Belt Structure and Symbolism

There are numerous Taekwondo organizations, each with a different system of belt ranks, colors, and color symbolism that may or may not conform to the traditional Taekwondo belt structure. Some organizations have less or more gups and degrees than the traditional nine. Different organizations use different belt colors (some even use a camouflage color). Some use a stripe that runs the length of the belt or use various colored horizontal stripes at the ends of the belt (similar to black belt stripes) to differentiate between ranks of the same color. Short gold stripes at the tips of black belts signify the degree levels.

Note: The symbolisms and meanings described below are not necessarily those espoused any organization. 

The symbolism and meaning for each belt in the following descriptions relate a student's growth in Taekwondo knowledge and skills to the growth of a oak seed into a mighty oak tree