Belts show, but they do not prove you know

Within your martial art organization, martial art school, family, friends, and yourself, you may hold a certain rank and have all that rank's responsibilities, privileges, and prestige. However, in the minds of the rest of the people in the world, your rank only means what they think it means. It may mean a lot to them, or it may mean nothing; so do not expect them to treat you any differently than they would treat an ordinary person.

Belt Ranks

Within the Taekwondo belt/rank system, each student who stays in training will:

• Begin training as a 9th or 10th gup (class) white belt,
• Progress through the color gup belts,
• Earn a 1st dan (degree) black belt, and
• May conceivably eventually progress to the highest rank, 9th degree black belt (10th degree is some organizations).
  

Taekwondo belts are divided into three distinct groups:

• White Belt (beginner)
• Color Belts (amateur)
• Black Belts (expert)

Black belt degrees are also divided into three distinct groups:

• Novice. The first group consists of first through third degree black belts, the novice degrees where students are still considered beginners in comparison to the higher degrees.
• Expert. At the fourth degree black belt level, students enter the next group, the expert group (4th and 5th degrees). They are considered expects in the technical aspects in Taekwondo.
• Master. The third group, the sixth through ninth (tenth in some organizations) degree black belts, is considered the master group. They fully understand the mental and physical elements of Taekwondo and have devoted their entire lives to its practice. 
  

Basically, first through fifth degree black belts are awarded based on what the person can do, and sixth through ninth degree black belts are awarded on what the person has done for Taekwondo and the certifying organization.

Ranks below black belt range from 9th (or 10th) gup (lowest) to 1st gup (highest). In contrast, black belts range from 1st dan (lowest) to 9th (or 10th) dan (highest). This means that gups descend from 9 to 1, whereas dans ascend from 1 to 9. This inverted progression stems from the eastern belief that all life develops in, and descends from, heaven; lives on the earth; and then returns to heaven. Nine is the highest single integer in the decimal system and, in some eastern cultures, it represents the highest attainable goal, heaven.

In the Orient, three is the most esteemed of all the numbers. The Chinese character for 3 contains three lines: the upper line symbolizes heaven; the middle line symbolizes mortals; and the bottom line symbolizes earth. Eastern belief was that a king was one who could link these three things (God, mankind, and country) so the Chinese character for three and the one for king are nearly synonymous. As mentioned above, there are three groups of Taekwondo lower belts and three groups of black belts. When the number three is multiplied by itself, the product is nine, the highest integer. Therefore, the numbers three and nine are important in the Taekwondo belt system.

The number nine is interesting in another way. When it is multiplied by any of the integers, and the individual integers of the product are added together, the answer is always nine, for example 9 times 1 equals 9; 9 times 2 equals 18 and 1 plus 8 equals 9; etc. Nine is the only integer having this property. 

Belt Colors

The origin of the colored belts, as well as the significance of the particular colors, is shrouded in mystery and may be permanently lost to history. While Jigero Kano left no documented reason for the various colors he used, he did believe that, if someone achieved a stage higher than tenth dan, then "one transcends such things as colours [sic] and grades and therefore returns to a white belt, thereby completing the full circle of Judo, as of life." The Kodokan decided the belt worn by such a person should be about twice as wide as the ordinary white belt to prevent any novices from mistaking the significance. Kano is the only person the Kodokan ever awarded twelfth dan, or shihan. Therefore, Kano's belt would be a double wide white belt.

As to the white belt being selected as the first belt, the Japanese people have considered white as symbolic of cleanliness and sacredness since ancient times. Therefore, it symbolizes the innocence and virtue of beginners. The white belt may also be related cotton being used to make the Judo uniform. After frequent washing, the natural cotton material tends to turn white. 

As to the color belts, the adoption of court ranks in earliest records of the Japanese imperial sovereignty, the colored caps that denoted their rank, and strong regulations regarding rank relationships during these periods may have influenced Kano to adopt colored belts.

As to the black belt being selected as the high rank belt, some think Kano borrowed the concept from Japanese high school sports where advanced competitors were separated from beginners in swimming tournaments by a black ribbon worn around their waist.

As to the selection of the red/white sectioned belt, the Japanese usually divide groups into red and white sides. This preference comes from the Genpei War, which was a dispute between two rival clans, the Genji and Heike. The Genji used white flags to identify their troops on the battlefield, while the Heike used red flags. In our modern day competitions, we still differentiate the competitors using white and red ribbons.

Kano also studied the I Ching, Book of Changes. The I Ching is basically a collection of moral and political wisdom based on the concept of mutual opposites, referred to as Yin and Yang. Kano's selection of red-and-white colored belts may have been a symbolic representation of the principle of harmony suggested by the balance of Yin and Yang.

