Black Belt Certification Info

Some of Our Certified Blackbelts...

Michael Boice: Kukkiwon, 1998                 Sergio Lopez: Kukkiwon, 2005

April Sinclair:    A.A.U., 2006                       Brandon Warner:  A.A.U.2006

Brian Warner:    A.A.U. 2006                     Adam Ruppert:    A.A.U. 2005

James Ruppert:    A.A.U. 2006                   Kaitlin Ruppert:    A.A.U. 2006

Karri Langston:    A.A.U. 2006                    Dylan Serna:    Kukkiwon 2006   

  John Serna:    Kukkiwon 2006

    KICKS follows Grand Master Kit's guidelines and requirements.  You chose to learn Martial Arts at KICKS and you

have diligently performed your training, so you are now eligible to advance to your next DAN.  Certification was not an

issue or discussed at the time of your first registration.  In the same sense, specific certification was not guaranteed or

promised to anyone, as advancement is up to Grand Master Kit.  However, you are now on your journey to becoming

a TaeKwonDo Black Belt and Master, so we will cover such certificate issues.

    In reality, all certificates are close to equal (as long as the Grand Master signing the certificate is recognized by a

world organization), but remember if you move or transfer to a school that belongs to another organization, you might

be required to pay for that particular academies federation or union certification dues (just like an Union dues).

    If you are certified under KICKS Organization, Amateur Athletic Union, National TaeKwonDo Union or the World

TaeKwonDo Federation offered by KICKS, KICKS does not 100% guarantee that every martial art or TaeKwonDo

academy will accept your certification given that many academies have different requirements (different forms), guidelines

and rules.

    Even though Grand Master Kit feels deeply that KICKS meets or exceeds all TaeKwonDo requirements, there is

always a chance that you will have to certify under another organization.  Ask first to see if there is a Federation,

Association, or Union academy in the area you are planning to move to.  If you can't find an academy near you or you

relocate to a new academy, Grand Master Kit will try to assist you with your transfer and if needed, at an additional cost,

register you with that organization.

    Many things have changed with many organizations over the last 4 years, but 95% of schools today accept your

ranking under their system even though they will still require you to learn their guidelines and principles of instruction

and teaching.

    Here is an example:  If you come from an ATA academy to a WTF academy or from a WTF to an ITF or TI

academy, you will have to have to certify under each specific organization to further your ranking under each federation,

association, or union.  There is no such thing as an ultimate, universal certificate.

    There are also no "better" or "worse" certificates, just a separation between Martial Art and Sport Certificates. 

Grand Master Kit feels that learning the Martial Art is far more important than just the sport.  Grand Master Kit

recommends a prestigious AAU certificate or WTF certificate. This certificate encompasses not just the sport, but the full

art and philosophy or TaeKwonDo.

    Note: KICKS does offer other certifications

    Note: We are members of NTU, AAU, WTF, & KICKS Org.

    The Amateur Athletic Union accepts all world recognized certificates (TI-AAU-WTF-ITF-ATA and Kwons), but most

certificates tend to be from the WTF.  Either way, they both control the sport aspect of TaeKwonDo and any recognized

Black Belt may compete at the Olympics or any other tournament if they qualify.

                        Thank You,

                               Grand Master Kit Mattson