University of Sydney Taekwondo Club

Gradings (moving up in belt rank) are a measure of your experience in Taekwondo. Your belt determines what skills you are taught and at what level you compete in tournments.

Taekwondo is not casual self defence training; it is a traditional martial art in which students earn the right to learn more advanced techniques by demonstrating their understanding of the skills expected of their belt level.

For students who wish to grade, grading (the exam) is held three times each year, a grading in around week 7 of each semester and a grading at the end of February. To apply to take any grading, students are required to train at least four times per month in the three months before the grading.

Please note that you need a uniform before your first grading, and that a couple of weeks before the grading you will need to fill out the grading application forms. The grades of Taekwondo are:

Kup

Then the ranks proceed from 1st Dan through to 9th Dan Black Belt, with years between gradings instead of months. A commonly asked question is “How long does it take to become a black belt?” It normally takes 3-3.5years to reach 1st Dan, by which point students will have attained a high level of proficiency in all aspects of Taekwondo. However, Taekwondo training doesn’t stop once you reach that level. Keeping fit & healthy, improving skills, tournaments and grading are as good reasons for continuing Taekwondo as they are for starting.

Sydney University Taekwondo Grading Requirment 2008

Kicking and Pattern Requirements (click on pic to englarge)

Sparring, Self-defence and Breaking Requirements (click on pic to englarge)

The belt shown in the tables is the one you are grading from. For example a white belt grading to yellow belt would look at the white belt row to see their grading requirements.

Beginners may find the videos on the Taekwondo NSW Website a useful resource for remembering patterns. Click on the “patterns” link on the left hand side of the page. The best way to learn patterns is to learn from an instructor and have mistakes corrected, but the videos do help as a memory aid.