Other theories for the origin of the color belts include:

Dyeing Theory. In the old days, as the student progressed in rank, the belt was simply dyed to a new color. This repeated dyeing process determined the colors and the order of colors. Due to the dyeing process, it was practical to use increasingly darker colors so the usual color order is white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, and black.

White-Belt-Getting-Dirtier Theory. Traditionally, when a person began the study of Taekwondo, he or she received a white belt to hold the uniform together. After many months of training, the white would begin to discolor and become yellowish and possibly orange. After many months of rigorous practice, many times in grassy fields, the belt would take on a green appearance as it discolored further. After several years of practice, the belt would further darken, assuming a dark blue or purple hue. After numerous sparring sessions, the belt might develop a red or brown hue from the accumulation of bloodstains. After several decades of Taekwondo training, the belt would eventually turn black. If the student devoted his or her life to Taekwondo training, the belt would continue to darken, but it would also begin to fray and begin to show spots of white from its inner core. Gradually, most of the black would wear away and the belt would become white again, signifying that the student had come full circle and reached the final stage of enlightenment.

Symbolism Theory. The color indicates the rank of the wearer but it is also symbolizes other aspects of eastern philosophy. Belt colors are steeped in tradition. The colors of black, red, and blue denoted the various levels of Korean hierarchy during the Koguryo and Silla Dynasties. Red represents the highest ranks and positions of officials in politics, government, military, and religion. It is the "king's" color and the color of Popes and Cardinals. Diplomats wear red bands across their shoulders and red is used on flags of different nations and on ribbons used for military awards. Some martial art styles consider the red belt as the highest color of achievement.

The color white also had great significance in Korean history. When Tangun, the son of Hwanung, founded Korea under the name of Choson, the name was based on the spirit of worshiping the sun (symbolizing brightness/whiteness). In some religions, a white garment signifies a sinless life. The color white symbolizes birth or beginning, whereas, the color black symbolizes the end. The colors white and black are also linked to the philosophy of Um (Yin)-Yang: the theory of opposites opposing each other while still working in harmony, such as the sun and moon, day and night, and beginning and end. Um-Yang is the ultimate explanation of cosmic order. It explains how everything in the universe both acts and reacts to everything else. White belt students are the opposite of black belt students in Taekwondo knowledge and ability but white and black belts work in concert to increase each other’s knowledge and ability. In the Taekwondo belt system, the colored belts between white and black belts attempt to link the two together in a meaningful way

Sources

Cunningham, D. (2004). Belt Colors and Ranking Tradition. [Online]. Available: http://www.e-budokai.com/articles/belts.htm. [2004, July 1]. 

Basically, first through fifth degree black belts are awarded based on what the person can do, and sixth through ninth degree black belts are awarded on what the person has done for Taekwondo and the certifying organization.

Ranks below black belt range from 9th (or 10th) gup (lowest) to 1st gup (highest). In contrast, black belts range from 1st dan (lowest) to 9th (or 10th) dan (highest). This means that gups descend from 9 to 1, whereas dans ascend from 1 to 9. This inverted progression stems from the eastern belief that all life develops in, and descends from, heaven; lives on the earth; and then returns to heaven. Nine is the highest single integer in the decimal system and, in some eastern cultures, it represents the highest attainable goal, heaven.

In the Orient, three is the most esteemed of all the numbers. The Chinese character for 3 contains three lines: the upper line symbolizes heaven; the middle line symbolizes mortals; and the bottom line symbolizes earth. Eastern belief was that a king was one who could link these three things (God, mankind, and country) so the Chinese character for three and the one for king are nearly synonymous. As mentioned above, there are three groups of Taekwondo lower belts and three groups of black belts. When the number three is multiplied by itself, the product is nine, the highest integer. Therefore, the numbers three and nine are important in the Taekwondo belt system.

The number nine is interesting in another way. When it is multiplied by any of the integers, and the individual integers of the product are added together, the answer is always nine, for example 9 times 1 equals 9; 9 times 2 equals 18 and 1 plus 8 equals 9; etc. Nine is the only integer having this property. 

Belt Colors

The origin of the colored belts, as well as the significance of the particular colors, is shrouded in mystery and may be permanently lost to history. While Jigero Kano left no documented reason for the various colors he used, he did believe that, if someone achieved a stage higher than tenth dan, then "one transcends such things as colours [sic] and grades and therefore returns to a white belt, thereby completing the full circle of Judo, as of life." The Kodokan decided the belt worn by such a person should be about twice as wide as the ordinary white belt to prevent any novices from mistaking the significance. Kano is the only person the Kodokan ever awarded twelfth dan, or shihan. Therefore, Kano's belt would be a double wide white belt.

As to the white belt being selected as the first belt, the Japanese people have considered white as symbolic of cleanliness and sacredness since ancient times. Therefore, it symbolizes the innocence and virtue of beginners. The white belt may also be related cotton being used to make the Judo uniform. After frequent washing, the natural cotton material tends to turn white.