Masters
Since USTMA is headed by Grandmaster Eunggil Choi who has achieved 8th Dan (degree) Kukkiwon status, students that wish to pursue advanced degrees past the first Dan level can do so at USTMA. Grandmaster Choi's advanced level allows students to pursue Dan levels that many other schools cannot offer because there is no higher Dan that is able to test the candidate.
USTMA is home of many advanced degree black belts with a multitude of students at 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree levels. Advanced levels equate with the number of years of study past the 1st Dan level and the age of the individual testing as follows:
- -2nd Dan: two years past 1st Dan
- -3rd Dan: three years from 2nd Dan
- -4th Dan: four years from 3rd Dan
- -5th Dan (Master level): five years past 4th Dan
- -6th Dan: six years past 5th Dan
- -7th Dan: seven years past 6th Dan
- -8th Dan: (Grandmaster level): eight years past 7th Dan
- -9th Dan: (highest level): nine years past 8th Dan
Taekwondo is a lifelong pursuit of study and USTMA is home of many individuals that have acheived high levels and are still under study towards higher degrees. Grandmaster Choi will test for 9th Dan in 2012 and is required to return to Kukkiwon for the test.
The USTMA Master's Program is for those individuals who have committed to taekwondo study for the course of time to achieve 5th Dan level. Students may enter into this program any time after the 1st Dan is achieved or proceed Dan by Dan in a belt-level program.
The majority of instructors at USTMA are within the Masters Program--ensuring new students that the same instructors will be there throughout the course of your study. Masters Program participants are personally trained by Grandmaster Choi to ensure that teaching is in accordance with Kukkiwon and that proper physical training is taught at USTMA.
