Kup Grading & Technical Guidance Syllabus. Kibon Il-Jang — the basic pattern. Nothing here is difficult on its own; the work is doing it the same way every time.
White signifies innocence — a student with no previous knowledge of Taekwondo. Everything on this page is a building block for something later, which is why the panel cares far more about how you do it than how hard you do it.
| Syllabus poomsae | Kibon Il-Jang — combined basic movements |
| Time in grade | Not specified — at the instructor's discretion, minimum two sessions per week |
| Grading to | 9th Kup — Yellow Stripe |
| New at this rank | Everything. Attention and bowing, ready position, forward and horse riding stance, the first five kicks |
| Also required | Tuition up to date on the day of testing |
Minimums are not entitlements. Meeting them makes you eligible to be considered. Instructor recommendation is required in every case, and is based on standard rather than on time served.
Techniques are called at the instructor's discretion. Grading depends on attendance and attitude as much as on technique. At this rank a slow, correct technique scores above a fast, wrong one — every time.
The general list is examined first, standing still, before anything moves. Get these wrong and everything built on them is wrong too.
Every sequence is written left-lead — left foot forward — and is mirrored on command. Stances are named by the forward foot: "left Ap Kubi" means the left foot is forward.
Graded on the hip, not the arm. The fist rotates in the last quarter of the travel and the opposite hand returns to the belt at the same instant.
The stance does not rise between repetitions. Graded on whether the knees stay out as the arms work.
The same techniques, now travelling. Step 3 is the whole point — it is the principle the entire syllabus is built on and it is examined again at every grade above this one.
All done from fighting stance, moving forward, resetting to the starting position after each set. Five repetitions each.
The knee comes up before the foot goes out, and the kicking foot returns to the chamber before it lands. Regaining balance is examined as part of the kick — a kick you fall out of has not been performed.
| Syllabus form | Kibon Il-Jang — combined basic movements |
| Movements | 20 |
| Character | One block, one punch, repeated on a simple I-shaped floor line. It teaches block and strike preparation, balance and focus |
| Starts and finishes | Ready stance — Junbi |
Theme at this rank: escaping a wrist grab. Three techniques, and the two rules that make all of them work.
Releases are practised at partner speed with the grip released on request. Nothing at this rank is applied to a joint under load. The throat, neck, temple, eyes and spine are never contacted, at any speed, at any rank.
| Element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Sparring | No-contact sparring — any three techniques, punches and / or kicks |
| Kyukpa — hand | 1 board, palm heel or hammer fist strike |
| Kyukpa — foot | 1 board, side kick or front kick |
| Boards | Rebreakable boards for all candidates under 16 |
| Scoring | On the technique, not the outcome |
| Stop rule | Any candidate reporting hand, wrist or foot pain stops immediately. No marks lost |
No contact at this rank means no contact — distance is the technique being examined. Equipment is mandatory, and candidates are matched by age and weight.
Concussion protocol applies on grading day with no exceptions: Recognise — Remove — Refer — Return.
Answer out loud, finishing with "Sir" or "Ma'am".
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is Taekwondo? | A Korean martial art of kicking and punching. Tae — techniques of the foot, kicking and jumping. Kwon — techniques of the hand, punches, strikes and blocks. Do — the art, the way, the discipline. |
| What is the bow? | An oriental form of greeting and a symbol of respect. |
| Why do you bow? | To show respect. |
| When do you bow? | Entering and leaving the school · entering and leaving the dojang · to the masters · to the instructors · to all other black belts and our fellow students. |
| What is the meaning of the white belt? | It signifies purity — no knowledge of Taekwondo yet. |
| Count from 1 to 10 in Korean | Hana · Dool · Set · Net · Dasut · Yasut · Ilgop · Yodol · Ahop · Yul |
| The tenets and their meanings | Courtesy — treat others with respect. Integrity — do not lie, be fair. Perseverance — never give up. Indomitable spirit — keep a positive attitude. Self-control — control your thoughts, words and actions. |
| Which part of the foot strikes for each kick? | Rising kick — back of the heel. Front snap kick — ball of the foot. Roundhouse kick — instep. Side kick — bottom of the heel. |
| Life skill concept (children only) | Identify, define, and answer questions on the current concept. |
Courtesy — Ye Ui. The first tenet, and the one the white belt is actually graded on.
| Merit stripe | How it is earned at 10th Kup |
|---|---|
| Kicking | The five rank kicks, demonstrated with effort, accuracy and precision |
| Poomsae | Kibon Il-Jang learned to standard, with speed, focus, effort and direction |
| Sparring | Distance held and control shown in no-contact sparring |
| Self-defence & step sparring | The three releases, performed correctly and safely |
| Life skills | Awarded on the parent's word — behaviour at home and school (children only) |
| Physical strength | Set exercises at the instructor's discretion |
| Jump rope | 25 consecutive skips |
| Board breaking | The Kyukpa requirement, demonstrated safely |
You are examined on counting and the commands at this rank. Everything else is here so you meet it early rather than cold.
Ten questions drawn at random from this syllabus, in the areas you are examined on. Nothing here is scored by the school — it is for finding the gaps while you still have time to close them.