What the belt colors mean

As you progress through the ranks, the color of your belt will change to reflect your advancement. The belt colors have special meaning. A Taekwondo student is like a seed that is growing, and the colors reflect this growth.

White belt

is a symbol of the beginning student. It signifies purity, innocence, and a new beginning. It is a seed that has not yet begun to grow.

Yellow belt: signifies first light. The first rays of the sun are warming the soil where the seed lies. This is the beginning of growth.

Green belt: signifies the first growth of the "plant". A student is beginning to understand and grow in knowledge.

Blue belt: signifies reaching for the sky. This is a period of unlimited growth.

Red belt: signifies danger and caution. The student has learned enough to be dangerous and needs to continue to learn.

Black belt: is a combination of all colors, and is also a lack of color. It represents all that has been learned thus far and is also a new beginning. A student has been taught the basics, but now is the time to begin to understand what it all means. Acquiring a black belt is not an end, but is a beginning and is considered just a step on a much longer journey.

KYK Belt Rank Promotions

Belt Tests are approximately every 12 weeks at KYK. Prior to the test, Master Kelso and the other instructors meet to discuss which students are ready to test. Many factors are looked at, including student's knowledge and execution of required skills, attendance, attitude and time since last tested. The resulting "Belt Test Eligibility List" is then posted on the bulletin boards inviting eligible students to test for promotion to the next belt rank. Students NEVER decide when they will test. They will be invited to test only when Master Kelso determines they are ready to test.

The Belt Test is administered by Master Kelso and a panel of judges consisting of Black Belt instructors and visiting Masters. Scores from all the judges are tallied and averaged. If the student's score falls within the acceptable range for promotion to a higher rank, the student will receive their new belt in a special belt presentation held in class the following week. If the student does not score high enough to advance rank, he will be offered a chance to test again at the next belt test without any additional fee.

Belt ranks are carefully awarded to ensure a high level of competence and are recognized worldwide. All of our Black Belts are registered with the Kukkiwon, the Taekwondo World Headquarters in Korea.