TaeKwonDo Belt Ranking Order – Associations And Times To Black Belt

Kunsan Air Base, Muju, Republic of Korea – Photo By: Senior Airman Taylor Curry

When most parents or prospective students think of the order of belt rankings in TaeKwonDo, they are under the impression that a style with an Olympic Sport must be strictly uniform throughout the world. If not the world, at least in each country in which it is represented there must be one standard, right?

Nope.

There are 3 major associations of TaeKwonDo (WT, ITF, and ATA). Yet, there are also countless independent organizations and groups of schools. All have similar, but differing belt systems and times to black belt. TaeKwonDo is far from having one unified ranking system.

Let’s look at most of the known associations, why they exist, their belt rank progressions, instructor requirements, and how much time it will take for a brand new student to reach the black belt level. We also need to look at what the connection these systems and their ranks have with the International Olympic Committee.

Contents

What Is An Association and Why Do They Have Differing Belt Orders
World TaeKwonDo (WT – Formerly the World TaeKwonDo Federation)
- World TaeKwonDo Belt Ranking Order Variation One:
- World TaeKwonDo Belt Ranking Order Variation Two:
International TaeKwonDo Federation (ITF)
American TaeKwonDo Association (ATA)
American TaeKwonDo Foundation (ATF)
Jhoon Rhee Institute
Traditional Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Association (TTCA)
The TaeKwonDo Belt Ranking Order Takeaway…

What Is An Association and Why Do They Have Differing Belt Orders

TaeKwonDo (‘Foot Fist Way’ in Korean) was not always known by that name. In order to understand why these different names, associations, and rankings exist, it is important to know just a little about where this all started.

Nearly all martial arts came from some military discipline and the Korean arts are no different. The 1st through the 7th centuries A.D. was known as the time of the three kingdoms on the now Korean peninsula.

As the Michigan State University’s website explains: The kingdom of Silla was the smallest of the three so the 24th king established an elite fighting force known as the HwaRang. They devoted every waking moment to the study of the sword, spear, bow, and in a revolutionary move, unarmed combat.

This changed the course of the peninsula’s history. Silla, led by their elite fighting force defeated the other two kingdoms and unified them all into one kingdom they named, Koryo.

During the later Yi Dynasty (1392 A.D. to 1910 A.D.), through a decline in military might, several Japanese invasions led to an eventual occupation of the peninsula by Japan in 1910.

All native competitive sports and martial arts were outlawed. The Japanese martial arts and culture flourished in Korea until they were liberated from Japan in 1945.

How Did the TaeKwonDo Associations Start?

In 1955 a board of historians and instructors along with some politicians decided to unify the Kwans or schools of various martial art training styles that existed in Korea.

They called the unified system TaeKwonDo and the association the Korean TaeKwonDo Association (KTA). It was under the leadership of General Choi Hong Hi. There was some resistance to the move and some acceptance.

For political and personal reasons, General Choi left Korea and started the International TaeKwonDo Federation (ITF). The rest of the schools and groups of the KTA were left to come up with a new association.

How Did TaeKwonDo and Its Ranking System Get Recognized By the Olympic Committee?

In 1973 the World TaeKwonDo Federation (WTF) was established with Kukkiwon as its headquarters in Seoul. This attempt at reunification of the old KTA was met again with acceptance and resistance. But the WTF had one notable advantage. Its appointed president also was a member of the International Olympic Committee.

In connection with the governmental cultural committees of Korea and their marketing branches, the Kukkiwon WTF (Now called just World TaeKwonDo, WT) succeeded in getting TaeKwonDo named as an exibition sport for the 1988 olympic games. TaeKwonDo became an official Olympic medal sport in the 2000 Sydney Games.

This Is Where All The Differences And Associations Come From

As you can imagine, all this unification, disbanding, and reunification left many opponents to the systematization and transformation of their martial arts. Some were opposed for loyalty reasons to instructors, some were against the heavy sport direction, and still others became disgruntled for being left out of the loop.

Today there are many associations, federations, and independent groups, some small, some larger. If you get more than one hundred people together for any reason, it is practically impossible to get 100% of them to agree on anything.

The one unifying factor here on the side of Kukkiwon and the WT is definitely the Olympic sport angle. If anyone wants to be included in the Olympic sport side of TaeKwonDo, then there is one road: Kukkiwon.

The fact is, many don’t want that connection and some even are opposed to the sport central focus altogether.

