travel, change schools, or compete and be recognized as such. Receiving a Kukkiwon blackbelt ranking means that you are recognized by the International Olympic Committee as well. There is no path to the Olympics that does not start with a Kukkiwon certified blackbelt number. Private single school or private federations will never be qualified for international and Olympic competition.

In order for a student to be officially a certified Blackbelt they must have their rank approved by the Kukkiwon and be given their Dan number. The Dan number stays with the student for life and is the credential that is requested for membership and competition in all international competitions and Tae Kwon Do Organizations. Students under the age of 15 years old are given a Junior Blackbelt ranking known as a Poom rank. Upon reaching the age of 15 and being tested by a recognized Master Test Examiner, the student will have their rank switched to Dan up to the 4th Dan.

In order for a Master to be recognized as a Master Test Examiner (Judge) they must reach the rank of 4th Dan as certified by the Kukkiwon, be at least twenty-one years of age, and have taken and passed the Master’s Test Examiners course given by the Kukkiwon in Korea or once a year in the United States.

The Masters of Tae Kwon Do Academy have met the criteria to be Master Test Examiners (Judges) by the Kukkiwon. The Kukkiwon therefore allows the TKDA Masters to independently test their students and submit their test results to the Kukkiwon under their Master’s number for official ranking in the Kukkiwon in Korea. The Master Test Examiners certification is rare in the United States and sets TKDA apart. Any student desiring to train seriously in TKD and achieve proper credential and the ability to compete on high levels it is necessary they train under credentialed Masters and Schools.

Kukkiwon certification is also necessary for a Master to be considered a qualified Master Instructor. In other words it is they who determine who is considered a qualified Master that may teach the standard curriculum of the Kukkiwon. In order for an individual to be considered an accredited recognized Master Instructor the Master must be twenty-one years of age, hold the rank of 4th Dan as certified by the Kukkiwon, and take and pass the Master Instructors course given in Korea or once a year in the United States.

The TKDA Masters and Instructors have taken and passed the Kukkiwon course and are certified Master Instructors.

The Tae Kwon Do Academy is a member school of the Kukkiwon with certified Master Instructors and certified Master Test Examiners having completed and passed all courses that are needed.