Taekwondo belt order: every color, gup and dan in order
Taekwondo belt order from white to black: the common color chart, the ten gup grades, poom and dan ranks, stripes, and how long each step usually takes.
A common taekwondo belt order is white, yellow, green, blue, red, then black. Those six colors are spread across ten color grades, called gups, which count down from 10th gup (a new white belt) to 1st gup, the step before black belt. Each dojang fills the gaps differently, with stripes, tips or extra colors, so the order that counts is the one in your own dojang’s syllabus.
The common order at a glance: 1. White, 2. Yellow, 3. Green, 4. Blue, 5. Red, 6. Black.
This guide covers the common chart, how gup and dan work, the junior poom rank, what ITF taekwondo schools do differently, how long each step usually takes, and what a taekwondo school owner should set up so testing runs smoothly.
The common taekwondo belt chart
Most taekwondo schools in both the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo) and ITF traditions build on these colors. The gup numbers below are a pattern, not a rule: some taekwondo schools give each gup its own color, others use stripes between colors.
| Order | Belt | Gup range (varies) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | 10th gup, a beginner |
| 2 | Yellow | Around 9th to 8th gup |
| 3 | Green | Around 7th to 6th gup |
| 4 | Blue | Around 5th to 4th gup |
| 5 | Red | Around 3rd to 1st gup |
| 6 | Black | 1st dan (or 1st poom under age 15) and above |
Wikipedia’s taekwondo article puts it plainly: taekwondo ranks “vary from style to style and are not standardized.” Kukkiwon certifies black belt ranks; it does not dictate one color chart for the gups below them.
Common variations
You will see these in many taekwondo schools, especially in the US:
- Orange between white and yellow, or between yellow and green.
- Purple between green and blue.
- Brown between blue and red, or in place of red.
- A stripe or tip of the next color between two belts, which turns six colors into ten grades.
- A black stripe on the red belt for 1st gup, or a separate “recommended black belt” step before the black belt test.
None of these is wrong. They exist because ten grades are a long road for a child, and a new color every few months keeps students coming back.
Gup, dan and poom
- Gup (also written geup or kup) are the color grades. They count down, so 1st gup is the highest color grade.
- Dan are the black belt degrees. They count up from 1st dan, and Kukkiwon awards up to 9th dan.
- Poom is the Kukkiwon junior black belt for students under 15. It is often shown as a half red, half black belt. British Taekwondo explains that students 14 or younger receive 1st poom instead of 1st dan. When a poom holder turns 15, the rank can be converted to the matching dan.
Kukkiwon dan ranks and minimum waits
British Taekwondo, a World Taekwondo member association, lists these minimum waits between black belt ranks:
| From | To | Minimum wait |
|---|---|---|
| 1st dan | 2nd dan | 1 year |
| 2nd dan | 3rd dan | 2 years |
| 3rd dan | 4th dan | 3 years |
| 4th dan | 5th dan | 4 years |
| 5th dan | 6th dan | 5 years |
| 6th dan | 7th dan | 6 years |
| 7th dan | 8th dan | 8 years |
| 8th dan | 9th dan | 9 years |
Minimum ages also apply to the higher dan ranks, and Kukkiwon updates its rules from time to time, so check the current Kukkiwon promotion rules through your national association before booking a black belt test.
The ITF belt order
In the International Taekwon-Do Federation tradition, taekwondo schools use the same six colors with a tip of the next color between them. ITF Taekwon-Do lists 10th gup as white and 1st gup as red with a black tip, followed by black belt from 1st to 9th degree.
| Gup | ITF belt |
|---|---|
| 10th | White |
| 9th | White, yellow tip |
| 8th | Yellow |
| 7th | Yellow, green tip |
| 6th | Green |
| 5th | Green, blue tip |
| 4th | Blue |
| 3rd | Blue, red tip |
| 2nd | Red |
| 1st | Red, black tip |
| 1st degree and up | Black |
ITF and Kukkiwon taekwondo schools also test different patterns (tul in ITF, poomsae in Kukkiwon), so a student moving between the two will often re-test rather than keep the same grade.
What the colors mean
The ITF explains the colors as a plant growing: white for a beginner with no previous knowledge, yellow for the earth where the plant takes root, green for the plant’s growth, blue for the sky it grows toward, red for danger (a reminder to stay in control), and black, the opposite of white, for maturity and proficiency. Many Kukkiwon instructors teach a similar story. It is a teaching tradition rather than a rule, and your instructors’ version is the one your students will hear.