So, that is why we have so many different belt systems, tournaments, and ranking certifications in TaeKwonDo. If you think that is strange, you should see the article I have for you on the 20 different styles of Karate and their belt ranking order s .

Many parents and students alike falsely believe this is one giant systematized group. Though much may be similar, there is much that is very different.

If you would like an in depth look at how the history of these arts and systems came about in Korea, read Alex Gillis’ book that you can find here on Amazon.

World TaeKwonDo (WT – Formerly the World TaeKwonDo Federation)

In the world of international sport TaeKwonDo, this is the big show. The WT is the association with links to the International Olympic Committee. Its leadership is centralized in Seoul, Korea, at the Kukkiwon. At Kukkiwon all rank certification and large decisions about the art, sport, and those ranked under them are made.

The WT is the organization, understandably, with the largest roster of schools and groups in the world. They have a unified belt ranking system and advancement requirements. There are some variations in the color of the belts that can be made on an individual school level, but mostly the curriculum remains the same.

Just remember, the color of the belts can vary a bit depending on the part of the world and even the school. The requirements though are set by Kukkwon and are centered around the Poomsae (forms or techniques in the air in a pattern) and other base requirements. Kukkiwon official certification is not awarded until black belt. So the color belts are seen as degrees of white belt, much like in most Karate systems.

Let’s look at the belt ranking orders, some of the requirements, and how long it would take a new student to achieve a black belt.

To see a complete list of the best kicking bag options for TaeKwonDo, read my article here.

World TaeKwonDo Belt Ranking Order Variation One:

If you thought at least the leading organization for TaeKwonDo would have one world wide belt ranking system and all would go by it, think again.

World TaeKwonDo Belt Ranking Order Variation Two:

The average student completes a black belt in World TaeKwonDo in 3 years.
Junior or child black belts (under 16 years old) are called Pum instead of Dan ranks.
Assistant instructors in the WT can come from the ranks of 1st – 3rd Dan black belt holders. Instructors must be 4th – 6th Dan and are given Master titles (Sah Bun Nim). Grand Master titles (Kwan Jang Nim) are reserved for the 7th -9th Dan black belt ranks. 10th Dan titles are honorary.

International TaeKwonDo Federation (ITF)

The International TaeKwonDo Federation (ITF) was founded in 1955 by General Choi to promote Korea and its growing national martial art TaeKwonDo. As with other martial arts organizations the ITF oversees testing and rank requirements, coordinates tournaments circuits, and develops international collaborations between countries and organizations.

Due to internal politics withing the organization, there is more than one group that claims the name of International TaeKwonDo Federation. There is one central body in Spain and another based in Korea.

There are differences in forms, sparring rules, breathing training, and emphasis on self defense between the ITF and the WT. From the outside, the organizations and their styles of training do not look that much different, but to those training in TaeKwonDo the differences are fairly significant.

For a student to reach black belt in ITF TaeKwonDo it takes a minimum of 3 years and 7 months.
National instructor levels are 1st – 3rd Dan black belts in the ITF. International instructor levels are 4th – 6th Dan and above. The title junior master is awarded with 7th Dan holders and 8th Dan levels are considered master instructors. Grandmaster titles are given to 9th Dan black belts.
All students under the age of 18 are required to wear a junior black belt.

American TaeKwonDo Association (ATA)

The ATA was founded in Omaha, Nebraska by Haeng Ung Lee. Although it has the American designation in the name, according to its website, they boast 21 countries, 120,000 students in the U.S. and over 300,000 worldwide. This makes it one of the largest organizations in TaeKwonDo and in the top of martial arts organizations around the world.

With international ranking certification comes prestige. This doesn’t matter to some students, but others hold it in high regard. The ATA is known for flashy acrobatics and light show demo teams, point sparring tournaments, and an accessible entry into the martial arts for most anyone.

The ATA, being a business organization as well as a martial arts association has the flexibility to address additional programs within their schools. They have over the years added acrobatic gymnastic style programs, hybrid padded weapons programs, and offered a wide range of options available to a variety of ages and ability levels.

A black belt in ATA TaeKwonDo can be earned in 2.5 to 3 years.
For color belts below brown belt there is an optional half belt system that allows students to learn and show half of the material to earn a ‘Recommended’ level of that belt. When the student next tests, they show the other half to earn the full rank of ‘Decided’.
Students can test for the full ‘Decided’ rank if they can display all of the required material.
For brown belt, red belt, and some of the black belt levels, the half belt ‘Recommended’ and ‘Decided’ system is mandatory.
Board breaking begins at the brown belt level.
Earning a specific level of black belt in the ATA does not confer the office of instructor. A black belt rank and an intensive training is mandated. This is followed by 2-3 years of instructor trainee service under a supervising senior instructor. A minimum of 300 hours of supervised class instruction is required. The title of master is given to 6th Degree black belts and above.

