Authority
Pursuant to authority granted to the Technical Advisory Committee via Charter Article IV Section 4 and Bylaws Article II Section 6, and subsequent to multiple consultations with the Kwan Jang Nim, the Technical Advisory Committee is calling for comments on the following policy proposals before July 10, 2016.
Rationale
The following policies have been drafted and proposed by the TAC in recognition of the maturation of the Federation's senior leadership, the evolving nature of our Living Art and the changing needs of members.
At the Federation's inception, there were only a few Ko Dan Ja and the majority of practitioners were in their teens and early twenties with most school owners being Ee Dans, Cho Dans and even Red belts in some cases.
Today, in 2016 at the 40th Anniversary of the Federation many lifetime practitioners are now 50 to 75 years in age with 280+ active Ko Dan Ja and only a few school owners who are NOT Ko Dan Ja.
This dramatic shift in the maturation of Federation's members over time warrants consideration of maturing organizational policies that better reflect the confidence and trust that the Moo Duk Kwan® organization and the U.S. Federation places in the Certified instructors and Certified School owners whose consistent preservation of Moo Duk Kwan® standards during the past 40 years is evidenced by their history of support for the Federation and the Moo Duk Kwan® internationally.
The Certified Instructors and Certified School owners who have tirelessly dedicated themselves and their efforts to promoting the public awareness of, study of, and practice of the Soo Bahk Do® martial art system in accordance with the Federation's Chartered purposes will benefit from the flexibility provided by these proposed new policies and it is our belief that these policies will also help position the Federation for continued growth and evolution by making it possible to embrace ever-changing member expectations and needs.
Your thoughtful comments are requested. Please click on the button under each proposal to express your support, concerns, disagreement or comments for consideration by TAC and Kwan Jang Nim.
Federation Leadership and School Owner Maturation and Innovation
The Technical Advisory Committee charges the Regional Examiners to convene two Dan test opportunities per year for Federation members and it is the responsibility of Regional Examiners to produce those events and assure that Moo Duk Kwan® standards are preserved in accordance with Technical Advisory Committee guidelines.
The role of the Regional Examiners is not changing, rather expanded means and technology use are being authorized to aid Regional Examiners in achieving the ends charged by the TAC.
The Technical Advisory Committee recognizes that there are a number of circumstances under which participation in a Regional Dan test may create unusual challenges for students and instructors and has conceived the following policy in response to special cases encountered over the years and to better position the Federation's administrative processes for the future.
The Technical Advisory Committee strongly encourages participation in Regional Dan test events in the belief that participation in these events provides the highest opportunity for the personal growth of all in attendance. Such events serve to foster fellowship among members and provide personal instruction and training experiences that are only possible in a physical gathering of practitioners.
However, the TAC also acknowledges that a variety of circumstances may impact members opportunity to participate in a Regional Dan test including, but not limited to:
- Special needs Dan candidates whose performance may be best assessed by the instructor who has trained them
- Mature practitioners whose performance may be best assessed by the instructor who has trained them
- Military personnel whose deployment date may conflict with a Regional Dan test date
- Significant life events of Dan candidate or instructors on dates that conflict with a Regional Dan test date
- Geographic distances and time commitments that exceed the schedule flexibility of candidates and/or instructors
- Human relationship issues pending resolution
- Etc.
In the early days of the Federation, Regional Dan tests were arranged as gatherings where instructors could bring their qualified students to test for Dan rank before H.C. Hwang and/or Founder Hwang Kee as they flew around the USA to provide Dan rank advancement opportunities for members.
Later as the Federation matured, Regional Dan Testing Boards began providing this service on behalf of the Founder and the TAC Chairman. In many cases the Regional Dan Testing Board consisted of the only Ko Da Ja in the Regions.
Today, almost every Certified School has an instructor of Ko Dan Ja rank equal to, or senior to, those Ko Dan Ja who once served as the only members of a Regional Dan Testing Board.
Maturation of A School Or An Organization Calls for Innovation To Ensure Survival
Previously there was a need for Dan Test candidates to physically travel to a location where competent examiners were present to assess candidate performance; however, today competent Sa Bom Certified Ko Dan Ja are present in virtually every school and techn0logy now makes it easy for Regional Examiners to view remote candidate performances via videos submitted to the Soo Bahk Do Institute.
The Technical Advisory Committee has employed video reviews of Ko Dan Ja Candidate's teaching skills and technical performances since 2011 with great success.
