Students who train in any martial art will find there is usually a grading syllabus. Passing the grading enables the student to climb up the belt system, which is a visual indication of achievement and experience. The syllabus is there to ensure that all students who train hard are able to pass at the standardised level.
It is important to remember that students who enter into training are in actual fact in preparation for their black belt whether or not that is the goal intended. Everybody's path is different, but whichever the path the student chooses to take is usually the best for them.
There is a very good rule of thumb when it comes to training
'Failing to prepare is preparing to fail!'
| 9th Kup - Yellow Stripe |  | The colour white indicates that a person is "innocent", has no knowledge of the sport Taekwondo. The white-belt is automatically gained by taking Taekwondo classes. The yellow stripe is an intermediate grade to show the student's level is higher than a basic grade. |
| 8th Kup - Yellow Belt |  | The colour yellow indicates that the person is getting to know the basic techniques, this state is compared to a plant growing its roots. |
7th Kup - Green Stripe |  | |
| 6th Kup - Green Belt |  | The colour green indicates that a student is growing as a Taekwondo student. The colour of the belt is compared to a plant growing its leaves. |
| 5th Kup - Blue Stripe |  | |
| 4th Kup - Blue Belt |  | The colour blue indicates that a student is reaching higher, like a plant that is growing towards the sky. |
| 3rd Kup - Red Stripe |  | |
| 2nd Kup - Red Belt |  | The colour red indicates danger. The student is warned to practice the control of his/her movements. The colour red also warns an opponent. |
| 1st Kup - Black Stripe |  | |
| 1st Dan/Poom |  | Black is the opposite of white and means the maturity of the student in the art. It also is an indication of being impenetrable for fear and darkness. |
| 2nd Dan/Poom |  | |
| 3rd Dan/Poom |  | Third dan is the final stage of a student's path. It is here the student prepares for perhaps one of their most important grades as 4th dan. |
