KFMA Black Belt Grading

On April 14th, 2026, the first Korean Freestyle Martial Arts Black Belt Grading took place.

Two candidates, a mother and daughter pair named Brooke and Elizabeth, took part in this grading. They started their training with me in early October 2022 and have diligently worked their way through the ranks, incorporating feedback and consistently earning high marks in their gradings.

In 2025, Elizabeth faced a setback when she required surgery on a night designated for a pattern test. She then watched her peers and her mother advance shortly after, which was difficult for her as she should have been part of the grading. Not to be deterred, Elizabeth returned to training after 6 weeks, trained hard and regained her strength and skills.

On April 14th, 2026, Elizabeth was evaluated for her Demo Belt. She excelled under pressure and earned Honours for her Demo Belt. Elizabeth's mastery of Korean terminology and theory is outstanding, serving as a role model for lower ranks.

Brooke gave an impressive performance, despite experiencing a minor issue with her Koryo II poomsae and back kick. She received Honours for her Cho Dan Bo (Provisional Black Belt). Brooke is the first "purebred" KFMA student to achieve Cho Dan Bo (Provisional Black Belt), accomplishing a personal goal she had set for herself.

During this grading, both Brooke and Elizabeth were required to break boards. Brooke successfully completed her 3 corner breaks and performed double board (2 x 15mm) roundhouse and side kick breaks flawlessly.

Elizabeth exceeded expectations by breaking two 15mm boards with a roundhouse kick, a skill usually observed at the adult level. Given that Elizabeth is only 12 years old, this is an outstanding achievement! Elizabeth is a powerhouse and has huge potential.

Next step for Elizabeth is Cho Dan Bo (Provisional Black Belt)- the time is up to her. If Elizabeth can break 2x 15mm boards for sidekick and roundhouse kicks, she can attain her full black belt. If not, she will attain her Junior Black.

Brooke has between 12 months and 2 years to prepare for her 1st Dan, with ample opportunities to improve and accomplish her goals during this period. I am confident that Brooke is ready for this challenge.

Congratulations to both Brooke and Elizabeth- I am proud of you both.

Master Mark