General Choi's Brilliant Meaning of
TaeKwonDo's
Colored Belts is All-Encompassing
The meaning of Taekwondo belts follows the life cycle itself. The founder of Modern TaeKwonDo, General Choi, grounded the principles of this martial art into his way of life and brilliantly symbolized these concepts through things anyone would know of and could readily be seen in daily life. Everyone sees old people, young people, and babies everyday. All of us fit into one of these categories. This is just the normal cycle of life as we see it and live it. An example of seeing a life cycle in a short amount of time would be if you plant a seed. The seed will shortly sprout into a small, tender plant and, with time and a little care, you see the once small and tender plant grow to a fully matured, flowering plant. Like the Cycle of Life that is all around us every day, each colored belt stands for a different stage of
Your Life in Tae Kwon Do.
The Meaning of Your White Belt is that of innocence and reflects a student having no knowledge of TaeKwonDo. Just as all things are new to a baby or young child, as a White Belt, the Ancient Art of TaeKwondo is new to you. The movements, stances, kicks, and Korean Words are alien to you. You may not even know how to
Tie your Belt or Your Uniform. If you are having anxiety about Formal Rank Testing, let me give you a slightly comical perspective of what really goes on at Your First Rank Testing, These scenarios may calm your butterflies.
The Meaning of the Yellow Belt is often thought to signify the Sun due to the obvious similarity in color. However, the yellow belt actually signifies the Earth in which the seed of TaeKwonDo has been planted and takes root. You have rank tested at least once to receive this rank and are laying your foundation of Tae Kwon Do. A solid foundation is a must so become proficient with the different movements and commands. Repetition at this stage is critical as you train your limbs and torso to work as one. Your brain will quickly pick up on this and soon things like "Reaction Force" will come naturally.
Listen, Watch, and Learn.
The Green Belt signifies the young seedling sprouting and reaching toward the sun. Your flexibility and skill is improving greatly at this point. You start to build your knowledge of the sport and may even be allowed to help instruct the lower ranks, definitely an Honor! NOTE: Many students quit at this critical point in their training.
Do Not Let this Happen to YOU! Becoming a Black Belt in TaeKwonDo is something that you can carry with you your whole life! It could save your Life or even be your future Business!! Keep going to class and training!!
Remember, Perseverance!!
The Blue Belt signifies Heaven and means that the plant is maturing and is reaching higher and wider toward the sun and sky. Your training skills are now being honed and your knowledge of TaeKwonDo is broadening.
The Meaning of TaeKwonDo's Red Belt indicates Danger. The student has sufficient skill to inflict injury to an opponent so the student must exercise caution and control. The red color also acts as a warning any opponent the student may encounter.
Finally, the Black Belt represents full maturity and knowledge of TaeKwonDo. The exact opposite of the White Belt. The Black color of the Belt also represents this student's ability to overcome Fear and Triumph over Darkness. Congratulations! if you possess one of these. You are very rare. It usually takes the average student over 2 years to earn this rank so it does not come easily. You would have to ask about 12,000 people on the street before one person said , "Yes, I'm a Black Belt in TaeKwonDo." If you are Truly Serious about becoming one of these rare individuals that possess a Black Belt in TaeKwonDo, try our Online Courses. To get you started, I am making the White Belt Basics available Free with your membership.
**NOTE** The traditional Belt Ranking System and Belt Meanings, as formulated by General Choi, are listed above. However, over the years, there have been all sorts of derivations on his original theme. Now, it is common to see things like Camo Belts, White Belts with Black Stripes through them, Orange belts, Purple Belts, etc. This belt ranking system simply breaks down the ranking grades a little more finely. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. My organization, the USTC (US TaeKwonDo Centers) uses these belts. These new belt systems do not really fit into General Choi's original Meaning of the TaeKwonDo Belts scheme, however. They are just a little fancier versions of what us "Ole Time Martial Artists" used colored electrical tape on our belts for, that's all. The main thing is to just PRACTICE and perform the techniques as your instructor does them. Emulate THEM,Copy THEM! They have the experience. However, as you practice if you feel off-balance or feel that there may be a better way to do certain techniques, ask your Instructor about it. They usually will be able to help you.
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