1) Moo Duk Kwan® Certified School Level Dan Test
- Effective xx/xx/xxxx the Technical Advisory Committee shall accept special case petitions from Certified Instructors operating a Certified School (or CTP) to conduct a Moo Duk Kwan® sanctioned Dan Test as a school level event, in lieu of students participating in a Regional Dan test under the following conditions:
- The TAC shall entertain petitions from certified Instructors operating a Certified School (or CTP) who have demonstrated a consistent record of adhering to Federation guidelines, promptly registering students as members, consistently submitting gup testings and consistently meeting Moo Duk Kwan technical quality performance standards
- Certified Instructor/school owner may request TAC authorization to hold a School Level Dan Test 3 months prior to the target date for the School Level Dan Test.
- Certified Instructor/school owner must be a Sa Bom Certified Ko Dan Ja
- Certified Instructor/school owner must be a Certified School owner or or CTP leader
- Certified Instructor/school owner has current membership
- Certified Instructor accounts are in good standing
- Certified School owner accounts are in good standing
- Certified instructor / school owner has demonstrated consistent history of promptly registering new students as Federation members
- Certified instructor / school owner has demonstrated consistent history of gup testing submissions
- Certified instructor / school owner agrees to conduct the school level Dan Test in accordance with all TAC protocols for a Dan test
- Certified instructor / school owner agrees to video the school level School Level Dan test with a camera on a tripod positioned behind the examiner's table to provide same view of candidates as the examiners see
- Certified instructor / school owner agrees to upload the Dan test video to www.soobahkdoinstitute.com no later than 3 days after the School Level Dan test
- Certified instructor / school owner agrees to communicate with Regional Examiners about quality standards reflected in the Dan Test video if necessary
- An online registration form (and downloadable form) shall be provided for use by students whom the Certified Instructor/school owner is recommending to test at a School Level Dan Test
- Certified instructor / school owner agrees that each student shall complete their Dan test application including uploading photo image, and/or a video testimonial about their instructor and school instead of/or in addition to written essays as may be specified in current rank requirements and shall provide a link to their Social Media promo, etc.
- Note: this idea is to provide Dan test candidates age 12 and under with an option to submit an online video and/or a written 100-300 word testimonial on Facebook, etc. The video subject to be about the same question as the written essay required for Cho Dan.
- Dan test candidates age 13 up shall have the option to submit a video of one (1) minute in length and/or the normal written essay. The video subject to be about the same question as the written essay required for Ee Dan.
- After a Certified Instructor has received TAC authorization to conduct a School Level Dan Test, then when a student initiates the registration process to participate in a School Level Dan Test, their Instructor and Regional Examiners shall be alerted via email, SMs or other means. Applicant's paperwork and fees shall be submitted as instructed by Headquarters and HQ shall notify Regional Examiners upon receipt.
- The Regional portion of any fees collected when students register for a School Level Dan test shall be held in escrow by Headquarters for the Region and remitted to the Region as agreed upon in advance with Regional Officials.
- Certified Instructor / school owner authorized to conduct a School Level Dan Test agrees to be billed for the fees due the Federation and their Region for each applicant who registers for a Moo Duk Kwan® School Level Dan Test and to pay the full amount due by the deadline specified by Headquarters and to do so before the date of the School Level Dan test.
- Failure of Certified Instructor/ school owner or applicant to meet any of these conditions may result in an indefinite hold being placed on School Level Dan Test rank recommendations submitted to the TAC via Headquarters.
- Certified Instructor / school owner authorized to conduct a School Level Dan Test agrees to ceremonially award Official Moo Duk Kwan® certificates, ID cards, etc. and any accompanying communications from the Federation or Kwan Jang Nim to the successful candidates within a reasonable period of time.
2) Moo Duk Kwan® Certified School Level Dan Retest
- Effective xx/xx/xxxx Regional Dan Test candidates subject to retest provisions may perform retests under their personal instructor at a location of the Certified Instructor / school owner's choice.
- Retest candidate's shall upload a video of the candidate's supplemental performance to the Soo Bahk Do Institute before the restest deadline specified by Regional Examiners.
- In the retest video, the retesting candidates shall instruct (teach to the camera) how they would teach a student to execute the action they are about to perform as their retest requirement.
- Certified instructor / school owner agrees to video the retest with a camera on a tripod positioned to provide same view of candidate's performance as the examiners see
- Failure to submit a satisfactory retest video shall result by the published deadline may result in reconsideration of the candidate at a future dan classing
- Regional Examiners may review retest videos at their discretion
- Certified Instructors / school owners agree to communicate with Regional Examiners about quality standards reflected in the Dan Test video if necessary.
- Regional Examiners shall inform TAC via Headquarters when retests have been satisfactorily completed.
