Coaches should remind their active 1st poom holders to convert their grade to 1st dan on reaching the age of 15. Otherwise, they will be at a disadvantage as they will not be allowed to take their 2nd dan until one year after the conversion. Furthermore, they may face difficulty when they serve their national service as the SAF only recognizes dan certification.
Coaches should also make it clear to all poom belt holders that conversion from poom to dan is automatic only if they continue training till they reach 15 years old. If they stop training after obtaining their grade, they will have to re-join the club and train for at least six months to qualify for conversion.
The six-month training requirement is for the coaches to assess the suitability of their poom belt holders for the conversion. If the coaches are not satisfied, they have the right to prescribe a longer training period for their trainees before recommending the conversion.
The conversion fee are $30 (1st Poom to 1st Dan), $50 (2nd Poom to 2nd Dan) and $80 (3rd Poom to 3rd Dan) with effect from 1April 2011.