Back to Student Resources

What Is the “Rotating Curriculum?”

The rotating curriculum is a new way to approach studying martial arts that has been very effective at increasing student success in the classroom.

Under a rotating curriculum system, all students of the same general skill level learn the same curriculum in a series of levels. A single lead instructor teaches the class and students learn together as a team, rather than in isolated pockets of instruction. There are three levels per cycle; after the complete duration of each cycle, that cycle resets at the first level.

The curriculum cycles & levels under our new system are:

Click on level for curriculum

How does the rotating curriculum affect the belt system?
It is very important to understand that the new system separates belts from curriculum. As before, students will progress from white to black belt. Also, the time requirements for each belt will not change. What has changed is that a student may be studying what used to be called high yellow belt curriculum as a white belt.

Our previous system was very linear in nature. The new system is much more circular. To help create this distinction, we will no longer refer to curriculum by belt rank rather, will refer to curriculum as the Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Cycles, Levels 1, 2, and 3.

What about junior belt levels?
Juniors will continue to earn their beginning and advanced belts. Rather than a three, four, and six month time frame, they will be eligible to earn their belts at regular half-intervals (as they did under the former system)

What was the purpose behind moving to a rotating curriculum
The rotating curriculum will help the instructors lead classes in a smoother and more efficient way. It will also create a sense of teamwork among our students by working with everyone in class equally rather than just those students of the same belt rank.

How will a rotating curriculum help me as a student, or my child?
The rotating curriculum will help all students to move at a more regular pace, meaning that students will not lag behind their teammates, creating appositive feeling of inclusion and self-worth.

Instructors will be able to identify right away the students that need help. It also means that students will receive the same level of instruction from a consistent, recognizable instructor and will eliminate students being taught different things by different instructors.

It will help to develop more concrete, short-term goals for students. Students will learn new curriculum every few months, which will keep the study of tae Kwon Do fresh and exciting for them.

Overall, it will streamline and simplify both the classroom and the learning process so that students receive adequate instructor, attention, and practice to assure their continued success.

How will I earn stripes under the new curriculum system?
Students can earn stripes in one of two ways. The instructors will continue to award stripes in class to those individuals who demonstrate readiness, consistency, and effort. In addition, there will be a stripe-testing time each day.

During stripe testing week, a student may test for any stripes they feel they are ready to earn. Students may earn a maximum of one stripe per day, but may test for all four curriculum stripes that week if they are ready.

During the stripe test, students will be asked to demonstrate the technique from the level of curriculum on which they are currently working.

How will I earn my next belt under the new curriculum system?
As before, students who are eligible to promote will attend review stripe testing (which will be held during review week). Students will be tested on the curriculum for the current cycle and level and may be asked to demonstrate curriculum from any of their previous levels.

What will belt promotion be like under the new curriculum system?
As before, students who are promoting will demonstrate the curriculum from the completed level and then they will earn their next belt.

Will this new curriculum system affect by progress as a student here?
No! In fact, it should help to keep all students on track and progressing through the curriculum much more smoothly than in the past. The instructors carefully track where each student is in their belt rank and will work with all students to prepare them to test for their next belt.

This system guarantees that the instructors are focused on exactly where you are as a student and that there are always other students learning the same things that can help you or work with you as a partner.

When the cycle completes a rotation, students who are “repeating” a curriculum level will be allowed to test for their next belt as soon as they are ready to do so, eliminating the need to complete the whole cycle again.

Will I end up repeating curriculum I’ve already learned?
No. The instructors will track your progress, and when you re-enter a curriculum level, they will assist you to make progress and test for your next belt as soon as you are ready. The instructors care very much about honoring the time you have already put into that curriculum level and don’t want to restrict your continued progress.

Why do I now need to bring all of my equipment to class with me?
In any sport, it is important to have your equipment with you for practice. A football player who came to practice without their pads and helmet would not be allowed on the field! It is the same with Tae Kwon Do. Sparring equipment and weapons are an important, intrinsic part of our curriculum and so it is equally important that this equipment be with students at all practice sessions.

Additionally, we also want to instill responsibility in all of our junior students to bring all their gear with them at all times. It will also allow us to use sparring gear to practice drills for self- and step-defense curriculum and create a more realistic atmosphere for practice. Students will also no longer have to worry about their sparring hours. If students come consistently to class and demonstrate effort during their sparring lesson, they will earn their stripe.

How does the updated schedule affect me?
Our classes will now be organized to honor the commitments that our students have made on the black belt journey.

New students, who have not yet been invited to join Black Belt Club, will attend class for 45 minutes. They can be identified by their white pants.

Students who have made a commitment to earn their black belt have been invited to join Black Belt Club. They can be identified by their blue pants. Black Belt club members will attend class for 45 minutes and may also attend the monthly Black Belt Club class

Students who have made a commitment to continue their study of Tae Kwon Do beyond the first-degree black belt level are invited to join Masters Club. They can be identified by their black pants. Masters Club members will attend class for an hour and will practice master’s level curriculum during the last 15 minutes of class. They may also attend the monthly Masters Club class, which includes Masters Club members from all Tran’s schools. The location for these classes will vary from month-to-month to accommodate all Tran’s students.

The cycle, beginning September 1, 2003, starts at Level 1 of each of the curriculum levels. In the beginning cycle, students will study what was formerly referred to as high yellow curriculum for three months. In the intermediate cycle, students will study what was formerly referred to as blue curriculum for four months. In the advanced cycle, students will study what was formerly referred to as high red curriculum for six months.

At the completion of the current level, all students will move to Level 2 and begin studying the curriculum of that period. Students will be eligible to earn their next belt rank at this time. Once they have completed the entire cycle, they will enter the next cycle and begin learning that curriculum. When each level of curriculum is completed, the student is eligible to earn their next belt.

It is easier to understand this system through and example:

Mrs. Smith is currently a high green belt. Starting August 1, Mrs. Smith will begin learning Intermediate Cycle, Level 1 techniques (formerly blue). After four months of learning Level 1, Mrs. Smith will be eligible to test for her blue belt. At that time, she will begin learning Intermediate Cycle, Level 2 (formerly high green) curriculum.