What?
It is important for you (or your child) to check in on the KMA Portal (either via the laptop in the dojang or on your phone) whenever you (or your child) attend a class at KMA Taekwondo Hapkido. This is the only record we have of (your or your child’s) attendance.
Why?
If you (or your child) is having a challenging time keeping up with the class activities or if we notice something that we want to follow up on, it is important to have as much objective data as possible (e.g., number of hours practiced under an instructor’s guidance) to review.
Also, starting in August 2025, we are going to award a training time stripe (in addition to the poomsae, breaking, and sparring stripes) for every 10 days a student has practiced at the dojang. This means that students will be able to earn 2 training time stripes before each color belt testing period (every 3 months, which is an average of 24 practice days between tests).
How?
At the dojang, you (or your child) can check in on:
- KMA laptop by entering your (or your child’s) name or your numerical passcode.
- Your phone by going to the KMA Portal website and checking in there.
Next Steps?
Just check in. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask any KMA leaders at the dojang. Also, if you’re curious as to how KMA Taekwondo Hapkido’s black belt journey compares to those in other marital arts, please feel free to review the table below.
| Martial Art | Avg. Time to Black Belt (or Equivalent) | # of Belt Levels (incl. black) | Common Test Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taekwondo (WT/Kukkiwon) | 3–5 years | ~10 belts (white → black) | Demonstrate forms (poomsae), sparring (kyorugi), self-defense, breaking (kyukpa), theory/written exam |
| Krav Maga | 3–5 years | 6 main levels (practitioner 1–5 → graduate → expert) | Combatives, self-defense scenarios, weapon defenses, stress drills, physical conditioning tests |
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) | 8–12 years | 5 belts (white, blue, purple, brown, black) | Rolling/sparring proficiency, positional escapes, sweeps, submissions, technical knowledge; time-in-rank emphasis |
| Karate (Shotokan) | 4–6 years | ~10 belts (white → black) | Kata (forms), kihon (basics), kumite (sparring), self-defense, breaking; etiquette and terminology |
| Judo | 4–6 years | 7 belts (white → black) | Throws (nage-waza), grappling (ne-waza), kata, randori (sparring), tournament points or competition proficiency |
| Aikido | 4–6 years | ~7 belts (white → black) | Demonstrate basic to advanced throws (nage-waza), joint locks (kansetsu-waza), weapon forms (jo, bokken), multiple attacker defense, etiquette |
| Boxing | ~4–6 years to reach advanced competition-level skill | No belts | Mastery of fundamentals, sparring proficiency, advanced combinations, ring strategy, conditioning; advancement measured by performance in fights |
| Kickboxing | 3–5 years if using a belt system; ~4–6 years for advanced skill without belts | 0–8 belts depending on school | Striking combos, pad work, sparring, fitness benchmarks; competition record if no belt system |
| Muay Thai | ~5–8 years to reach elite fight-ready skill | No belts (some use armband system) | Mastery of the eight limbs (punches, kicks, elbows, knees), clinch work, pad work, sparring; skill progression and competition results mark advancement |