Belt Rank

White Belt:  Signifies innocence, as that of a beginning student who has no previous knowledge of TaeKwonDo.

Chon-Ji: means literally "the heaven, the Earth."  It is, in the Orient, interpreted as the creation of the world or the beginning of human history;  therefore, it is the initial form done by the beginner.  In global history, we think of Plato, the father of western philosophy, from whose lessons we learn to examine the world, our minds, and to achieve balance in ourselves.

Yellow Belt: Signifies Earth, from which a plant sprouts and takes root as the TKD foundations being laid.
Dan-Gun: Is named after the holy Dan-gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C. From the history of medieval Europe we remember Charlemagne (Charles the Great, 768 A.D.), warrior and legislator. He brought the parts of Europe that we now know as France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and a great part of Italy into a period of enlightenment. He revived teaching, bringing public schools to France and educating the common people.

Green Belt: Signifies the plant's growth as the TKD skill begins to develop.

Do-San: Is the pen name of the patriot Ahn-Chang-ho (1876-1938) who devoted his life to furthering the education of Korea and its independence movement. In European history, we think of Aleuin of York (735-804 A.D.), an eminent educator, scholar, and theologian. During the reign of Charlemagne, Aleuin collected books and scrolls from all over Europe.  The distribution of hand-written reproductions of these manuscripts laid the foundation for the great intellectual Renaissance three centuries later.  His motto was disce ut doceas, learn in order to teach.

Blue Belt: Signifies the water which nourishes the plant as it grows, as knowledge of TKD nourishes technical and artistic development.

Purple Belt: Signifies the evening sky which the plant matures into a towering tree as training in TKD progresses.

Hwa-Rang: is named for the Korean Hwa Rang youth group, which originated in the Silla Dynasty in the early 7th century. The Hwa Rang Do were elite warrior-scholars who protected the king. The 29 movements refer to the 29th Infantry Division of the modern Korean army where TaeKwonDo developed into maturity. Globally we remember Sir Isaac Newton of England, whose concepts of gravity, mass, and physics eventually brought about the exploration of outer space. Thanks to his work, on July 20, 1969, Americans Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon.  After landing their ship on the Sea of Tranquility, Armstrong said, as he stepped to the lunar surface, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

Red Belt: Signifies Danger, cautioning the student to exercise control and warning the opponent to stay away.

Choong-Moo: was Korean Admiral Hi Sun-Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored battleship, Kobukson, in 1592, the precursor of the modern-day submarine. This pattern ends with a left-hand attack to symbolize his regrettable death before achieving his full potential, having been restrained by his loyalty to the king. From European history, we recall the work done by Marie and Pierre Curie, whose systematic investigation of uranium rays contributed greatly to the science of physics, the discovery of radium and polonium, and the developement of the x-ray machine. They won the Nobel prize for physics in 1903, and after Pierre's death, Marie won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1911.

Black Belt: the opposite of white, signifying the maturity and proficiency of mastering the BASICS of TKD.

Gwang-Gae: is named after the famous Gwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, the 19th king of the Koguryo dynasty, who regained lost territories, including the greater part of Manchuria.  The diagram represents the expansion and recovery of lost territory.  The 39 movements refer to the first two figures of 391 A.D., the year he came to the throne.  From Native American Shoshone history, we remember Sacagawea, who from 1805 to 1806 led the Lewis and Clark expedition, serving as guide and translator. Aside from the hardships of having no communication with any settlements or any way to get help or supplies, Sacagawea started the journey pregnant, gave birth, and finished the journey of nearly 4000 miles carrying her son.  Sacagawea's involvement, made possible the successful completion of the Lewis and Clark expedition, solidifying  America's expansion across the continent.