Belt Progress
Tae Kwon Do offers a systematic method of student development and progress measured by colored belts. Jae Ho Sim’s Martial Arts Academy’s instructors will guide the willing student through the intense training required to achieve the rank of "black belt."
Each student begins training as a white belt and is promoted to yellow, green, blue, red, and then finally black belt. These ranks under black belt are called Gup (or class) and range from 10th Gup (lowest) to 1st Gup (highest). In contrast, black belt is divided into 1st Dan (degree) to 9th Dan (from lowest to highest). It will take a diligent student about 4-5 years to attain 1st Dan - black belt. Students under 15 years old reaching the degree level receive Poom (children's degree). After completing 15-20 years of practice and specialized training, the 4th Dan is awarded and signifies instructor ranking.
This is a brief outline of the requirements for each belt:
White Belt (10th Gup)
This belt comes with the student’s uniform.
Yellow Stripe (9th Gup)
Basic kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick
Basic hand techniques: middle punch, high punch, down block, in-to-out middle block, out-to-in middle block, high block, knife hand strike, reverse knife hand strike, side block, twin side block, twin knife hand strike
Combination kicks: favorite combination kicks
Stances: front stance, horse stance
Forms: Basic Form 1,2,3
Concepts: Terminology and Etiquette
Yellow Belt (8th Gup)
Basic kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick
Combination kicks: favorite combination kicks
Basic hand techniques: middle punch, high punch, down block, in-to-out middle block, out-to-in middle block, high block, knife hand strike, reverse knife hand strike, side block, twin side block, twin knife hand strike, X-down block, X-high block, spear hand, throat grab, palm strike, triple punch
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3 plus Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang)
Concepts: Terminology and Etiquette
Green Stripe (7th Gup)
Kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick
Combination kicks: center thrust – center thrust, center thrust – round house
Hand techniques: middle punch, high punch, down block, in-to-out middle block, out-to-in middle block, high block, knife hand strike, reverse knife hand strike, side block, twin side block, twin knife hand strike, X-down block, X-high block, spear hand, throat grab, palm strike, triple punch
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance, fighting stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3, Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang) plus Taegeuk 2 (Yi Jang)
Concepts: Expand on Terminology and Etiquette
Green Belt (6th Gup)
Kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick, lead leg round house kick and shuffle round house kick
Combination kicks: center thrust – center thrust, center thrust – round house, center thrust –round house – round house
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance, fighting stance, back stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3, Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang), Taegeuk 2 (Yi jang) and Taegeuk 3 (Sam Jang)
Concepts: Expand Terminology and Etiquette
Self Defense Forms: Form One thru Four
Three Step Free Sparring: Five hand counter strike techniques
Blue Strip (5th Gup)
Kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick, lead leg round house kick and shuffle round house kick, shuffle round house – round house – back kick
Combination kicks: center thrust – center thrust, center thrust – round house, center thrust –round house – round house, center thrust – side kick – back kick
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance, fighting stance, back stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3, Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang), Taegeuk 2 (Yi jang), Taegeuk 3 (Sam Jang) and Taegeuk 4 (Sa Jang)
Concepts: Expand Terminology and Etiquette
Self Defense Forms: Form One thru Eight
Three Step Free Sparring: Five hand counter strike techniques and Five kicking techniques
Blue Belt (4th Gup)
Kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick, lead leg round house kick and shuffle round house kick, shuffle round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – round house – back kick
Combination kicks: center thrust – center thrust, center thrust – round house, center thrust –round house – round house, center thrust – side kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance, fighting stance, back stance, cat stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3, Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang), Taegeuk 2 (Yi jang), Taegeuk 3 (Sam Jang), Taegeuk 4 (Sa Jang) and Taegeuk 5 (Oh Jang)
Concepts: Expand Terminology and Etiquette
Self Defense Forms: Form One thru Eight Three Step Free
Sparring: Five hand counter strike techniques, Five kicking techniques and Five hand and kicking techniques
Free Fighting Participation
Brown Stripe (3rd Gup)
Kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick, lead leg round house kick and shuffle round house kick, shuffle round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – jump round house – round house kick – back kick
