Ranks
The ITF ranking system consists of six solid color belts; white, yellow, green, blue, red, and black.
Coloured belt ranks are defined as follows (from lowest to highest rank):
| Grade Level | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th kup | White - Signifies innocence, as that of the beginning student who has no previous knowledge of Taekwon-Do. | |
| 9th kup | White with yellow tag | |
| 8th kup | Yellow - Signifies the earth from which a plant sprouts and takes root as the foundation of Taekwon-Do is being laid. | |
| 7th kup | Yellow with green tag | |
| 6th kup | Green - Signifies the plant's growth as Taekwon-Do skills begin to develop. | |
| 5th kup | Green with blue tag | |
| 4th kup | Blue - Signifies the Heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering tree as training in Taekwon-Do progresses. | |
| 3rd kup | Blue with red tag | |
| 2nd kup | Red - Signifies Danger, cautioning the student to exercise control and warning the opponent to stay away. | |
| 1st kup | Red with black tag | |
| 1st dan | Black - Opposite of white, therefore signifying maturity and proficiency in Taekwon-Do; also indicates the wearer's imperviousness to darkness and fear. | |
| 2nd dan | Assistant Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 2 years) | |
| 3rd dan | Assistant Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 3 years) | |
| 4th dan | International Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 4 years). At this point, a person may become a "SaBum-Nim" | |
| 5th dan | Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 5 years) | |
| 6th dan | Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 6 years) | |
| 7th dan | Master Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 7 years) | |
| 8th dan | Senior Master Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 8 years) | |
| 9th dan | Grand Master |
In certain strains of ITF clubs, Kup is spelled "Gup".
The reason for nine black belt degrees is that the number nine is not only the highest of the single-digit numbers, but also is the number of three multiplied by three. In the Orient, three is one of the more esteemed numbers. The Chinese character for 3 is three horizontal lines, one above the other. The bottom line represents earth; the middle line represents mortals; the upper line represents heaven. It was believed that a man who could unite the three realms in himself, would aspire or be reborn into a king.
Read more about this topic: International Taekwon-Do Federation
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