Transfer Students

Kim’s Martial Arts School has a proud history of accepting students into our School that have trained in other Taekwondo schools/clubs and from different Martial Art styles. Unfortunately, many transfer students do not have physical proof of their current rank in the form of their previous school's certification or through their respective Martial Arts Organization. Therefore, we have found it necessary to develop the following policies and procedures to fairly determine the placement that we feel transfer students deserve within our system and organization.

1. Kim’s Martial Arts School will accept you at the current rank that you have earned from your previous Taekwondo school. You must however, provide a copy of your previous schools gup, poom or dan certification. We will accept certification from your previous Taekwondo School, Martial Arts Organization, and/or National or International Governing Body. If you cannot provide proof of your current rank in hard copy, then Kim's Martial Arts School will determine your placement in our school's ranking system upon the completion of a rank proficiency test. This test will not require a fee and in most cases will require only a half hour of your time which will allow us to assess your placement. The final placement within our ranking system will be left to the discretion of GrandMaster Joseph E. Kim.

2. Kim’s Martial Arts School currently follows a revised gup ranking system of the World Taekwondo Federation/Kukkiwon. The World Taekwondo Federation and the Kukkiwon work together to provide a standard ranking system for all schools to use in regards to each schools respective students earning their next rank level in Taekwondo. Many schools still choose to use their particular "Kwan" or Martial Arts Organization systems of rank. Whenever someone transfers to Kim’s Martial Arts School, it is often very difficult to place them in our system of rank, because they transfer from a school that continues to use their "Kwan" system of rank rather than come under the standardized ranking system given to us by our International Governing Body, the World Taekwondo Federation.

The gup - colored belt ranking system that we use at Kim's Martial Arts School is as follows:

  • 9th gup - white belt/white with yellow stripe (Little Ninjas Only)
  • 8th gup - yellow belt
  • 7th gup – orange/orange senior belt
  • 6th gup – green/green senior belt
  • 5th gup – blue/blue senior belt
  • 4th gup – purple/purple senior belt
  • 3rd gup – brown/brown senior belt
  • 2nd gup – red/red senior belt
  • 1st gup – red/black belt

We do not recognize the rank that you are wearing according to the color of the belt you are wearing, but rather will recognize your rank based on the gup level within your current system, by matching it to the gup system shown above.

3. After it has been determined what belt rank level you will wear at Kim’s Martial Arts School, you will be given ample time to get "caught up" in our curriculum and system of Taekwondo instruction. Kim’s Martial Arts School will work with each transfer student to make sure that their transition is efficient, effective and hassle free. Your correct placement in the ranks can be a critical factor in regards to your effort and enthusiasm while training in a new environment. Any student that transfers to our school as a green belt or above, must spend ample time in our system before given the opportunity to test for your next belt rank level. Any student that transfers from another school that is at the level of 2nd gup or higher may need at least 1 year to get caught up in our system. Each and every student that transfers to Kim’s Martial Arts School from another Taekwondo school will immediately be given copies of all the belt rank level requirements up to one level above what they are wearing so they can begin their process of getting caught up in our system.

4. All students that transfer from another school will be given sufficient time to purchase a new uniform and/or belt if the uniform and belt you are wearing has the name, logo, or patch from your previous school. Kim’s Martial Arts School permits only black belts to wear black collar uniforms. All Black Belts that transfer to Kim’s Martial Arts School must purchase an embroidered Black Belt with our School Name on it.

5. Any transfer student that comes from another Taekwondo school as a black belt of any poom/dan level will not be considered for their next poom/or dan level until they show a complete proficiency of our curriculum up to the level that they are wearing. Time-in-grade for the next level of poom/dan will start once that student is able to demonstrate a complete mastery of our curriculum up to the level that you are currently wearing to GrandMaster Kim.

6. If you transfer from another school as a black belt and did not receive Kukkiwon certification, or was promised and paid for Kukkiwon certification, Kim’s Martial Arts School can obtain it for you. We will obtain Kukkiwon certification without you having to pay the full testing fee in only the following situations.

  1. If you can provide hard copy of your previous school certification.
  2. If you fulfill all the proficiency requirements mentioned in the Transfer Students Policies and Procedures.
  3. Student must agree to train at Kim’s Martial Arts School consistently at least 2 days per week for at least one full year upon receiving their Kukkiwon certification.
  4. Work towards fulfilling all current requirements while getting caught up in our system.

7. Please ask GrandMaster Kim for the costs of 1st Dan and 2nd Dan. Full testing fees for 3rd Dan and 4th Dan will be required even if the transfer student is not required to physically test for these respective levels.