Combination kicks: center thrust – center thrust, center thrust – round house, center thrust –round house – round house, center thrust – side kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick – round house kick
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance, fighting stance, back stance, cat stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3, Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang), Taegeuk 2 (Yi jang), Taegeuk 3 (Sam Jang), Taegeuk 4 (Sa Jang), Taegeuk 5 (Oh Jang) and Taegeuk 6 (Yook Jang)
Concepts: Expand Terminology and Etiquette
Self Defense Forms: Form One thru Twelve
Three Step Free Sparring: Five hand counter strike techniques, Five kicking techniques and Five hand and kicking techniques
One Step Free Sparing: Ten hand techniques
Free Fighting Participation
Brown Belt (2nd Gup)
Kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick, lead leg round house kick and shuffle round house kick, shuffle round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – jump round house – round house kick – back kick, slide rear leg round house – jump round house – round house – back kick
Combination kicks: center thrust – center thrust, center thrust – round house, center thrust –round house – round house, center thrust – side kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick – round house kick, push kick – round house – round house – back kick
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance, fighting stance, back stance, cat stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3, Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang), Taegeuk 2 (Yi jang), Taegeuk 3 (Sam Jang), Taegeuk 4 (Sa Jang), Taegeuk 5 (Oh Jang), Taegeuk 6 (Yook Jang) and Taegeuk 7 (Chil Jang)
Concepts: Expand Terminology and Etiquette
Self Defense Forms: Form One thru Twelve
Three Step Free Sparring: Five hand counter strike techniques, Five kicking techniques and Five hand and kicking techniques
One Step Free Sparing: Ten hand techniques and Ten kicking techniques
Free Fighting Participation
Red Belt (1st Gup)
Kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick, lead leg round house kick and shuffle round house kick, shuffle round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – jump round house – round house kick – back kick, slide rear leg round house – jump round house – round house – back kick, slide jump lead leg round house – round house – spin back kick – jump lead leg round house – round house kick
Combination kicks: center thrust – center thrust, center thrust – round house, center thrust –round house – round house, center thrust – side kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick – round house kick, push kick – round house – round house – back kick plus open
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance, fighting stance, back stance, cat stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3, Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang), Taegeuk 2 (Yi jang), Taegeuk 3 (Sam Jang), Taegeuk 4 (Sa Jang), Taegeuk 5 (Oh Jang), Taegeuk 6 (Yook Jang), Taegeuk 7 (Chil Jang) and Taegeuk 8 (Pal Jang)
Concepts: Expand Terminology and Etiquette
Self Defense Forms: Form One thru Twelve
Three Step Free Sparring: Five hand counter strike techniques, Five kicking techniques and Five hand and kicking techniques
One Step Free Sparing: Ten hand techniques, Ten kicking techniques and Ten throwing techniques
Breaking: side kick
Free Fighting Participation
Black Belt (1st Dan)
Kicking: stretch kick, round house, center thrust kick, out-to-in crescent kick, in-to-out crescent kick, side kick, hook kick, single/double kick, drop (axe) kick, lead leg round house kick and shuffle round house kick, shuffle round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – round house – back kick, slide back lead leg round house – jump round house – round house kick – back kick, slide rear leg round house – jump round house – round house – back kick, slide jump lead leg round house – round house – spin back kick – jump lead leg round house – round house kick plus open
Combination kicks: center thrust – center thrust, center thrust – round house, center thrust –round house – round house, center thrust – side kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick, round house – back kick – back kick – round house kick, push kick – round house – round house – back kick plus open
Stances: front stance, horse stance, walking stance, fighting stance, back stance, cat stance
Forms: Basic Forms 1,2,3, Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang), Taegeuk 2 (Yi jang), Taegeuk 3 (Sam Jang), Taegeuk 4 (Sa Jang), Taegeuk 5 (Oh Jang), Taegeuk 6 (Yook Jang), Taegeuk 7 (Chil Jang), Taegeuk 8 (Pal Jang) and Koryo
Concepts: Expand Terminology and Etiquette
Self Defense Forms: Form One thru Twelve
Three Step Free Sparring: Five hand counter strike techniques, Five kicking techniques and Five hand and kicking techniques
One Step Free Sparing: Ten hand techniques, Ten kicking techniques and Ten throwing techniques
Breaking: two different techniques – hand or foot
Free Fighting: two or three against one
Weapon Form: Bow staff