GRADINGS

Belts are awarded after gradings to students to signify their progress at Taekwondo.

The ranking of belts is as follows: white belt, yellow tip, yellow belt, green tip, green belt, blue tip, blue belt, red tip, red belt, black tip, black belt.  All students start as a white belt.  It is helpful to remember that even the grand masters of Taekwondo were once white belts!

To be eligible to attend a grading you need to make sure to pay attention in class and practice at home.   You will need to have attended a minimum of 24 sessions of training after your last grading, to be eligible for consideration to be entered into the next grading.  As you move up the grades, more will be required of you at your grading and in regular training sessions.  As a blue or red belt you may be asked to instruct a small group of junior belts or help with a warm up / cool down. 

Every student has their own strengths and weaknesses, not everyone of a particular grade will have the same level of skill.  What is of most importance is the level of effort put in to training and the progress you make.  Consideration at grading is given to age and disabilities.

What happens during a grading?

A grading is the formal demonstration of your taekwondo skills in front of an examiner, held twice a year.  If successful, you will obtain your next belt or tips. The session will be longer than you are used to. 

Can my family watch my grading?

Families and friends are welcome to come and support you.  It's a good opportunity to demonstrate what you have been learning through the year.  Seating is available on the hall stage. Photos can be taken from the stage during the grading.

How do I prepare for a grading?

The grading will cover all the aspects of taekwondo you practice in training sessions: Patterns, Basics, one-step defences, self-defence, general fitness, sparring and power tests.  The senior belts will be breaking boards.  The instructors will enter you into the grading if they consider you ready.

Before the grading, make sure you have read the requirements for the belt you are wearing. The grading requirements are posted on this page.  If you are unsure of any of the techniques, ask an instructor in the weeks before the grading.

In the weeks before a grading it is important to practice your patterns at home so that you are confident you can perform them accurately on the day (and with your eyes shut, and facing the 'wrong' way!)  You will be asked to demonstrate all the patterns you have learnt.

Payment for the grading ($35 junior belts, $50 senior belts) must be made before the grading, and members must have paid their annual TNZ fee prior to grading.

Tips for the grading

Turn up in good time, bring a full waterbottle, and any protective gear you have, and wear a clean tidy dobok.  Don't worry if you are asked to do a technique you have never done before- just do your best and try it- attitude is important!

I've been awarded a new tip- how do I sew it on?

It’s a good tradition to start sewing on your own belt tips then you will have earnt them in EVERY way!
To make sure your belt is on the correct way, the fold of the belt should be on the top and the seam should be on the bottom.  So put your belt on the correct way up, and the tips are then sewn on the left hand side of the belt (ie YOUR left).
Fold the ribbon in half to find the middle and wrap it around the end of the belt so the Korean writing is on the side that faces forward. Sew on neatly.   If you are unsure, bring to training with some pins and ask an Instructor to pin in the correct position.