Belt Ranking System

The colors of the belt ranking system are a reflection of the cycles of nature. The first belt color white, represents winter. The second color yellow and third color orange represent early spring. The fourth color green symbolizes springtime. The red belt symbolizes summer and Midnight Blue the fall or harvest time. There are nine ranks before becoming a Dan member (Midnight Blue belt holder) The ranks start at 10th gup. 10th gup is not actually a rank its zero or a beginner. Six of the belt ranks are colors and five are stripes on the belt tip which are midnight blue colored to represent the students Dan (midnight blue belt) potential. When a student reaches 1st Gup he/she is a possible Dan candidate.  After reaching Midnight Blue belt, the Tang Soo Do student then starts a "new beginning" and are called "Cho Dan" which literally means "new beginning".

The Tang Soo Do philosophy considers "black" as a color which does not get darker therefore symbolizing an ending or death, which contradicts the Tang Soo Do philosophy. Midnight blue on the other hand, symbolizes many things; Water, which is necessary for life and growth, the autumn sky, which represents harvest time and the seasons, and much more positive ideals, which are in harmony with the Tang Soo Do philosophy. Midnight Blue is not better than Black, it just represents the Tang Soo Do philosophy more appropriately.

The uniform worn by modern Tang Soo Do practitioners dates back to Korea's ancient warriors. The same uniform was worn by the royal guard of Korea as well as its armies. It is a white uniform with Midnight blue trim all around the borders and sleeves. The White shows our commitment to avoid blood shed and Midnight blue represents our belief that although we have attained a certain level of proficiency, we still realize we have a lot more to learn.