On this page you will find all the terminology that students need to know in order to progress through our grading system. Korean terminology is regularly used within our lessons and students are encouraged to learn it.
GENERAL TERMS
| Training Hall | Dojang |
| Training Suit | Dobok |
| Belt | Ti |
| Student | Jeja |
| Attention | Charyot |
| Bow | Kyungye |
| Ready | Junbi |
| Start | Si-Jak |
| Stop | Geuman |
| Low | Najunde |
| Middle | Kaunde |
| High | Nopunde |
| One | Hana |
| Two | Dul |
| Three | Set |
| Four | Net |
| Five | Dasot |
| Six | Yasot |
| Seven | Ilgup |
| Eight | Yodol |
| Nine | Ahop |
| Ten | Yeol |
TENANTS OF TAEKWONDO (JUNGSHIN)
| Courtesy (YE UI) | To be polite to instructors, seniors and fellow students. This extends to outside the dojang to parents, teachers and others. |
| Integrity (Yom Chi) | To be honest with oneself. You must be able to define right and wrong. |
| Perseverance (In Nae) | To achieve a goal, whether it is a higher grade or any technique, you must not stop trying. |
| Self Control (Guk GI) | To lose your temper when performing techniques against an opponent can be very dangerous and shows lack of control. To be able to live, work and training within your capability shows good self control. |
| Indomitable Spirit (Baekjul Boolgool) | To show courage, when you and your principles are pitted against overwhelming odds. |
10th KUP
Sajo Jirugi
4 directional block and punch.
White Belt
Signifies innocence, as that of the beginning student who has no previous knowledge of Taekwondo.
GENERAL
| WHERE DOES TAEKWONDO COME FROM? | KOREA |
| WHAT DOES TAEKWONDO MEAN? | FOOT, FIST, ART |
STANCES
| WALKING STANCE | GUNNUN SOGI |
BASIC MOVEMENTS
| PUNCH | JIRUGI |
9th KUP
Chon-Ji Tul – 19 Movements
Means literally the ‘Heaven and Earth’. It is, in the Orient, interpreted as the creation of the world or the beginning of human history. Therefore, it is the initial pattern played by the beginner. The pattern consists of two similar parts – one represents the Heaven and the other the earth.
Orange belt
Signifies the sun. It represents a sun that is growing in power, warming the earth and preparing it for new growth.
GENERAL
| PATTERN | TUL |
| PRESS-UPS | NOMTONG BACHIA |
PARTS OF THE BODY
| BALL OF FOOT | AP KUMCHI |
| FOOTSWORD | BALKAL |
STANCES
| L-STANCE | NIUNJA SOGI |
BASIC MOVEMENTS
| RISING BLOCK | CHOOKYO MAKGI |
| FOREARM | PALMOK |
| GUARDING BLOCK | DAEBI MAKGI |
| FRONT SNAP KICK | AP CHABUSIGI |
| INNER FOREARM BLOCK | BAKAT PALMOK MAKGI |
| OUTER FOREARM BLOCK | AN PALMOK MAKGI |
8th KUP
Dan-Gun Tul – 21 movements
Dan-Gun is named after the holy Dan-Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year of 2333 BC.
Yellow Belt
Signifies the earth from which a plant sprouts and takes root as Taekwondo foundation is being laid.
PARTS OF THE BODY
| FOOTSWORD | BALKAL |
| KNIFEHAND | SONKAL |
BASIC MOVEMENTS
| KNIFEHAND GUARDING BLOCK | SONKAL DAEBI MAKGI |
| TWIN FOREARM BLOCK | SANG PALMOK MAKGI |
| KNIFEHAND SIDE STRIKE | SONKAL YOP CHIGI |
7th KUP
Do-San Tul – 24 Movements
Do-San is the pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Ch’ang Ho (1876 -1938) who devoted his entire life to furthering the education of Korea and it’s independent movement.
Green Belt
Signifies the plant’s growth as Taekwondo skills begin to develop.
STANCES
| SITTING STANCE | ANNUN SOGI |
PARTS OF THE BODY
| FINGERTIPS | SONKUT |
| STRAIGHT FINGERTIPS | SUN SONKUT |
| BACKFIST | DEUNG JOOMUK |
BASIC MOVEMENTS
| DOWNWARD BLOCK STRAIGHT FINGERTIP THRUST | NAERYO MAKGI SUN SONKUT TULGI |
| WEDGING BLOCK | HECHYO MAKGI |
| RELEASE | JAPPYOSOL TAE |
6th KUP
Won-Hyo Tul – 28 Movements
Won-Hyo was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year of 686 AD.
Green Belt
Signifies the plant’s growth as Taekwondo skills begin to develop.
