The concept of belts
and rank is probably one that most people associate with Taekwondo and martial arts in general, even if they only have a passing
interest in the subject.
In Songahm Taekwondo, our belts reflect a member's proven level of competence and (just as
importantly) the progression of colors reflects an inner journey that never truly ends. Each belt achieved is truly an accomplishment
worthy of respect.
It is also worth noting
that achieving a belt isn't just a matter of "spending enough time" in a previous belt. In order to achieve their next rank,
a student must demonstrate their proficiency in their current belt's techniques, to include Basic Moves, Sparring, and Forms.
ATA
SONGAHM TAEKWONDO BELTS (RANKS)
White Belt
"Pure and without the knowledge
of Songahm Taekwondo. As with the Pine Tree, the seed must now be planted and nourished to develop strong roots."
The
student has no knowledge of Songahm Taekwondo and begins with a clean (pure) slate.
Purity is often signified by the
color white.
Orange Belt
"The sun is beginning to
rise. As with the morning's dawn, only the beauty of the sunrise is seen rather than the immense power."
The beginner
student sees the beauty of the art of Taekwondo but has not yet experienced the power of the technique.
Orange is
found among the many colors of the sunrise.
Yellow Belt
"The
seed is beginning to see the sunlight."
The student begins to understand the basics of Taekwondo.
The sun appears
to be yellow.
Camouflage (Camo) Belt
"The
sapling is hidden amongst the taller pines and must now fight its way upward."
The student begins to realize his/her
place in the world's largest martial art. The student must now begin to spar in order to promote in rank.
Camouflage
(greens) is used to hide among the trees in the forest.
Green Belt
"The
pine tree is beginning to develop and grow in strength."
The student's technique is developing power. The components
of the basic techniques are beginning to work in unison.
As the pine tree develops, it sprouts green
pine needles.
Purple Belt
"Coming to the mountain.
The tree is in the mid-growth and now the path becomes steep."
The student has crossed over over into a higher level
of Songahm Taekwondo. The techniques, poom-sae (forms), and level of gyeo-roo-gi (sparring) becomes more difficult, creating
a "mountain" that must be overcome.
Mountains are often depicted as being purple.
Blue Belt
"The tree reaches for the sky toward new heights."
Having
passed the mid-way point, the student focuses his/her energy upward toward black belt.
The sky appears as blue.
Brown Belt
"The tree is firmly rooted in the earth."
At this point the student has
mastered the basics and developed deep roots in Taekwondo.
Brown is known as an earthy color, such
as dirt.
Red Belt
"The sun is setting. The first phase of growth has been accomplished."
The
first day (the period of time from white belt to red belt) of growth is coming to an end. The physical skill has been developed
but lacks control; therefore, physical and mental discipline must now be achieved.
Variations of red
are found among the many colors of the sunset.
Red/Black
Belt
"The dawn of a new day. The sun breaks through the darkness."
The previous day has ended, giving way
to a new dawn. The student must begin a new phase of training; that of being a black belt.
The red
is the sun (in a sunrise) as it breaks through the black of night.
Black Belt
"The tree has reached maturity and has overcome the darkness... it must now plant
seeds for the future.'"
The color black is created when all the colors of the light spectrum have been absorbed into
an object. That object has "taken control" of the colors and retained them. If one color was to "escape", the object would
no longer be black but would appear as that color. The student has mastered the nine geup (grades) of Taekwondo. He/she has
"absorbed" all the knowledge of the color ranks and overcome or "mastered" that level or training.
The colors of the
spectrum are bound together and are not reflected off an object, resulting in the absence of color which we call black.
