US Tae Kwon Do Martial Arts Academy

I am enclosing responses to [redacted] ’s complaint to your officeThey are self-explanatory on their face.I was requested to opine on whether there existed any legal grounds for demanding a refund of the testing feeThe testing fee is non-refundable but can be applied to a second test without additional feeThis was the written understanding when application was made for the test.I hope these explanations and offers of cooperation will resolve the matter.Sincerely,David [redacted] M***

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:The response I received from Master James C*** was insulting to say the leastHe can list his credentials, he can explain his side of the story, he can continue to put the blame on my son all he wants just to make his ego feel better but the reality is he screwed upHe did not prepare my son properlyMy son received his 1st degree black belt from another taekwondo school where he was prepared properly, trained thoroughly and passed his test including the memorization of all of his poomsesHe was eight years old at the timeFor Master James to put the blame on my son for not being prepared is a testament that he failed to prepare him, as stated in my original complaintMaster James admitted to my son that he indeed failed himI am sharing all of the replies that I am receiving from USTMA with my son and his anger is growing each time because Master James sat in his office and told my son "I failed you". Grand Master C***, Master James C*** and USTMA failed my son-period They can continue to list their credentials all they want to make themselves feel better but the fact remains that Master James failed my son and all I request is that they refund me the $testing feeWe do not want our son to continue in a taekwondo school where he feels like a failureHe does not appreciate that Master James admitted to him personally that he did fail him and now Master James wants to hid behind his credentials and his embellished story and put the blame on my son? There is no way I will put my son in an environment where he would feel uncomfortableThey can continue to bring in legal counsel, continue to list their achievements but why can't USTMA and Master James admit that this time they failed their studentMake this right, Master JamesIf you care for ***, refund us our money so that *** can continue to pursue his 2nd degree belt.
Regards,
*** ***

Thank you for bring this to our attention, in response we would first like to provide insight into the journey of a black belt.  Being a black belt isn’t simply about memorization and physical performance, which are learned and attained throughout the time one commits to the both instructor led...

and at home practices.  Throughout that journey, when a student meets those minimum requirements, they are given the the opportunity to test.  That said when one reaches the ranking of black belt, to advance within each belt level there’s a commendable degree of commitment that’s required of each student and as well as the parents.  In additional to their normal instruction within their weekly class schedules, we also offer preparation classes 5 weeks prior to the test to help prepare each student; however, none of this guarantees that the student will pass.  If you liken the process to that of say, an SAT prep course, we structure our training and practice to make sure we address every possible test scenario that could come up, but can’t guarantee whether the individual will make the grade.  And like the SAT studying process, the instructors assisting with those classes have one objective in mind: to work with each student and help them help themselves  be as ready as can be for the test day.  The fact is not everyone will pass, this in part will be a challenge that all black belts face as a part of their journey through the higher ranking, a journey eventually becomes a journey of attrition.However, within our practice we do focus on the tenets that [redacted] eluded to, honor, integrity, honesty, and two others that she missed: perseverance and the indomitable spirit. At our school, we attempt to teach our students to continue working towards their goals despite setbacks. To assist with that our policy is that we do not require our students to repay their black belt test fee each time they retest for the same belt. If they do not successfully pass the first time, students can retest as many times as needed without paying additional testing fees until they do pass. Our school holds 2 events a year 6 months apart during which a student can retest. We believe that within those 6 months, students have ample time and opportunity in class and on their own to refine those areas that need improvement.[redacted] is correct Master James does feel bad and partially to blame, but this sentiment is shared across every instructor who's committed themselves to helping students throughout their journey to black belt. We had not realized that [redacted] recorded the conversation with Master James, but since she had, she should know that Master James had also offered to continue helping her son to get ready for the next opportunity, which was held in November 2015- the offer of private tutoring still stands.We understand in situations such as this there are some emotions of parental pride andhence one may think that our instructors would be attempt to "cheat" the system, though it's obvious that this is not the case here. We understand that the testing process itself is stressful for many individuals and so throughout test provide several opportunities for our students to reset and refocus themselves in preparation to performing in front of the Grand Master and the other Masters and the other instructor Black Belts. While our instructors make every effort to fairly assist students as best they can, the fact is that regardless of those efforts, a small percentage of individuals still fail and have to retry a second or even third time.In addressing the last matter of the lack email response, while email is an ever-growing means of communication in most market, our market is still slow to adopt it. Our instructors spend 90-95% of their time on the class floor teaching class, working with students, or answering questions from other parents. Master James has always preferred phone over email at the Berryville school, and thus has provided every student and family with his personal cellphone number, to which both [redacted] and her son have access to and have used on occasion to contact Master James directly.Once again, thank you for bring this to our attention, to resolve matters in a productive manner, we'll reach out to [redacted], talk through her concerns, and develop a plan that supports her son in completing his original goal.Brenda, USTMA has had over a thousand students who have worked to achieve their black belt goals. We produced Black Belt rankings from 1st to 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th degrees over the 28 years we've been in business and stand by the policies set. We certainly would like to resolve this situation fairly and have resolution be as positive of an experience as possible for all by following up with the individual to show we do have the best interests of their child at heart. However, if their dissatisfaction can't be addressed what other paths do we have in resolving this complaint with the Revdex.com?Sincerely,Eung G[redacted] Grandmaster

I am enclosing responses to [redacted]’s complaint to your office. They are self-explanatory on their face.I was requested to opine on whether there existed any legal grounds for demanding a refund of the testing fee. The testing fee is non-refundable but can be applied to a second test without additional fee. This was the written understanding when application was made for the test.I hope these explanations and offers of cooperation will resolve the matter.Sincerely,David ** M[redacted]