GENERAL
| BACK | DWI |
PARTS OF THE BODY
| BACK SOLE | DWI KUMCHI |
| BACK HEEL | DWI CHOOK |
STANCES
| FIXED STANCE | GOJUNG SOGI |
| BENDING READY STANCE | GOBURYO SOGI |
BASIC MOVEMENTS
| CIRCULAR BLOCK | DOLLIMYO MAKGI |
| SIDE PUNCH | YOP JIRUGI |
| REVERSE TURNING KICK | BANDAE DOLLYO CHAGI |
5th KUP
Yul-Gok Tul – 38 Movements
Yul Gok is the pseudonym of a great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1538 – 1584 AD) nicknamed the ‘Confucius of Korea.’ The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on a 38 degree latitude and the diagram represents ‘scholar’.
Blue Belt
Signifies the heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering tree as training in Taekwondo progresses.
GENERAL
| JUMPING | TWIGI |
PARTS OF THE BODY
| ELBOW | PALKUP |
| ARC HAND | BANDAL SON |
STANCES
| X-STANCE | KYOCHA SOGI |
BASIC MOVEMENTS
| DOUBLE FOREARM BLOCK | DOO PALMOK MAKGI |
| HOOKING BLOCK | GOLCHO MAKGI |
| UPSET PUNCH | DWIJIBO JIRUGI |
| HOOKING KICK | GOLCHO CHAGI |
4th KUP
Joong-Gun Tul – 32 Movements
Joong-Gun is named after the patriot An Joong-Gun who assassinated Hiro-Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part of the Korea-Japan merger. There are 32 movements in this pattern to represent Mr An’s age when he was executed at Lui-Shung prison (1910).
Blue Belt
Signifies the heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering tree as training in Taekwondo progresses
PARTS OF THE BODY
| SIDE SOLE | YOP BAL BADAK |
STANCES
| REAR FOOT STANCE | DWIT BAL SOGI |
| LOW STANCE | NACHUO SOGI |
BASIC MOVEMENTS
| X-BLOCK | GYOCHA JOOMUK MAKGI |
| PRESSING BLOCK | NOOLLO MAKGI |
| U SHAPE BLOCK | DIGUTJA MAKGI |
| TURNING PUNCH | DOLLYO JIRUGI |
| TWIN UPSET PUNCH | SANG DWIJIBO JIRUGI |
| UPPER ELBOW STRIKE | WI PALKUP TAERIGI |
| DOWNWARD KICK | NAERO CHAGI |
| BACK KICK | DWIT CHAGI |
| PRESSING KICK | NOOLLO CHAGI |
3rd KUP
Toi-Gye Tul – 37 Movements
Toi-Gye is the penname of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th Century AD), an authority on neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on 37 degrees latitude, the diagram represents ‘scholar’.
Red Belt
Signifies danger, cautioning the student to exercise control, and warning the opponent to stay away.
GENERAL
| FLYING | TWIMYO |
PARTS OF THE BODY
| UPSET FINGERTIPS | DWIJIBUN SONKUT |
BASIC MOVES
| W SHAPE BLOCK | SAN MAKGI |
| WAVING KICK | DORO CHAGI |
| FRONT PUSHING KICK | AP CHA MILGI |
| FLYING KICK | TWIMYO CHAGI |
2nd KUP
Hwa-Rang Tul – 29 Movements
Hwa-Rang is named after the Hwa-Rang youth group which originated in the Silla Dynasty about 600 AD. This group eventually became the actual driving force for the unification of the three Kingdoms of Korea. The 29 movement refer to the 29th Infantry Division, where taekwondo developed into maturity.
Red Belt
Signifies danger, cautioning the student to exercise control, and warning the opponent to stay away.
STANCES
| VERTICAL STANCE | SOOJIK SOGI |
PARTS OF THE BODY
| FINGERTIPS | SONKUT |
| INSTEP | BALDUNG |
| REVERSE FOOTSWORD | BALKAL DUNG |
BASIC MOVES
| UPWARD PUNCH | OLLYO JIRUGI |
| VERTICAL KICK | SEWO CHAGI |
| TWISTING KICK | BITURO CHAGI |
1st KUP
Choong-Moo Tul – 30 Movements
Choong-Moo was the given name to the great admiral Yi’ Sun-Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored battleship (Kobukson) which was the precursor of the present day submarine in 1592 AD. The reason why this pattern ends up with a left hand attack is to symbolise his regrettable death, having no change to show his unrestrained potentiality checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the king.
Black Belt
Opposite to white, therefore, signifying the maturity and proficiency in Taekwondo. Also indicates the wearers imperviousness to darkness and fear.
PARTS OF THE BODY
| SIDE FIST | YOP JOOMUK |
| REVERSE KNIFE HAND | SONKAL DUNG |
STANCES
| ONE LEGGED STANCE | WAE BAL SOGI |
BASIC MOVES
| CHECKING BLOCK | MOMCHAU MAKGI |
| DOWNWARD BLOCK | NAERYO MAKGI |
| DOUBLE ARCHAND BLOCK | DOO BANDALSON MAKGI |
| STAMPING KICK | CHA BAPGI |
