Belt Progress and Meanings

Taekwondo ranks, denoted by belts, are typically divided into junior and senior (or student and instructor) sections.  The junior section typically consists of ten ranks indicated by the Korean word geup 급 (also Romanized as gup or kup). The junior ranks are usually identified by belts of various colors, depending on the school, so these ranks are sometimes called “color belts”. Geup rank may be indicated by stripes on belts rather than by colored belts. Students begin at tenth geup (often indicated by a white belt) and advance toward first geup (often indicated by a red belt with a black stripe).

Quick Kicks Taekwondo administers its color belt ranking system in the manner described below.  Assuming attendance and effort on the part of the student, testing and promotions occur APPROXIMATELY every three months.  This is subject to change based on the pace of the student and the evaluation of the instructors.

10th Geup – White Belt “I am the seed, hidden beneath the winter snow.” – Students are white belts at the very start of their taekwondo journey.  The color white indicates innocence and purity, and is used to signify that the student does not yet have taekwondo knowledge.

9th Geup – Yellow Tip Instead of a new belt color, students who progress are given a yellow stripe at the tip of their white belt.

8th Geup – Yellow Belt Yellow is the color of the sun that melts the winter snow, and allows the seed to germinate. This is the birth of conscious and purposeful action

7th Geup – Green Tip Instead of a new belt color, students who progress are given a green stripe at the tip of their yellow belt.

6th Geup – Green Belt Green is the color of the sprout that represents the spring with growth and activity abound.

5th Geup – Blue Tip Instead of a new belt color, students who progress are given a blue stripe at the tip of their green belt.

4th Geup – Blue Belt Blue is the color of youth, ambition, and rapid growth. The seedling is reaching for the blue sky.

3rd Geup – Red Tip Instead of a new belt color, students who progress are given a red stripe at the tip of their blue belt.

2nd Geup – Red Belt Red represents the summer sun that swelters with the intensity of the flowering art.

1st Geup – Black Tip Students progressing from red belt are given a black stripe on the tip of their belts.  This signifies the last stop in the color belt’s journey before becoming a black belt.  Black tips normally are required to wait six months before testing for 1st Dan (1st Degree Black Belt)

1st Dan – Black Belt (1st degree) “Black is the color of mastery. No color added to it can change or improve it. This completes the cycle that has now begun anew.” Achieving a black belt is not the end of a journey, but a new beginning. The student progresses to learn, broaden their horizons, and grow in taekwondo.