Tae Kwon Do Black Belt Requirements

Once a Tae Kwan Do student has attained the red belt with black stripe, the next step is to receive the first Dan black belt. The test for the black belt is similar to what the student has done before. Like previous belts, it requires knowledge of patterns, sparring, self defense and breaking, as well as studying Yok Sa and writing an essay. However, this final belt will have tougher movements, will involve more sparring and will require even greater knowledge than previous belts.

  1. Pattern

    • To achieve the first degree black belt, the student must complete the Kwang-Gae pattern, which contains 39 movements.

    Sparring

    • A Tae Kwon Do student must complete the one-step sparring (Ilbo Dare Ee On), the two-step sparring (Eebo Dare Ee On), the free sparring (Cha U Dare Ee On) and multiple free sparring.

    Self-defense

    • A candidate for first degree black belt must show he can do self-defense movements against holds, club attacks, knife attacks and against multiple unarmed opponents.

    Breaking

    • The student must complete the Kyuk Pha, breaking a 3-inch board with a kick and a 3-inch board with any hand.

    History and Essay

    • Before a student can be awarded the first degree black belt, the student must do further study into the history of Tae Kwan Do (Yok Sa) and do an essay, typically eight pages long, on what receiving the black belt means to him.