American TaeKwonDo Foundation (ATF)

The ATF is a smaller organization than the three previous, based mainly in the southern United States, but with international reach none the less. It has schools and groups around the world. It was founded by Grand Master Y. S. Chung in Montgomery Alabama in the early 1988.

This system is concentrated on testing four areas: Forms, Predetermined Self-defense Techniques, Sparring, and Board Breaking. It is based on the traditional style of TaeKwonDo instruction.

Note: The average time in grade column here is only a guide. This association like many other traditional TaeKwonDo organizations rely heavily on instructors to decide when the student is ready for promotion.

It takes approximately 3 years to earn a full black belt in the American TaeKwonDo Foundation.
Instructor level begins at Sa Dan rank (4th Degree black belt).

Jhoon Rhee Institute

The Jhoon Rhee Institute is an organization started by the man many have titled the pioneer of TaeKwonDo in America. Few know that many in Russia say the same thing about him for their country. There are more Jhoon Rhee TaeKwonDo Schools in Russia by far than in the U.S.

This is a smaller organization with traditional TaeKwonDo leanings. When this is said, it is usually meant by those claiming it that organizations like the WT have left the original martial art and self defense goals of the Korean striking arts for more of a sport focus.

This may or may not be true, but the idea of taking out techniques that cannot be practiced at full speed on training partners in order to master the ones that can, is not a new idea. Jigoro Kana did the same with Judo. Sport Karate has done this as well.

Jhoon Rhee’s Taekwondo schools however have seemingly gone the way of emphasizing the character and life skills side of the martial arts rather than the sport side. This is not to say they don’t participate in tournaments or sparring practice. They simply emphasis a holistic approach to the martial arts.

It takes approximately 3 – 3.5 years to earn a black belt in Jhoon Rhee TaeKwonDo.
There are series of stripes that are earned between each solid color belt.

Traditional Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Association (TTCA)

I put the TTCA here as another example of the countless small organizations that have formed around the world that have links to Korean martial arts styles and systems that did not follow the larger three at the top of this list. Some have a group of 10 or more schools, and some have hundreds.

This organization was founded in 1996 by Grandmaster Young Sik Choi. His goal, like many others that have established similar associations was to keep the original visions of Korean martial arts that some believe are being lost in an ever increasing push towards sport TaeKwonDo.

For those not looking for the larger sport tournament systems and international recognition, these smaller organizations are usually very friendly to family atmospheres. They tend to center on everyday self defense and character development for its members.

As with many of these smaller organizations, the time between ranks is highly dependent on the instructor. On average you can expect to attain a black belt in associations like the TTCA in 3 to 4 years.
Like with the time in rank requirement, the instructor designation many times is a personal designation directly from ranking instructors in the association. There is a much more personalized feel to groups like the TTCA.

The TaeKwonDo Belt Ranking Order Takeaway…

The largest three of the world’s TaeKwonDo associations and organizations have much in common. All three offer international recognition of rank as well as opportunities for competition on a global scale.

Yet, with all their similarities they also have much that is different. The belt ranking systems are sometimes strikingly changed from one to another. Even the focus of how and what they teach can vary greatly.

Many are at least a little shocked when they find out the great diversity that exists in TaeKwonDo. The ranking systems, the forms, the techniques, and sparring (fighting) styles differ quite a bit.

It is also important to note: It is not correct to exclude Moo Duk Kwan, Chung Do Kwan, and many other of the traditional styles of Korean martial arts from the mix when talking about TaeKwonDo. Just because they haven’t fallen into line with the larger sport oriented systems does not mean they don’t offer their students life changing opportunities.

