Often times, a student will come up to me in class and ask an off-the-wall question about martial arts. I try to have some good answers ready for them, but frequently they will catch me off guard. I generally try to give the best answer I can, but I realized it might be fun to write a post about some of the questions kids have about martial arts. Now, I didn’t include some of the more personal questions like “can you do a backflip” but I think you will enjoy the list my kids helped me come up with!
Q: What is the highest rank in martial arts?
A: The highest rank in martial arts is 10th degree black belt (except for Master Ken). Usually, this rank is reserved for the political head of a system or someone who has given a lot to the system. In fact, most often it is given to people after they die as an honor for their contributions to their art. There are a few obscure arts that have higher ranks, but they are usually self-appointed and not considered legitimate by most schools/styles.
Q: Who holds the current highest rank in Taekwondo?
A: Currently, the highest ranked master for World Taeekewondo is Lee Dong-Sup. He is the president of the Kukkiwon (the governing body for World Taekwondo). There are others who also hold the rank of 9th dan, but because of his status as the president, Grandmaster Lee is considered the highest ranked in the system.
Q: What is the worlds’ most popular martial art?
A: The most popular martial art worldwide is definitely Karate. There are quite a few different styles or “ryu” that claim the name Karate, so it is difficult to tell which one would take the lead if they were broken down by direct affiliation. Karate is followed closely by Judo, Taekwondo, and Kung Fu.
Q: How many forms are there in Taekwondo?
A: That is a complicated question. There are actually several different lineages of Taekwondo that each have their particular set of forms. In the ITF they use 24 different forms. Under World Taekwondo, a student will learn 8 basic patterns, but there are 9 more forms that are generally taught after black belt. Other offshoots such as Unified Taekwondo and Moo Duk Kwan have their own particular sets of forms. In other words, there are a LOT!
Q: How many forms are there in Shotokan Karate?
A: Depending on what school you study under, there are approximately 26 forms (called kata) in the Shotokan System. You will actually find versions of some of these forms in Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo schools because they have a similar initial lineage. Connections are everywhere!
Q: How many different martial arts are there?
A: More than anyone can count! People have been practicing martial arts for various reasons almost since the beginning of the world. Archeologists have found evidence of structured martial arts training that was many thousands of years old. Since different people create their art based on culture, body size/type, and differing goals, we can assume that many have been created in the past and many will be created in the future!
Q: What is the oldest martial art?
A: The oldest known martial art is probably Pankration although there is evidence for the ancient existence of some other arts such as Kalari Payattu. There are probably more, but because early history was primarily handed down verbally, it is hard to know exactly which is the oldest.
Wow! What a great set of questions! I hope you enjoyed reading these answers and maybe you were able to learn some things along the way. I bet you won’t believe this, but the kids had LOTS more questions for me. That means you can look forward to a part 2 of this post soon! Comment below with one of your questions about martial arts and maybe I can make a part 3!