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The black belt is the goal almost every student has from the first day, and reaching it usually takes three to five years of steady training. It is also widely misunderstood. A black belt is not the end of Taekwondo, and in Korea it is not even thought of as expert level. It means the student has mastered the fundamentals well enough to begin the deeper study of the art. This page covers what the black belt means, what the first black belt test includes, what is expected of a new black belt and what comes next.
What the black belt symbolizes
Black is traditionally described as the opposite of white. The white belt was innocence, a student who knew nothing. Black is maturity and proficiency: a student who has grown through every stage, from seed to sprout to tall plant, and who is no longer afraid of the dark. Some instructors add that black is every color mixed together, so the black belt carries all the stages that came before it.
The other meaning instructors repeat is that black belt is a new beginning. First degree is where the student starts learning the black belt forms, refining technique that once felt finished, and teaching others. In Korean, a black belt holder is called yudanja (유단자), literally “a person who has a dan”, which puts the focus on the rank as a starting point on a new ladder.
Poom or dan: two kinds of first black belt
A student who passes the black belt test before age 15 receives a poom (품), and the belt is half red and half black. A student 15 or older receives a dan (단), and the belt is solid black. Both are full black belt ranks registered with the Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo headquarters in Seoul, and a poom converts to the matching dan when the student turns 15. Many parents worry that the poom belt is a lesser rank. It is not. It simply reflects that a child black belt is still a child. Our guide to poom vs black belt explains the difference in detail.
What is on the first black belt test
Black belt tests vary by school, but most include the same main parts:
Basics. Stances, blocks, punches and kicks performed to count, often in long lines across the floor, with examiners watching for clean technique.
Forms. All eight Taegeuk forms are fair game. The examiners usually call out two or three, so a student has to know every one well. Some schools also ask for Koryo, though it is normally the requirement for 2nd dan.
Kicking. Combinations, jumping and spinning kicks, often on pads.
Self-defense. Responses to grabs, punches and sometimes weapons or multiple attackers.
Sparring. Several rounds, sometimes against more than one partner in turn, to test stamina and control.
Breaking. Usually several boards with different techniques, such as a side kick, a spinning kick and a hand strike.
Many schools add an essay, an interview or a short speech, and some hold the test in front of an outside panel. If the rank is being registered with the Kukkiwon, the school submits the result and the student receives an official certificate and a Kukkiwon ID number, recognized in affiliated schools worldwide.
What is expected of a black belt
A black belt is expected to be an example in every class: on time, focused, respectful and willing to help. In most schools, new black belts assist with teaching, run lines of color belts and lead warm-ups. The instructor’s attention shifts from what the student can do to how they carry themselves and how they treat others.
There is also an expectation of humility. A first-degree black belt has learned the alphabet of Taekwondo, not the whole language. Black belts who keep training, keep asking questions and keep polishing their basics are the ones who go on to become masters.
What comes after the first black belt
After 1st dan or poom comes a new set of forms and a much slower ladder. There are nine black belt forms, each one the requirement for the next degree: Koryo (for 2nd dan), Keumgang (3rd), Taebaek (4th), Pyongwon (5th), Sipjin (6th), Jitae (7th), Cheonkwon (8th) and Hansu (9th), with Ilyeo as the final form studied by 9th dan masters. Our step-by-step guide to Koryo covers the first one.
Promotions also slow down. Under Kukkiwon rules a black belt must spend at least one year at 1st dan before testing for 2nd, two years at 2nd before 3rd, and three years at 3rd before 4th, with minimum ages at each step. 4th dan is the traditional rank for becoming a master instructor. The full table of ages and waiting times is in Taekwondo ranks explained.
How long it takes to get here
Most students reach black belt in three to five years, training two or three times a week. Programs that promise a black belt in a year or eighteen months are worth asking questions about. Our guide to how long it takes to get a black belt breaks down the timeline belt by belt.
If you are a parent of a new black belt, the best thing you can do now is encourage your child to keep going. The years right after black belt, when the novelty fades and the training gets deeper, are when many students stop. The ones who continue usually find that Taekwondo becomes more interesting, not less.
Questions parents and students ask
What does the black belt mean in Taekwondo?
Black stands for maturity and calm. It is traditionally described as the opposite of white: the student who knew nothing is now proficient and no longer afraid of the dark. Instructors also stress that first degree black belt is a beginning rather than an end.
What is on the Taekwondo black belt test?
Usually basics, all eight Taegeuk forms (the examiners pick which), kicking combinations, self-defense, sparring and board breaking. Many schools add an essay or interview. For Kukkiwon certification, under-15s test for a poom and 15 and over for a dan.
What form do you learn after black belt?
Koryo is the first black belt form and is required for the 2nd dan or 2nd poom test. After it come Keumgang (3rd), Taebaek (4th), Pyongwon (5th), Sipjin (6th), Jitae (7th), Cheonkwon (8th) and Hansu (9th), and finally Ilyeo, studied at 9th dan.
What does a black collar on the uniform mean?
In Kukkiwon-style schools, a white uniform with a black V-collar is worn by dan holders, and a red-and-black collar by poom holders. Color belts wear an all-white uniform with a white collar.
