As with many martial arts, new students start with a white belt and an all-white uniform (Dobok is the Korean word for the uniform). This is also referred to as the 9th level (Kyp is the Korean word for level, so this is 9th Kyp).

Yellow represents the color of the rising sun. Students are at the dawn of their martial arts career, they are at the beginning of an enriching and fulfilling journey. Many martial arts use yellow as their first belt color. This is 8th Kyp.

The table below shows what is required for the yellow belt test.

Yellow belt with a single black stripe on the end is the next level. At some point in the past, it was decided that there should be a belt level between yellow and green. In order to preserve the original belt color order, it was decided that the level should be indicated with the addition of a black stripe to the yellow belt. This is 7th Kyp.

The table below shows what is required for the yellow belt with a black stripe test.

Green represents the color of new plant growth. Students are starting to grow into martial artists. Once the student has achieved green belt, they are eligible to practice weapons techniques and forms. This is 6th Kyp.

The table below shows what is required for the green belt test.

Blue represents the color of the sky. At this level, the student should now start to appreciate the enormity of the world of martial arts, it is as vast as the sky. Despite all that has been learned thus far, there is still a lifetime of learning ahead. This is 5th Kyp.

The table below shows what is required for the blue belt test.

Blue with a single black stripe. In addition to continuing to acknowledge and appreciate the full scope of Tae Kwon Do and martial arts in general, this phase of a student's training should be one of review and consolidation. All of the skills and techniques that have been learned so far should be continuously improved upon. This is 4th Kyp.

The table below shows what is required for the blue belt with black stripe test.

Red represents the color of blood. At this level, the student is considered to have refined their skills and learned techniques that could be fatal. At this level, the student is expected to have the responsibility, dedication and leadership appropriate for their advanced Tae Kwon Do training. This is 3rd Kyp.

The table below shows what is required for the red belt test.

Red with a single black stripe. As before, in addition to acquiring the new knowledge and skills required, this phase of a student's training should be one of review and consolidation. All of the skills and techniques that have been learned so far should be continuously improved upon. This is 2nd Kyp.

The table below shows what is required for the red belt with one black stripe test.

Red with two black stripes. At this level, the student should be actively involved in teaching Tae Kwon Do to lower-ranked students. Helping other students is strongly encouraged at all levels, but in order to be eligible to test for first degree black belt, at least 30 hours of teaching experience is required.    This is 1st Kyp.

The table below shows what is required for the red belt with two black stripes test.

Black represents the blending of all colors into one. The first degree black belt should be highly competent at all of the skills and techniques required for all of the prior belt levels. The first-degree black belt test is a two-day test, the first behind closed doors and the second in public view as with previous belt-level tests. This is 1st Dan.

The table below shows what is required for the first-degree black belt test.

Of course, Tae Kwon Do training doesn't stop when first-degree black belt is attained. In fact, this level should be considered to be the beginning of a whole new journey with the whole world of martial arts to explore.

At this stage of training, students are strongly encouraged to pursue other martial arts and to bring that expertise back to Evergreen Martial Arts Academy. For instance, a black belt student, while continuing their Tae Kwon Do training, attends Aikido classes. The skills, techniques, training methods and even philosophies that the student learns are then used to augment the student's Tae Kwon Do studies and are passed on to other students.

It should also be made clear that students should continue to improve all of their skills as they progress. Having passed a belt test, the skills required for that test should be practiced regularly and improved continuously, not discarded and forgotten.

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