Taekwondo ranks, commonly known as grades, vary from style to style and are not standardised. Typically, these ranks are separated into, what is colloquially referred to as colour belts and black belts:
Kukkiwon/WT Taekwondo recognises a “poom” rank for practitioners under the age of 15: these practitioners have passed dan-level tests but will not receive dan-level rank until age 15. At age 15, their poom rank is considered to transition to equivalent dan rank automatically. In some schools, holders of the poom rank wear a half-red/half-black belt rather than a solid black belt.
BELT MEANING
10th > 9th Kup: White belt to yellow tag:
Unsure and without knowledge of taekwondo. As with the pine tree, the seed must now be planted and nourished to develop strong roots. The student has no knowledge and begins with a clean (pure) slate. Purity is often signified by the colour white, hence the white uniform, indicating that a person is innocent, having no knowledge of taekwondo. The white belt is automatically gained by taking taekwondo classes and in symbolic as a seed of a pine tree.
8th > 7th Kup: Yellow belt to green tag:
The seed is beginning to see the sunlight. The sun appears to be yellow. The colour yellow indicates that the student is getting to know the basic techniques of taekwondo. This is compared to a plant growing roots from the energy supplied by the sun. The yellow belt signifies the first beams of sunlight as the seed of taekwondo grows within.
6th > to 5th Kup: Green belt to blue tag:
The pine tree is beginning to develop and grow in strength. The student’s technique is developing power. The components of the basic techniques are beginning to work in unison. The colour green indicates that a student is growing and is compared to a plant growing leaves. The award of green belt signifies the sprouting of the seed as it grows toward the blue sky.
4th > 3rd Kup: Blue belt to red tag:
The tree reaches toward the sky, toward new heights. The sky appears as blue. The colour blue indicates that a student is reaching higher, like a plant that is growing toward the sky. Having passed the mid-way point, the student focuses her/his energy upward and toward black belt. The blue represents the sky, as the plant becomes a tree and stretches to the heavens.
2nd > 1st Kup: Red belt to black tag:
The sun is setting. The first phase of growth has been accomplished. The first day of growth, white belt to red belt is coming to an end. The physical skill has been developed but lacks control. Physical and mental discipline must now be cultivated. Variations of red are found among the many colours of the sunset. The colour red indicates danger both to enemies and to the student who’s skills now take on the responsibility of control. The student is warned to practice the control of her/his movements.
1st Poome: Junior Black belt (under 16 years old):
The dawn of a new day. The sun breaks through the darkness. The red is the sun as it breaks through the black of night. The previous day has ended, giving way to a new dawn. The student must begin a new phase of training, that of being a black belt.
1st Dan: Black belt:
The tree has reached maturity and has overcome the darkness…it must now plant seeds for the future. The colour black is created when all the colours of the light spectrum have been absorbed into an object. The colours of the spectrum are bound together and are not reflected off an object resulting in the absence of colour, which we call black. That object has taken control of the colours and retained them. If one colour escapes the object would no longer be black but would appear as that colour. The student has mastered the ten Kup grades of taekwondo. He/she has absorbed all the knowledge of the colour grades and overcome or mastered that level of training. Black is the opposite of white and means the maturity or dignity of the student in the art. It is also an indication of being impenetrable to darkness and fear.
To advance from one rank to the next, students complete a promotion test, a Taekwondo examination, typically known as a grading, in which they demonstrate their proficiency in the various aspects of the art before their instructor or a panel of judges. Grading tests vary from school to school, but may include such elements as the execution of patterns, which combine various techniques in specific sequences; the breaking of boards to demonstrate their ability to use techniques with both power and control; sparring and self-defence to demonstrate the practical application and control of techniques; physical fitness usually with push-ups and sit-ups; and answering questions on terminology, concepts and history to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the art. For higher dan tests, students are sometimes required to take a written test or submit a research paper in addition to taking the practical test.
Promotion from one kup to the next can proceed rapidly in some schools since schools often allow kup promotions every two, three or four months. Students of kup rank learn the most basic techniques first and then move on to more advanced techniques as they approach first dan. Many of the older and more traditional schools often take longer to allow students to test for higher ranks than newer, more contemporary schools, as they may not have the required testing intervals. In contrast, promotion from one dan to the next can take years. In fact, some styles impose age or time-in-rank limits on dan promotions. For example, the number of years between one dan promotion to the next may be limited to a minimum of the practitioner’s current dan-rank, so that (for example) a 5th dan practitioner must wait 5 years to test for 6th dan.
Black belt ranks may have titles associated with them, such as “master” and “instructor”, but Taekwondo organisations vary widely in rules and standards when it comes to ranks and titles. What holds true in one organisation may not hold true in another, as is the case in many martial art systems. For example, achieving first dan ( black belt) ranking with three years’ training might be typical in one organisation but considered too quick in another organisation and likewise for other ranks. Similarly, the title for a given dan rank in one organisation might not be the same as the title for that dan rank in another organisation.
In WT/Kukkiwon-Taekwondo, instructors holding 1st. to 3rd. dan are considered assistant instructors (kyosa-nim), are not yet allowed to issue ranks and are generally thought of as still having much to learn. Instructors who hold a 4th to 6th dan are considered master instructors (sabum-nim) and are allowed to grade students to colour belt ranks from 4th dan and to black belt/dan-ranks from 6th dan. Those who hold a 7th–9th dan are considered Grandmasters. These ranks also hold an age requirement of 40+ years. A 10th dan rank is sometimes awarded posthumously for practitioners with a lifetime of demonstrable contributions to the practice of Taekwondo.
Previous: Patterns
Next: Philosophy
