of the Belts
- Signifies innocence as that
of a beginning student who has no previous knowledge of the art of Tae
- Signifies earth, a plant sprouts and takes root as the Tae Kwon Do
foundation is being laid.
- Signifies the plant's growth as Tae Kwon Do skills begin to develop.
- Signifies the heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering
tree as the training in Tae Kwon Do progresses.
- Signifies danger, cautioning the student to exercise control and
warning the opponent to stay away.
- Opposite of white, therefore, signifying the maturity of proficiency
in Tae Kwon Do. Also indicates the wearer's imperviousness to darkness
of the Hyungs (Forms)
Chon-Ji (perform as a
(19 movements) means literally 'Heaven and Earth', and in the Orient is
interpreted as the creation of the world and the beginning of human
history. Therefore, it is the initial pattern learned by the beginner.
The pattern consists of two parts – one to represent heaven, the other,
a yellow belt)
(21 movements) is named after the Holy Dan-Gun, the legendary founder
of Korea in the year 2333 BC
an orange belt)
(24 movements) is the pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang Ho (1876 –
1938) who devoted his life to furthering the education of Korea and its
a green belt)
(28 movements) was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla
Dynasty in the year 686 AD.
a blue belt)
(38 movements) is the pseudonym of the great philosopher Yi I
(1536-1584 AD) nicknamed the 'Confucius of Korea'. The 38 movements of
this pattern refer to his birthplace on the 38th parallel and the
diagram (+) means scholar.
as a 3rd temporary/permanent
(32 movements) is named after the patriot An-Chung Gun who assassinated
Hiro Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as
the man who played the leading part in the Korean-Japan merger. The
thirty-two movements in this pattern represent Mr. An's age when he was
executed at Lui-Shung Prison in 1910.
a 2nd temporary/permanent
(37 movements) is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th
century AD) an authority on Neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements of this
patter refer to his birthplace on the 37th parallel, and the diagram
(+) means scholar.
as a 1st temporary brown
(29 movements) is named after the Hwarangdo youth group which was
originated in the Silla Dynasty around 620 AD This group eventually
became the driving force in the unification of the three kingdoms of
Korea. (Silla, Koguryo, and Baek Je).
as a 1st permanent brown belt)
(30 movements) was the name given to the great Admiral Yi Sun Sin of
the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored
battleship (kobukson) which was the precursor of the present day
submarine in 1592 AD. The reason why this pattern ends up with a left
hand attack is to symbolize his regrettable death, having no chance to
show his unrestrained potentiality checked by the forced reservation of
his loyalty to the king.
as a temporary black belt)
(39 movements) (375-418) Is picked after the famous Gwang-T'o-Wang, the
19th King of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost
territories, including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram ()
represents the expansion and recovery of lost territories. The 39
movements refer to his reign for 39 years.
as a 1st Dan black belt)
(36 movements) (1337-1392) Is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong
Mong-Chu who was a famous poet and whose poem "I would not serve a
second master though I might be crucified a hundred times" is known by
every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of physics. The
diagram (-) represents his unerring loyalty to the king and country
towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.
as a 1st Dan black belt)
(44 movements) (?-660 AD) Is named after Gae-Baek, a great general in
the Baek-Je Dynasty (600 AD). The diagram represents his severe and
strict military discipline.
as a 2nd Dan black belt)
(45 movements) Is the pseudonym of Son Byong Hi, leader of the Korean
independence movements on March 1, 1919. The 45 movements relate to his
age when he changed the name of Dong Hak (Oriental Culture) to Chondo
Kyo (Heavenly Way Religion) in 1905. The diagram (I) represents his
indomitable spirit displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity
of his nation.
as a 2nd Dan black belt)
(52 movements) (1567-1596) Is the pseudonym given to General Kim Duk
Ryang who lived during the Yi Dynasty, 15th century. This pattern ends
with a left hand attack to symbolize the tragedy of his death at 27 in
prison before he was able to reach full maturity.
(39 movements) (1882-1950) Is the pseudonym of the patriot Cho Man Sik
who dedicated his life to the independence movement and education of
his people. The 39 movements signify his times of imprisonment and his
birthplace on the 39th parallel.
(33 movements) (March 1, 1919) Denotes the historical date of the
independence movement of Korea which began throughout the country on
March 1, 1919. The 33 movements in the pattern stand for the 33
patriots who planned the movement.
(68 movements) (595-673) Is named after General Kim Yoo Sin, commanding
general during the Silla Dynasty, who unified the three separate
kingdoms of Korea. The 68 movements refer tot he 68 in 688 AD, the year
Korea was united.
(45 movements) (1316-1388) Is named after General Choi Yong, Premier
and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces during the 14th century
Koryo Dynasty. Choi Yong was greatly respected for his loyalty,
patriotism, and humility. He was executed by his subordinate
commanders, headed by General Yi Sung Gae, who later became the first
King of the Yi Dynasty.
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