Bret Gordon's sole verifiable rank is a junior Taekwondo black belt (poom), which in actuality is far from an adult dan-grade credential. Leaning on this childhood poom as his "black belt" foundation while claiming mastery across multiple arts falls woefully short of the pressure-tested shodan forged in 5–7 years of legitimate training. These "kiddie" belts lack the maturity, depth, and yudansha responsibility that define real black belts. A poom rank certainly isn't a foundation to make up one's own style at the tender age of 16.
Kiddie Black Belts and Commercialized Dojos aren't Hard
Training Environments
Commercialization in the 1980s dramatically shortened martial arts belt timelines by prioritizing profit over traditional mastery, turning dojos into businesses reliant on frequent promotions. Tae Kwon do related "Kiddie" Black belt programs, as Bret indicates he is a product of, targeted kids aged 6-12 with simplified curricula, basic kicks, forms, and breaks—promising black belts in 12-18 months to boost retention and parental buy-in and severely watered down and omitted rigorous standards.
They bypassed real training time by conveniently watering
down the art, substituting endless belt ceremonies, paperwork, and snack
breaks. Instead of hours drilling basics like proper ukemi, kihon-ippon
kumite, or tanden-driven force generation, these fantasy factories prioritize
"graduations" every three months—complete with cake and photo ops—to
keep revenue flowing.
Fast-track black belt programs in Taekwondo rose in the
1980s due to aggressive commercialization of dojos in the U.S., where owners
shifted from traditional training to business models emphasizing quick
promotions for revenue. Many U.S. TKD schools and McDojos targeted kids with
"fast-track" poom (junior black belt) paths, promising ranks in 12-18
months via simplified poomsae, basic kicks, and board breaks rather than full
sparring or self-defense depth. Parents signed these contracts locking in fees,
cementing these “schools” as profit-driven and not merit-based.
True Path to Shodan
Serious dojos demand 5–7 years for shodan, with traditional
ones pushing 8–10, building unhurried command of skill, timing, mechanics, and
mindset. Rushing yields delusion over depth—1-2 year "black belts"
expose zero functional edge.
Memorization Fails Pressure
Kata and combos? Any rote learner nails them quick. True
mastery flows instinctively under resistance, techniques crushing live
foes—this emerges only from years of brutal mat time and nothing else.
Bret Gordon’s martial arts journey reads like the tragic
tale of a man who spent his formative years bobbing and weaving around the one
experience that forges real budo character: the well-deserved,
attitude-adjusting ass whupping. In his own posts he readily admits he never
trained anywhere long. This indicates that he conveniently missed out on
anything that was actually tough, difficult or presented challenge.
In a proper dojo, bad habits and big egos are corrected by
the oldest universal language in combat sports: getting folded in half by
someone smaller, older, and far less impressed with you than you are with
yourself. Instead of this, Gordon appears to have trained early on in a mcdojo,
a climate-controlled fantasy kwoon, where the mat was apparently bubble-wrapped
for his protection, garnering his poom rank in 2000.
Judging by his public self created mythology, Bret seems to
have sidestepped the day a beginner learns that watching Steven Seagal movies
is not a defensive technique. In most people, it produces humility, better
guard position, and a deep respect for cardio. In Gordon’s case, instead of
getting punched in the face, he simply awarded himself another rank certificate
or got daddy to buy it.
The Fast Track Black Belt - Road to Ineptitude not Supremacy
Fast-track black belts from McDojos or junior poom programs
routinely crumble against legitimate shodan holders who earned their rank
through 5–7 years of rigorous, pressure-tested training. These mismatches
expose glaring gaps in technique, conditioning, and composure, often leaving
the quick-rank holders embarrassed on the mats.
Mat Reality Check
Traditional dojo students drill fundamentals relentlessly,
yielding polished stances, timing, and resistance-proof skills that overwhelm
McDojo grads who get tapped out fast or get thrown when real randori hits,
their lack of depth exposed to the nth degree. Poom or Junior ranks prioritize
memorization not real live application, so adult sparring reveals zero
grappling savvy or endurance against battle-hardened opponents.
McDojo schools, training and habits offer no real depth in
any martial art and prove that 1-2 year "black belt
mastery" is relegated to nothing more than a participation trophy. An attendance award that represents delusion, not dominance or technical supremacy.
