Advancement: the way.
Taekwondo literally means foot-fist-way or the way of kicking and punching but it is more than a martial art of self defense.
Advancing through the art, students will learn self confidence, self control, respect, leadership skills, and hopefully create a strong social bond with their fellow students and instructors.
There are testing oportunities every two to three months. Students who have demonstrated proficiency at their present level will be invited by the Senior Instructor to test for advancement.
At each step along the path, students learn a new form or two and a new set of techniques and combinations. Advancement is based the structure set by General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwondo and the traditions that have been passed down through Master Mike Durkin and his masters before him.
White Belt
Every new student begins as a white belt. White symbolizes innocence and a the absence of knowledge of taekwondo. As a white belt, students will learn how to conduct themselves in the dojang (trainging space), basic techniques and their first form.
Yellow Tip
Tip colors indicate advancement in the direction of the next belt color. Yellow tip precedes yellow belt.
Yellow Belt
Yellow represents earth or ground where the seeds of knowledge have been planted. A firm foundation of taekwon-do has been established.
Green Tip
At this level, students will have learned three forms, twelve one-step sparing techniques, three takedowns, and two basic self-defense techniques.
Students will begin using the basic techniques they've learned to create their own combinations to respond to a punching attacker.
Green Belt
Green represents a new shoot of growth. The seed has taken root and sprouted from the earth.
Students will have demonstrated proficency with many basic techniques and will apply those to create their own combinations for takedowns.
At this step along the path, students may choose to take up weapons training in adition to their hand and foot training.
Blue Tip
At this level, students will have learned five forms, seventeen one-step sparing techniques, eight takedowns, and three basic self-defense techniques.
Blue Belt
Blue is the sky toward which the spout reaches as it aspires to full growth and maturity.
A blue belt will beging to assume some leadership. They may be asked to demonstrate for lower belts. Particularly skillful blue belts may be asked to train lower ranks on basic techniques under the supervision of a blackbelt.
Red Tip
Students will have learned seven forms and all of their basic techniques. Instruction begins on advanced techniques that require more control and skill.
Red Belt
Red represents danger, a warning to others to be cautious and for the student to show control. This is a student who has learned enough taekwon-do to inflict serious damage for whome self-control is a serious matter.
Students may be asked to teach basic techniques and are expected to rolemodel respect and maturity for younger students.
Black Tip
Students will have learned nine forms, basic and advanced self defense, one-steps, three-steps, takedowns, and knife defense.
In preparation for the blackbelt test, students begin to explore what it means to practice taekwondo as a way of living. What they've learned about who they are and what they are capable of strikes a little deeper into their every-day lives.