Like many other martial arts, taekwon-do has a teaching system that is partly based on a hierarchical ranking structure.
In addition to expressing technical skills, the various ranks that can be achieved in taekwon-do serve as an incentive for practitioners to keep learning. In taekwon-do, there are 10 kup ranks (colored belts) and 9 dan ranks.
One begins at 10th kup, white belt, and after several years of training can reach 1st dan, black belt, or even higher.
A major misconception is that all black belts are grandmasters. Achieving 1st dan is only the beginning of the journey.
The student's rank also determines their place in the training hall; the highest-ranking student stands at the front right, while the lowest-ranking student stands at the back left. This also gives the student a psychological incentive: they strive to claim that coveted position at the front right.
Grandmasters (9th dan)
In the ITF hierarchy, one earns the title of master (sahyunim) upon reaching 7th dan, and the title of grandmaster (sasung) upon reaching 9th dan. This is the highest possible rank in ITF taekwon-do.
Until the death of General Choi, this rank had been awarded to only a few people, including General Choi Hong Hi himself (†2002), Sasung Park Jung Tae (†2002), Sasung Park Jong So (†2021), Sasung Hwang Kwang Sung (†2023), Sasung Rhee Ki Ha, Sasung Leong Wai Meng and Sasung Charles Sereff (†2022).
Some other grandmasters and pioneers who hold a high rank include the late Grandmaster Park Jung Tae (died in 2002, pioneer of the ITF and founder of the GTF), Jhoon Rhee and Hee Il Cho (founder of AIMA).
Belt Colors
The taekwon-do ranking system consists of 10 kup ranks and 9 dan ranks. The kup ranks correspond to a particular color. The black belt is earned at 1st dan, after which one can progress up to 9th dan. Nine because it is the highest single-digit number.
10th/9th kup (White belt):
The White belt represents purity of soul and spirit. The student is like a blank page and stands at the beginning of taekwon-do's long journey. White signifies innocence, purity, and enlightenment.
8th/7th kup (Yellow belt):
Yellow is the color of the sun that nourishes the plant. Without the sun, the plant cannot continue to grow; metaphorically, in taekwon-do, this means that the student must follow the path of the sun (the teacher) in order to grow.
6th/5th kup (Green belt):
The Green belt represents the developing plant. The roots have taken hold and a foundation has been laid for further development. It symbolizes the desire for knowledge in order to continue growing and master taekwon-do.
4th/3rd kup (Blue belt):
Blue is the color of the sky, toward which the growing plant reaches. The sky is vast and symbolizes the student's steady development as a taekwondoka.
2nd/1st kup (Red belt):
Red is the color of danger. The student already has good physical command of taekwon-do techniques, but must guard against dangers such as unnecessary aggression and a loss of composure and control. The mental aspect of taekwon-do only now begins to come into play.
1st–9th dan (Black belt):
The Black belt reflects the cosmos and universe. The universe is vast, as is complete knowledge of the martial art. Only now does the journey begin, and the taekwondoka must take care not to get lost in the immense darkness.
