On Friday, June 22 two Alliance black belts, current instructor Mr. Devon Waldron and alumnus Mr. Charles Smith, undertook the exam for their 4th Dan Master degree(s). This is quite an honor, and a privilege, and in this case was made even more so because both of these long-time martial artists were recommended by Great Grandmaster Moo Young Yun personally while they were training in Korea this spring.
The rank of 4th Dan Master is one of the most significant, because it represent years of study and dedication, and when achieved confers a host of responsibilities and privileges upon the recipient. A Master degree in Taekwondo is analogous with an academic Master degree in that the holder of such a degree is considered to be highly knowledgeable and proficient in the subject area, and has put a lot of time and effort into achieving the degree. In the case of the Taekwondo Master degree, it represents a minimum of eight to ten years of experience, with at least six of those years spent training and teaching at or above the black belt level. In the case of Mr. Devon Waldron and Mr. Charles Smith, they have been training for twenty two years and sixteen years, respectively. As an indicator of what the rank and degree of Master means to such longtime practitioners, take into consideration Mr. Devon Waldron’s thesis statement from his Master’s essay:
The weight of the ‘Master’ title goes hand in hand with its honor; a Master is a role model for students and an ambassador of the art, and as such must act with humility in regard to his or her achievements and honor those who lead the way precedently.
The exam was conducted at the Memorial Hall in Washburn, ND on Friday, June 22nd at 7:00 PM. Part of the reason this location was selected was because it had plenty of room for the invitees, and because both candidates spent time running and developing the school in Washburn – Mr. Charles Smith for the first three years, and Mr. Devon Waldron for the following two years. The exam was administered by Grandmaster Eric Greenquist as chief examiner, with Grandmasters Ted Fitzsimmons and Ben Ehrmantraut, and Master Celeste Greenquist, as guest examiners. It took approximately two hours from start to finish and included multiple patterns, hand to hand and weapon fighting techniques, board and brick breaking, candle techniques and sword techniques, broken glass and academic material.
Most black belt exams are closed, meaning that there are no observers permitted as the exam is administered. This particular exam was made open by invitation only, and a number of the Alliance students and their families took advantage of the rare opportunity to come and see the two training brothers undertake the challenging exam for the rank of Master. In addition to Alliance students, members of six other Taekwondo schools were in attendance to see these students display their skill.
Mr. Charles Smith completed his exam on Friday, June 22nd, 2012; Mr. Devon Waldron concluded on the 22nd with one requirement unfinished, but completed his exam on Saturday, July 28th, 2012. Please join us in congratulating these two new Taekwondo masters, Master Charles Smith, 4th Dan, and Master Devon Waldron, 4th Dan! 필승
