Belt Grading Syllabus
Nine levels from beginner to Black Belt, and nine levels of Black Belt — the Kukkiwon ranking system as we teach it in Mandeville.
Belt Rank Information
Rank colors and order varies within systems and styles. Typically ranks are divided by the levels prior to Black Belt (color belts, or Kup), and the levels after Black Belt (Poom or Dan) as junior and senior.
World Taekwondo Mandeville uses a 9 Kup system of rank. There are 9 levels from beginner to Black belt and 9 levels of Black Belt. We begin at the larger number for White Belts and count down toward the highest Kup rank. This ranking system is based on Kukkiwon belt ranking.
The Ranks
Every student also works a monthly Character Development sheet — the take-home worksheet that carries merit toward the next belt exam and eligibility for Student of the Month. Open the take-home sheet →
Open any rank to see its syllabus card and what the colour signifies — tap a card to read the full grading syllabus for that rank.
The White Belt signifies innocence as that of the beginner who has no previous knowledge of Taekwondo.
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Signifies the Earth from which a plant sprouts and takes root as the foundations of Taekwondo are laid.
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Signifies growth as the Taekwondo skills begin to develop.
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Signifies the heavens towards which the plant matures as training progresses.
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Signifies Danger cautioning the student to exercise control and opponents to be wary.
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Opposite of white, therefore signifies the maturity and proficiency in Taekwondo; also indicates the wearer's imperviousness to darkness and fear.
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Black, as at 1st Dan — maturity and proficiency in Taekwondo, and the wearer's imperviousness to darkness and fear. The second bar marks the first promotion within black belt: from here the practitioner is a demonstrator of the standard, and may assist with teaching and train as an Instructor.
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Test poomsae: Koryo — the initial poomsae performed by a 1st Degree Black Belt to test for 2nd Degree, with poise and balance. Every Taegeuk form remains examinable.
Under 15: awarded as 2nd Poom under the Kukkiwon standard, converting automatically to 2nd Dan at the required age.
Black, three bars. The last of the assisting-instructor grades in our style — 1st to 3rd degree assist with teaching and train as an Instructor; from 4th degree the title is Master.
Test poomsae: Keumgang — diamond, that which is too strong to be broken; performed by a 2nd Degree Black Belt to test for 3rd Degree, expressing the spiritual strength to cut through all distractions. Koryo and every Taegeuk form remain examinable.
Syllabus not yet published — the 2nd – 3rd Dan material is listed under 2nd Degree above.
Under 15: awarded as 3rd Poom under the Kukkiwon standard, converting automatically to 3rd Dan at the required age.
Dan & Poom
The senior section of ranks is also divided by 9 ranks. Each black belt level is called a degree or dan. The numbering sequence for dan ranks is opposite of the color belts. It begins at first dan and counts up. You can tell which degree someone has earned by looking at their belt — the level is indicated by the number of gold bars.
In our style students with 1st–3rd degrees can assist with teaching and train as an Instructor. An instructor with 4th–6th degrees are considered Master and 7th–9th degrees are referred to as Grandmaster, which also has an age requirement of 40 years minimum. 10th dan rank is sometimes awarded posthumously for a lifetime dedicated to the practice of Taekwondo.
Kukkiwon standard recognizes a rank of black belt for practitioners under the age of 15 called poom. These students have passed dan level tests but will not receive full dan rank until reaching the required age. Poom ranks transition automatically to the equivalent dan rank without any additional levels or testing. World Taekwondo Mandeville follows this standard set by the Kukkiwon.
How Promotion Works
To advance from one rank to the next, students qualify for promotion testing. Each kup level is assigned a minimum length of time practicing, minimum number of classes attended, nine stripes earned, and instructor recommendation. When a student has each of these requirements they are issued a testing application which will need to be filled out and turned in prior to the next available rank testing date. Rank tests are held every 3 months on the condition that the student(s) is/are ready and have completed the requirements on their specific syllabus.
It may take longer for WTM Taekwondo students to qualify for their black belts than some newer, more contemporary taekwondo schools require. We believe that when someone is working towards a black belt faster isn't better. All belts are earned at the individual's pace and are measured by skill and not a timeline. The amount of time someone spends getting to black belt isn't standardized but promotion from one black belt to the next is, and it takes years. In fact, the Kukkiwon style imposes age and time within rank limits on poom and dan promotions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us at worldtaekwondomandeville@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The belt levels in Taekwondo, in ascending order, are white, yellow, green, blue, red, and black.
Sparring is a form of training where students practice Taekwondo techniques in a simulated combat situation.
World Taekwondo Mandeville offers classes for students as young as 5 years old and has no upper age limit.