How long each belt takes
There is no single answer, because each taekwondo school sets its own testing schedule. British Taekwondo gives a useful benchmark: gradings usually happen about every three months in a club, and reaching black belt takes about three years of training from beginner. Those are typical figures, not minimums.
What changes the pace:
- Training frequency. Two classes a week moves faster than one.
- Age. Children’s programs often add extra steps, so they test more often but travel the same distance.
- Test requirements. Patterns, sparring, board breaking and terminology all have to be ready on test day.
- Time and attendance rules. Many taekwondo schools require a minimum number of classes or weeks at each rank before a student is invited to test.
How testing usually works
A taekwondo color belt test is usually held at the dojang, on a set date, in front of the head instructor or a panel. Students are invited when they meet the requirements, perform their pattern, show basic techniques, spar or demonstrate self-defense, and often break a board. The black belt test is bigger: it may be run with a master of higher dan rank, and the certificate for dan or poom is issued by Kukkiwon (or by the ITF organization) through the dojang’s national association.
For an owner, testing day is also an administrative day: who is eligible, who has been invited, who has paid the testing fee, and which belts to order.
Setting up your belt order in software
Whatever tool you use, set it up the way your syllabus actually works:
- A ladder per program. Tiny tots, kids and adult classes rarely share the same steps.
- Your colors, your stripes, your names, including poom ranks for juniors.
- Eligibility rules from your syllabus: classes attended, time at rank, minimum age.
- A record of every promotion, with the date, so a parent asking “when did she get her green belt?” gets an answer in seconds.
In BlackBeltCRM, each program has its own ranking system. You start from the standard ladder and rename, reorder or add ranks until it matches your syllabus, and the Promotions screen lists the students eligible to test by classes attended or time at rank. Testing fees are set on the rank and billed with tuition, and the belt order for your supplier prints from the students who passed. See belt tracking software for the whole workflow, or taekwondo membership software if taekwondo is your main program.
If you run something other than a martial arts school, ranks are optional, and billing and attendance work the same without them. Try it on your own syllabus with the 14-day free trial.
Belt order guides
- Types of martial arts: the major styles compared
- Karate belt order
- BJJ belt order
- Judo belt order
- Kung fu sash order
Sources: Wikipedia (Taekwondo), British Taekwondo (gradings; a World Taekwondo member association), ITF Taekwon-Do (belt color meanings). Kukkiwon issues dan and poom certificates; check its current promotion rules through your national association.
Questions people ask
What is the taekwondo belt order from lowest to highest?
A common order is white, yellow, green, blue, red, then black. Many taekwondo schools add stripes or tips between those colors, and some add orange, purple or brown, so your own dojang's syllabus is the order that counts.
How many belts are there in taekwondo?
There are usually ten color grades (gups), numbered 10th gup for a beginner down to 1st gup, followed by black belt. How many different colors a taekwondo school uses to show those ten gups varies, commonly from five to ten.
What comes after red belt in taekwondo?
In the common ladder, black belt. Many taekwondo schools have one step in between, often a red belt with a black stripe or tip at 1st gup, and students under 15 in the Kukkiwon system receive a poom rank instead of a dan.
What is a poom belt?
Poom is the Kukkiwon junior black belt rank for students under 15. It is often shown with a half red, half black belt. When a poom holder turns 15, the rank can be converted to the matching dan.
How long does it take to get a black belt in taekwondo?
Commonly around three years of regular training, with gradings about every three months. British Taekwondo gives those figures as typical, not minimums. Your own instructor sets the pace.
How many dan ranks are there in taekwondo?
Kukkiwon awards nine dan ranks. The minimum wait grows with each one, from one year between 1st and 2nd dan to nine years between 8th and 9th.
Do ITF and Kukkiwon taekwondo use the same belts?
The main colors are the same (white, yellow, green, blue, red, black), but the patterns tested and the naming differ, and ITF taekwondo schools commonly mark the in-between gups with a tip of the next color. Follow your own organization's syllabus.
Can I set my own taekwondo belt order in BlackBeltCRM?
Yes. Each program has its own ranking system. Start from the standard ladder, then rename, reorder or add ranks such as stripes, tips or poom so it matches your syllabus.