Proficiency Stripes
Between promotion exams, grading consists of five proficiency belt stripes given out to the students by the instructors. The stripes include:
A sixth black stripe is given to Junior belts by their parents/guardians for attitude at home and in school.
These stripes indicate an expertise and understanding of the required material at your present belt level. A student must earn all stripes to be able to attend the next promotion exam. The instructor issues the coloured stripe to the student when the student proves proficiency at the proper technique. After a successful promotion exam, the student once again begins the journey of learning the new required material for the new belt level and begins earning the coloured stripes again.
These stripes include:
White Stripe - Attitude in the Do Jang
This stripe is given by the instructor when students receive their belt. The student must show proper respect to others in class (instructors and peers), respect the regulations of the Do Jang, have a willingness to learn as well as help others in the class in order to keep this stripe. This stripe can be taken away if the instructor feels that student is not meeting these criteria. Without this stripe, the student cannot test.
Yellow Stripe - One Step Self-defense
For White belts and Yellow Stripe belts - you are required to know the basic punching and kicking drills that we do in class (horse stance, middle punches, high-lifting, front kick, round house kick, side kick and back kick)
Yellow belt and above - you learn a series of one step self-defense moves. As you learn these, you will learn to attack, defend and in some cases, fall correctly.
Green Stripe - Sparring
White belt and yellow stripe belt, sparring is non-contact. This is one of the most important times to be paying attention. It’s at this point you start to work on putting the kicks and punches together in combination. This is also the time that you learn to judge distance against your opponent and learn control.
At half yellow, the sparring is now contact. This is the time to test and try your techniques. The sparring is full contact but with control, which means not with full power. The goal is not to hurt your opponent but to learn how to react against a real opponent.
At each belt level above half yellow belt, you are responsible to show the different techniques that you have learned.
Blue Stripe - Poomse (Pattern)
You are required to know a pattern to achieve the next belt level. A pattern is a series of sequential movements such as blocks, kicks and punches in action and reaction against an imaginary opponent.
Red Stripe - Breaks
One of the things that we do at our school is to take our techniques and put them into practice. We do this by breaking boards. Some may be intimidated by this, but they shouldn't be. If you have the proper technique, form and ‘gi yup’ (the sound made to intimidate your opponent), you will break the board.
Black Stripe - Attitude at Home and at School (Children and Juniors only)
This stripe is required for children and juniors. This is the only stripe that cannot be obtained from an instructor. This stripe must be given by the parent/guardian. They must feel that the student is deserving of this stripe with respect to how the student is in their attitude, whether they are respectful to their parents/guardians, doing their homework, doing their chores, etc. It is the parent that must decide this and is only the parent that can give the stripe. The parent also has the right to take it away.
- White for attitude in the Do Jang
- Yellow for self defense
- Green for sparring technique
- Blue for pattern technique
- Red for breaking technique
A sixth black stripe is given to Junior belts by their parents/guardians for attitude at home and in school.
These stripes indicate an expertise and understanding of the required material at your present belt level. A student must earn all stripes to be able to attend the next promotion exam. The instructor issues the coloured stripe to the student when the student proves proficiency at the proper technique. After a successful promotion exam, the student once again begins the journey of learning the new required material for the new belt level and begins earning the coloured stripes again.
These stripes include:
White Stripe - Attitude in the Do Jang
This stripe is given by the instructor when students receive their belt. The student must show proper respect to others in class (instructors and peers), respect the regulations of the Do Jang, have a willingness to learn as well as help others in the class in order to keep this stripe. This stripe can be taken away if the instructor feels that student is not meeting these criteria. Without this stripe, the student cannot test.
Yellow Stripe - One Step Self-defense
For White belts and Yellow Stripe belts - you are required to know the basic punching and kicking drills that we do in class (horse stance, middle punches, high-lifting, front kick, round house kick, side kick and back kick)
Yellow belt and above - you learn a series of one step self-defense moves. As you learn these, you will learn to attack, defend and in some cases, fall correctly.
Green Stripe - Sparring
White belt and yellow stripe belt, sparring is non-contact. This is one of the most important times to be paying attention. It’s at this point you start to work on putting the kicks and punches together in combination. This is also the time that you learn to judge distance against your opponent and learn control.
At half yellow, the sparring is now contact. This is the time to test and try your techniques. The sparring is full contact but with control, which means not with full power. The goal is not to hurt your opponent but to learn how to react against a real opponent.
At each belt level above half yellow belt, you are responsible to show the different techniques that you have learned.
Blue Stripe - Poomse (Pattern)
You are required to know a pattern to achieve the next belt level. A pattern is a series of sequential movements such as blocks, kicks and punches in action and reaction against an imaginary opponent.
Red Stripe - Breaks
One of the things that we do at our school is to take our techniques and put them into practice. We do this by breaking boards. Some may be intimidated by this, but they shouldn't be. If you have the proper technique, form and ‘gi yup’ (the sound made to intimidate your opponent), you will break the board.
Black Stripe - Attitude at Home and at School (Children and Juniors only)
This stripe is required for children and juniors. This is the only stripe that cannot be obtained from an instructor. This stripe must be given by the parent/guardian. They must feel that the student is deserving of this stripe with respect to how the student is in their attitude, whether they are respectful to their parents/guardians, doing their homework, doing their chores, etc. It is the parent that must decide this and is only the parent that can give the stripe. The parent also has the right to take it away.
