King Tiger Martial Arts / Taekwondo

White Belt: Represents the INNOCENCE of the beginner who does not yet have any knowledge of Tae Kwon-Do.

At King Tiger Martial Arts, students begin their training as a white belt. Each student then trains and progresses at his or her own rate in accordance to his or her own desire and ability. During this training process, students develop proficiency at performing Taekwondo techniques, while developing the physical characteristics of strength, stamina, quickness, flexibility, coordination and balance, along with the mental characteristics of patience, humility, self-control, perseverance, concentration, and respect. As students develop these skills they are awarded colored belts to signify their level of knowledge and proficiency. Meanings of each belt are as follows:

Respect

(Toen Kyung)

Patience

(In Nae)

Integrity

(Yom Chi)

Perseverance

(Geuk Ki)

Confidence

(Shin Nyum)

Indomitable Spirit

(Baekjul Boolgool)

Korean Term

DOBOK

DOJANG

GYOROOGI

HOSINSOOL

KI-HOP

KWAN-JANG-NIM

KYONG-YE

POOM

POOMSE

PYONG-HI SOGI

SABOM-NIM

Counting

hana

dul

set

net

dasot

yasot

elgub

yodol

ahob

yol

English Translation

taekwondo uniform

gym for practice

sparring

self-defense

yell of power

master instructor (5th degree)

bow

under 15 years black belt

forms, formal exercises

ready stance

instructor (above 4th degree)

one

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

nine

ten

Yellow Belt: represents the EARTH in which the seed of Tae Kwon Do is planted, symbolising a student’s latent abilities.

Green Belt: Represents a GROWING SHOOT, symbolising the student’s abilities as they start to develop.

Blue Belt: Represents the HEAVENS or SKY toward which the shoot is reaching, as the student attempts to reach beyond competence to excellence.

Red Belt: Represents DANGER, a warning to the students to exercise self-control and for opponents to be aware.

Black Belt: Represents MATURITY, the opposite of the innocence of the white belt.

Tenants of Taekwondo

Taekwondo Belts

Taekwondo Terms

Forms, or Poomses in Korean language, are a series of defending and attacking movements performed against imaginary opponents in a set pattern. Forms serve a multi-dimensional role, aiding in development and refinement of coordination, balance, timing, breath control and rhythm, all of which are essential skills to the Taekwondo student. W.T.F. uses Poomses for patterns. Poomses originate from the book 'I Ching', a Chinese oracle. The I Ching has 64 hexagrams, a combination of two sets of three lines, closed or broken. The sets of three lines are called trigrams. The closed lines represent Yang, the open lines Yin. In the Chinese language, the unity of Yin and Yang is called 'taich'i'. In the Korean language, the unity is called T'ae-guk. This explains the term Poomse Taegeuk.