The Meaning of Tae Kwon Do Belt Colors

 

White represents innocence, beginning for a student with no experience in Tae Kwon Do.

Yellow Signifies the Earth from which a plant sprouts and takes root, analogous to a student as the Tae Kwon Do foundation is being laid.

Green is symbolic of a plant’s (student’s) growth as their Tae Kwon Do skills begin to develop.

Blue Represent the Heavens toward which the plant matures into a towering tree, like the growing student as he/she trains and progresses in Tae Kwon Do.

Red Represents danger, cautioning the student to exercise control while also warning the opponent to stay away.

Black the opposite of white; it represents maturity and proficiency in Tae Kwon Do. Black also indicates the student’s imperviousness to the darkness of fear.

The above colors have not been arbitrarily chosen. They are in fact steeped in tradition. The colors of black, red and blue denote the various levels of hierarchy during the Silla dynasty.