For students
Belt gradings
A grading is a test where the instructors judge where you stand. Your instructor puts you forward when you are ready — not before.
To reach the next belt your instructor has to put you forward. That happens by turning up to training over a longer period — that way the instructor can judge which areas you need to work on to pass.
The grading is a test where the instructors judge where each student stands. You therefore need to show that you have progressed in all four areas — basics, poomsae, sparring and self-defence — and that you show good energy and ki.
As a beginner the requirements are not that strict, and you can usually go to your first grading after about three months. A grading should be a good experience for student and instructor alike, so you will not be put forward if your instructor does not think you are ready.
As you move up the belts, expect longer gaps between gradings. Besides keeping what you have already learnt, you also have new techniques to learn. So up to six months between gradings is normal. It does not mean you are doing badly — it means your instructor wants to be sure you do as well as you can.
Requirements
What has to be in place before you can grade
Your instructor puts you forward — but that is not enough on its own. For kup and dan gradings these things also have to be in order:
- Your instructor has put you forward. The responsible instructor on the team has the final say on whether you can go.
- You know the curriculum for your grade.
- You have trained at least twice a week on average since your last grading.
- The grading fee is paid — and the belt too, if you need a new one.
- You have no outstanding payments to the club.
Twice a week on average is about 26 trainings over three months.
Shortest time between two gradings
| Between the kup gradings (10th to 1st kup) | 3 months |
|---|---|
| From 1st kup to 1st dan | 6 months |
| From 1st dan to 2nd dan | 1 year |
| From 2nd dan to 3rd dan | 2 years |
| From 3rd dan to 4th dan | 3 years |
| From 4th dan to 5th dan | 4 years |
| From 5th dan to 6th dan | 5 years |
From 4th to 1st kup we also expect you to have been to at least 6 technique trainings and 6 sparring trainings since your last grading.
Dan candidates do technique training and sparring once a week in the run-up to the dan grading. For black belt there is also a physical test and at least one competition.
It is all in the kup and dan curriculum. If you are unsure where you stand, ask your instructor.
The way up
The belts
Kup are the student grades. You count downwards: 10th kup is the first grade, and 1st kup the last one before you can go for black belt.
- Start White belt
- 10th kup Yellow tip
- 9th kup Yellow belt
- 8th kup Orange belt
- 7th kup Green belt
- 6th kup Blue belt
- 5th kup Red tip
- 4th kup Red belt
- 3rd kup 1 black tip
- 2nd kup 2 black tips
- 1st kup 3 black tips
- 1st dan Black belt
The club also has mon grades for our youngest students, with their own order from yellow to black mon. See the curriculum for both systems.
Dan gradings
From black belt upwards
When we have students going for a dan grading, it is held at Taekwondo Life Academy, which the club is part of. It is usually a good run-up with plenty of hard and enjoyable training, ending in the grading itself. Once the candidates have passed, the whole thing finishes with a dinner of Korean food where we celebrate the new dan holders.