Raising the Standard: A Dan Grading to Remember at Total Taekwondo

Total Taekwondo
5 days ago
2 min read

On 6th December, Total Taekwondo hosted a Dan Grading that truly raised the standard of what it means to earn a black belt.

With just 16 candidates, the grading lasted a demanding three hours, pushing every student to their absolute limits. The result? A 100% pass rate, welcoming:

10 new 1st Dans
3 new 2nd Dans
3 new 3rd Dans

Every single student earned their promotion through relentless effort, determination, and heart.

Nothing Given. Everything Earned.

This was not an easy grading. Every candidate was required to perform:

14 Poomsae patterns back-to-back
Multiple rounds of sparring
Multiple rounds of 1-for-1
Multiple rounds of one-step sparring
Multiple rounds of releases from grabs

And that doesn’t include the warm-up…Yes, the warm-up:

50 burpees
50 press-ups
50 sit-ups

(Sorry… not sorry!)

Feedback from current black belts said it all:

“It was the hardest grading we have ever done.”

And that’s exactly how it should be. A black belt isn’t something you’re given—it’s something you earn.

A Special Moment for Our New Black Belts

To mark the significance of the day, every new 1st Dan received:

Their first Tusah black dobok
A premium Tusah black belt
A gold foil, framed certificate

These are not just rewards—they are symbols of the work, graft, sweat, and even tears poured into this milestone.

Huge thanks to @kimartialarts for supplying the outstanding suits and belts that helped make the day truly special.

Proud Beyond Words

I am incredibly proud of every student who stepped onto the mats on 6th December. Each one showed commitment, resilience, and the true spirit of Taekwondo. This grading was built around my vision:

To create gradings where students truly feel like they have worked for their black belts and their higher degrees.

I’ve seen too many gradings where students barely break a sweat. That wasn’t the case here. Every single candidate pushed through physical exhaustion and mental barriers and came out stronger.

Special Congratulations

A massive congratulations goes out to all Total Taekwondo students, as well as our respected guests from @hansu_tkd25, who graded alongside us. Your effort and standards were outstanding.