Chapter 126 - 125: Challenging Your Professional Players?
Taekwondo dan rankings are divided into one through nine, as well as the honorary tenth dan, all unified with a black belt color.
The minimum requirement for coaching is a black belt, professional athletes and Taekwondo masters are also black belts, so the depth of this rank is quite profound.
First to third dan black belts are called deputy instructors, fourth to sixth dan are instructors. Only those above fourth dan and at least 21 years of age are eligible to apply for international coach or referee, and qualify to be the head of a dojo or the head coach.
Seventh to eighth dan are Master Xian, and ninth to tenth dan are Master Sheng.
However, it’s not the case that the higher the dan, the more formidable the person, because after achieving first dan, one needs to wait one year to test for second dan. Similarly, one must wait two years at second dan before testing for third dan, and three years at third dan, and so on. As the rank increases, generally, the age increases as well.
Therefore, the higher dan rankings of a Taekwondo black belt are not greatly associated with strength but are more like a symbol of honor.
The Korean athlete entering the ring at this time is a third dan black belt, which means he has been at the black belt level for at least three years.
Wang Ming has a height of 182 cm and a weight of 78 kg; his physique is already one of the more robust types, but that Korean is still half a head taller than him, probably touching 190 cm.
This type of physical endowment is relatively rare among Koreans.
Since the two sides practice different combat styles, there aren’t many rule restrictions, apart from some basic prohibitions such as not striking vital parts or continuing to attack after an opponent has fallen. The rest is left to free play, hence there is no weight class limitation either.
Not long after the fight began, Wang Ming already felt the strain. It was clear that these Koreans had come prepared.
Putting aside the comparison of their striking techniques for the moment, in terms of physicality alone, he faced a considerable disadvantage.