I have trained in many schools over the years. When it comes to curriculum, martial arts schools all follow the same structure. There is the ritual bowing to the flags and instructors at the beginning; warm-up activities, usually followed by stretching; then the training specific to the particular art. Taekwondo focuses heavily on kicking, speed and footwork- all essential skills for sparring. There is also an emphasis on learning the Poomse or forms.
To be a World
Taekwondo Federation certified Black Belt, you must know the 8
Taegeuk forms. Most
schools
have a carefully thought out set of skills that must be mastered for
each colored belt, before they can move to the next. Each belt
usually requires 1 of the 8 Taegeuk and/or Palgwe forms; hand and
foot striking techniques; a board breaking; a kicking combination;
and many schools also require some type of self-defense moves. See
my green belt
sample taekwondo curriculum.
Colored belts started out as white, yellow, green, blue and red. Five belt levels but there are 10 Geups... Many schools have a second degree for each belt- yellow/yellow 2nd degree; green/green 2nd degree. Some schools have added another color belt in place of the second degree- yellow, orange, green, purple, etc.
Sample Belt Ranking Systems
| Gup 10 | ||
| Gup 9 | ||
| Gup 8 | ||
| Gup 7 | ||
| Gup 6 | ||
| Gup 5 | ||
| Gup 4 | ||
| Gup 4 | ||
| Gup 2 | ||
| Gup 1 | ||
| 1st Dan | ||
| Gup 10 | ||
| Gup 9 | ||
| Gup 8 | ||
| Gup 7 | ||
| Gup 6 | ||
| Gup 5 | ||
| Gup 4 | ||
| Gup 3 | ||
| Gup 2 | ||
| Gup 1 | ||
| 1st Dan | ||
When schools compete there are no purple, orange or brown belt divisions, only the 5 solid colors- white, yellow, green, blue and red and black, of course. I personally use the degree method. When we go to competitions- we know what divisions our people are to be in. Some people get too hung-up in things like belt-colors. I have trained in schools that use both systems. They are all the same.