Rank #	Belt Color	Poomsae – Forms To Achieve Rank	Minimum Time In Grade
10th Gup	No Belt		2 months
9th Gup	White Belt		2 months
8th Gup	Yellow Belt	Taegeuk Il Jang	2 months
7th Gup	Orange Belt	Taegeuk Yi Jang	2 months
6th Gup	Green Belt	Taegeuk Sam Jang	2 months
5th Gup	Blue Belt	Taegeuk Oh Jang	2 months
4th Gup	Purple Belt	Taegeuk Yuk Jang	2 months
3rd Gup	Brown Belt	Taegeuk Chil Jang	2 months
2nd Gup	Red Belt	Taegeuk Pal Jang	4 months
1st Gup	Red Belt Black Stripe	All Previous	4 months
1st Dan	1st Dan Black Belt	Koryo	1 year
2nd Dan	2nd Dan Black Belt	Keumgang	2 years
3rd Dan	3rd Dan Black Belt	Taebaek	3 years
4th Dan	4th Dan Black Belt	Pyeongwon	4 years
5th Dan	5th Dan Black Belt	Sipjin	5 years
6th Dan	6th Dan Black Belt	Jitae	6 years
7th Dan	7th Dan Black Belt	Cheonkwon	7 years
8th Dan	8th Dan Black Belt	Hansu	8 years
9th Dan	9th Dan Black Belt	Ilyeo	9 years

Rank #	Belt Color	Poomsae – Forms To Achieve Rank	Minimum Time In Grade
10th Gup	White Belt		2 months
9th Gup	White Belt Yellow Stripe		2 months
8th Gup	Yellow Belt	Taegeuk Il Jang	2 months
7th Gup	Yellow Belt Green Stripe	Taegeuk Yi Jang	2 months
6th Gup	Green Belt	Taegeuk Sam Jang	2 months
5th Gup	Green Belt Blue Stripe	Taegeuk Oh Jang	2 months
4th Gup	Blue Belt	Taegeuk Yuk Jang	2 months
3rd Gup	Blue Belt Red Stripe	Taegeuk Chil Jang	2 months
2nd Gup	Red Belt	Taegeuk Pal Jang	4 months
1st Gup	Red Belt Black Stripe	All Previous	4 months
1st Dan	1st Dan Black Belt	Koryo	1 year
2nd Dan	2nd Dan Black Belt	Keumgang	2 years
3rd Dan	3rd Dan Black Belt	Taebaek	3 years
4th Dan	4th Dan Black Belt	Pyeongwon	4 years
5th Dan	5th Dan Black Belt	Sipjin	5 years
6th Dan	6th Dan Black Belt	Jitae	6 years
7th Dan	7th Dan Black Belt	Cheonkwon	7 years
8th Dan	8th Dan Black Belt	Hansu	8 years
9th Dan	9th Dan Black Belt	Ilyeo	9 years

Rank #	Belt Color	Tul – Forms To Achieve Rank	Minimum Time In Grade
10th Gup	White Belt	Saju Makgi Saju Jirugi	3 months
9th Gup	White Belt Yellow Tip	Chon-Ji	3 months
8th Gup	Yellow Belt	Dan-Gun	4 months
7th Gup	Yellow Belt Green Tip	Do-San	4 months
6th Gup	Green Belt	Won-Hyo	4 months
5th Gup	Green Belt Blue Tip	Yul-Gok	4 months
4th Gup	Blue Belt	Jung-Gun	4 months
3rd Gup	Blue Belt Red Tip	Toi-Gye	5 months
2nd Gup	Red Belt	Hwa-Rang	6 months
1st Gup	Red Belt Black Tip	Choong-Moo	6 months
1st Dan	1st Dan Black Belt	Kwang-Gae Po-Eun Gae-Baek	1.5 year
2nd Dan	2nd Dan Black Belt	Eui-Am Choong-Jang Juche	2 years
3rd Dan	3rd Dan Black Belt	Sam-Il Yoo-Sin Choi-Yong	3 years
4th Dan	4th Dan Black Belt	Yeon-Gae Ul-Ji Moon-Moo	4 years
5th Dan	5th Dan Black Belt	Seo-San Se-Jong	5 years
6th Dan	6th Dan Black Belt	Tong-Il	6 years
7th Dan	7th Dan Black Belt		7 years
8th Dan	8th Dan Black Belt		8 years
9th Dan	9th Dan Black Belt		9 years

