BELT LEVELS AND MEANINGS

White Tiger Belt Levels

BLACK BELT MEANINGS:

SOLID BLACK BELT: Awarded to a student 14 years of age or older who has successfully passed their testing in front of Master Yoo.

JR. BLACK BELT or POOM BELT (Traditional for WTF Taekwondo in Korea) is a student black belt rank (Black over Red color) symbolic of an interim period between color belt grades and adult black belt degree. The Poom is substituted for a Black Belt adult rank when the recipient has met all the requirements of the adult degree, but has not reached the age of maturity, usually 15 and older. Under age 15 is a Poom, or Junior Black Belt, who has been adequately trained on the basics of Martial Art education, but is lacking in sufficient maturity in regards to life experience, and typically both mental and physical development due to their young age.

The Poom Belt indicates that the child has met specific requirements of an academic syllabus, and developed skills commensurate with his or her age, but can not be held to the same standard of performance or realistic self defense skills as an adult. It is an honor and privilege to be awarded a "Poom" Black Belt at such a young age, and will likely enhance and enrich the student's experiences as an adult. It is a good solid foundation for building a life-long education. 

All belts in the Martial Art are symbolic of the incremental steps from a novice level (White Belt) to an expert (Black Belt). The degrees of the Black Belt continue the designations of advancement with stripes on the belt (or other insignia) to indicate a higher level of learning. Each color belt is a physical representation of the achievement or acknowledgement by an instructor that the student has met a minimum level of improvement in knowledge, physical conditioning, practical skills, and other related and important areas of individual development on the path toward becoming an expert. Once a student has complete the basic training through each grade level ("geup" in Korean terminology), then they are ready to move on to more advanced training of in-depth study, variety of application, and the testing and improving of realistic skill performance. This higher level of training throughout the Black Belt Degrees is closer in comparison to a college education (Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and PHD).

COLOR BELTS:  The delineation of time for each belt is average.  Each person is individual and can and may take longer to advance.  Some students are held back by Master Yoo as well, based on their readiness for testing either because of technique, attitude or behavior.

Color Belt Levels

White - First level beginner - 3 months

Yellow - Second level beginner - 3 months

Jr. Green - 3 Months

Green - 3 Months

Sr. Green - 3 Months

Jr. Blue - 3 Months

Blue - 3 Months

Sr. Blue - 3 Months

Red - 3 Months

Sr. Red - 3 Months

Black Belt Levels - Each Gup level is 6 months

1st Dan = 5 Gups - 2.5 years

2nd Dan = 4 Gups - 2.5 years

3rd Dan = 4 Gups - 2.5 years

4th Dan = 4 Gups - 2.5 years