The belt path
The nine colors most US schools use. Six-color schools skip orange, purple and brown. Tap any belt for what it means, what is expected and what is on its test.
White beltLearns Taegeuk 1 (Il Jang)2 to 3 monthsYellow beltLearns Taegeuk 2 (Ee Jang)2 to 4 monthsOrange beltLearns Taegeuk 3 (Sam Jang)2 to 4 monthsGreen beltLearns Taegeuk 4 (Sa Jang)3 to 4 monthsPurple beltLearns Taegeuk 5 (Oh Jang)3 to 4 monthsBlue beltLearns Taegeuk 6 (Yuk Jang)3 to 5 monthsBrown beltLearns Taegeuk 7 (Chil Jang)3 to 6 monthsRed beltLearns Taegeuk 8 (Pal Jang)6 to 12 monthsBlack beltLearns the black belt formsUsually 3 to 5 years in
1How the belt system works
Read these first. They explain the order of the colors, what the stripes on a belt mean, how ranks work above black belt and how long the whole journey usually takes.
Belt basicsTaekwondo belt order: every color, what it means and what comes nextThe standard Taekwondo belt order from white to black, what each color stands for, how geup and dan ranks work, and why your school's colors may look different.Belt basicsTaekwondo ranks explained: every level from first stripe to 9th danThe full Taekwondo rank ladder in one place: stripes inside each color, the ten geup ranks, poom for kids, the nine dan degrees, and the official ages and waiting times between them.
Belt basicsTaekwondo belt stripes: what the tape on the belt meansWhat the colored stripes or tape on a Taekwondo belt usually mean, how schools award them, and how stripes differ from ITF tips and new belt ranks.
Belt basicsHow long does it take to get a black belt in Taekwondo?Realistic timelines for kids and adults, how training frequency changes the answer, what the black belt test asks for, and how long the higher degrees take.2Each belt, one by one
One page per color: what the belt symbolizes, the attitude expected of a student wearing it, what they train and what is on the test for the next belt.
Belt by beltTaekwondo white belt: what it means, what's expected and what's on the first testEverything about the Taekwondo white belt: what the color symbolizes, the attitude instructors look for, the basics students learn, and what the yellow belt test usually includes.
Belt by beltTaekwondo yellow belt: meaning, expectations and the next testWhat the Taekwondo yellow belt symbolizes, the attitude expected at this stage, the techniques and form students learn, and what the test for the next belt usually includes.Belt by beltTaekwondo orange belt: meaning, expectations and what's testedWhat the orange belt means in Taekwondo, why many US schools add it, the attitude expected, the skills and form students learn, and what the green belt test usually includes.Belt by beltTaekwondo green belt: meaning, expectations and what's testedWhat the green belt symbolizes in Taekwondo, the attitude expected at this stage, the techniques and form students learn, and what the test for the next belt usually includes.Belt by beltTaekwondo purple belt: meaning, expectations and what's testedWhat the purple belt means in Taekwondo, where it sits in the rank order, the attitude expected, the kicks and form students learn, and what the blue belt test usually includes.
Belt by beltTaekwondo blue belt: meaning, expectations and what's testedWhat the blue belt symbolizes in Taekwondo, the attitude instructors expect, the kicks, breaks and form students learn, and what the test for the next belt usually includes.Belt by beltTaekwondo brown belt: meaning, expectations and what's testedWhat the brown belt means in Taekwondo, where it sits before red and black, the attitude and leadership expected, the techniques and form students learn, and what the red belt test usually includes.
Belt by beltTaekwondo red belt: meaning, expectations and preparing for black beltWhat the red belt symbolizes in Taekwondo, why it is the hardest color belt, the self-control expected, the form and skills learned, and how students prepare for the black belt test.Belt by beltTaekwondo black belt: what it means, the test, and what comes afterWhat the Taekwondo black belt symbolizes, poom and dan explained, what the first black belt test includes, the attitude expected of a black belt, and the forms and degrees that come next.3Common belt questions
Practical answers: tying the belt properly and the red-and-black belt children wear instead of a black belt.
Belt questionsHow to tie a Taekwondo belt, step by step (with diagram)The standard way to tie a Taekwondo belt so the knot sits flat and the ends hang evenly, with a four-step diagram, tips for helping a young child, and how to fix a belt that keeps coming loose.Belt questionsPoom belt vs black belt: the red-and-black belt explainedWhy children under 15 wear a half red, half black belt, how a poom rank compares to a dan rank, and what happens when your child turns 15.