11/09/2026
International Instructor / Examiner 👊
Under the original ITF examination protocol established during the Presidency of the Founder, promotion to 4th Dan did not automatically confer International Instructor or Examiner status.
Regardless of rank, 4th through 9th Dan, an individual wishing to become an authorised International Instructor / Examiner was required to attend and successfully complete an official ITF International Instructor Course (IIC).
Holding 4th Dan or higher, by itself, did not authorise an Instructor to grade other Instructors students .
The authority associated with the Dan rank was primarily the ability to conduct gradings for their own students, within the scope permitted by the ITF regulations.
Where an Instructor did not hold 4th Dan or above, the Instructor was required to make an application through the National Governing Body (NGB) recognised by the ITF in that country.
For a domestic grading, covering 9th Gup through 3rd Degree, an appropriately authorised Examiner would be allocated to conduct the examination.
Therefore, it is important to distinguish between:
Dan rank — the technical rank an individual holds.
Instructor authority , the authority to teach and grade one's own students.
International Instructor / Examiner status , a separate authorisation requiring completion of the official IIC, irrespective of whether the person held 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th Dan.
Domestic grading authority , where the appropriate Examiner may be appointed or allocated through the NGB, particularly for gradings from 9th Gup through 3rd Degree.
This distinction is important because 4th Dan should not be interpreted as automatically making a person an International Instructor or Examiner under the original ITF examination protocol.
Taekwon,
Jamie Moore