Rank #	Belt Color	Form Learned At Rank	Average Time In Grade
9th Grade	White Belt	Songahm 1 18 moves	2 months
8th Grade	Orange Belt	Songahm 2 23 moves	2 months
7th Grade	Yellow Belt	Songahm 3 28 moves	2 months
6th Grade	Camo Belt	Songahm 4 31 moves	2 months
5th Grade	Green Belt	Songahm 5 34 moves	2 months
4th Grade	Blue Belt	In Wha 1 44 moves	2 months
3rd Grade	Purple Belt	In Wha 2 42 moves	2 months
2nd Grade	Brown Belt	Choong Jung 1 44 moves	2 months
1st Grade	Red Belt	Choong Jung 2 46 moves	4 months
1st Degree	1st Degree Recommended		4 months
1st Degree	1st Degree Black Belt	Shim Jun 81 moves	1 year
2nd Degree	2nd Degree Black Belt	Jung Yul 82 moves	2 years
3rd Degree	3rd Degree Black Belt	Chung San 83 moves	3 years
4th Degree	4th Degree Black Belt	Sok Bong 84 moves	4 years
5th Degree	5th Dan Black Belt	Chung Hae 95 moves	5 years
6th Degree	6th Degree Black Belt	Jhang Soo 96 moves	6 years
7th Degree	7th Degree Black Belt	Chul Joon 97 moves	7 years
8th Degree	8th Degree Black Belt	Jeong Seung 98 moves	8 years
9th Degree	9th Degree Black Belt	Dong Seung 99 moves	9 years

Rank #	Belt Color	Hyung – Forms	Average Time In Grade
9th Gup	White Belt	Ki Bon	3 months
8th Gup	Yellow Belt	Dan Gun	3 months
7th Gup	Orange Belt	Do San	3 months
6th Gup	Light Green Belt	Won Hyo	3 months
5th Gup	Green Belt	Yul Guk	3 months
4th Gup	Blue Belt	Jhoon Gun	3 months
3rd Gup	Purple Belt	Toi Gae	3 months
2nd Gup	Red Belt	Hwa Rang	3 months
1st Gup	Brown Belt	Choong Moo	3 months
Il Dan	Black Belt Recommended	Kwang Gae Yul Guk	3 months
Il Dan	Black Belt Recommended	Kwang Gae Jhoon Gun	3 months
Il Dan	Black Belt Recommended	Kwang Gae Toi Gae Hwa Rang Choong Moo	3 months
Il Dan	1st Dan Black Belt Decided	Poeun Kwang Gae	6 months
Il Dan	1st Dan Black Belt Senior	Poeun Gse Baek	6 months
Yi Dan	2nd Dan Black Belt Recommended	Ko Dang Gae Baek	8 months
Yi Dan	2nd Dan Black Belt Decided	Choong Jang Ko Dang	8 months
Yi Dan	2nd Dan Black Belt Senior	Yoo Sin Choong Jang Ko Dang	8 months
Sam Dan	3rd Dan Black Belt Recommended	Samil Yoo Sin	9 months
Sam Dan	3rd Dan Black Belt Decided	Samil Yoo Sin	9 months
Sam Dan	3rd Dan Black Belt Senior	Ul Ji Samil	9 months
Sam Dan	3rd Dan Black Belt High Senior	Ul Ji Samil Yoo Sin	9 months
Sa Dan	4th Dan Black Belt Recommended	Choi Yong Ko Dang	1 year
Sa Dan	4th Dan Black Belt Decided	Choi Yong Choong Jang	1 year
Sa Dan	4th Dan Black Belt Senior	Choi Yong Yoo Sin	1 year
Sa Dan	4th Dan Black Belt High Senior	Choi Yong Ul Ji Samil	1 year
Oh Dan	5th Dan Black Belt Decided	Moon Moo Gae Baek	1 year
Oh Dan	5th Dan Black Belt Senior	Moon Moo Choong Jang	1 year
Oh Dan	5th Dan Black Belt High Senior	Moon Moo Yoo Sin	1 year
Oh Dan	5th Dan Black Belt Top Senior	Moon Moo Samil	1 year
Oh Dan	5th Dan Black Belt Superior	Moon Moo Choi Yong Il Ji	1 year
Yook Dan	6th Dan Black Belt Master Decided	Yong Gae Ko Dang	1 year
Yook Dan	6th Dan Black Belt Master Senior	Yong Gae Choong Jang	1 year
Yook Dan	6th Dan Black Belt Master High Senior	Yong Gae Yoo Sin	1 year
Yook Dan	6th Dan Black Belt Master Top Senior	Yong Gae Samil	1 year
Yook Dan	6th Dan Black Belt Master Super Senior	Yong Gae Ul Ji	1 year
Yook Dan	Superior	Yong Gae	1 year
Chil Dan	7th Dan Black Belt Master		7 years
Pal Dan	8th Dan Black Belt Master		8 years
Koo Dan	9th Dan Black Belt Grand Master		9 years