Orange Belt
"The sun is beginning to rise. As with the morning's dawn, only the beauty of the
sunrise is seen rather than the immense power."
The beginner student sees the beauty of
the art of Taekwondo but has not yet experienced the power of the technique. Orange is found among the many colors of the
sunrise.
Camouflage (Camo) Belt
Camouflage (greens) is used to hide among the trees in the forest. The sapling is hidden amongst the taller pines and must now fight its way upward."The student begins to realize his/her place in the world's largest martial art. The student must now begin to spar in order to promote in rank.
Purple Belt
"Coming to the mountain. The tree is in the mid-growth and now the path becomes steep."
The student has crossed over over into a higher level of Songahm Taekwondo. The techniques, poom-sae
(forms), and level of gyeo-roo-gi (sparring) becomes more difficult, creating a "mountain" that must be overcome. Mountains are often depicted as
being purple.
Red Belt
"The sun is setting. The first phase of growth has been
accomplished."
The first day (the period of time from white belt to red belt) of growth
is coming to an end. The physical skill has been developed but lacks control; therefore, physical and mental discipline must now be achieved. Variations of red are
found among the many colors of the sunset.
"The tree has reached maturity and has overcome the darkness... it must now 'plant seeds for the future.'" The color black is created when all the colors of the light spectrum have been absorbed into an object. That object has "taken control" of the colors and retained them. If one color was to "escape", the object would no longer be black but would appear as that color. The student has mastered the nine geup (grades) of Taekwondo. He/she has "absorbed" all the knowledge of the color ranks and overcome or "mastered" that level or training.