What are the taekwondo belts in order?

There is no single universal order — it varies by association. A common WT/Kukkiwon-style progression is white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red or brown, red-black, then black. The ATA (Songahm) order differs: white, orange, yellow, camo, green, purple, blue, brown, red, red-black, black. ITF schools use a similar set of colors with their own intermediate grades. Always check the specific order your school follows.

How long does it take to get a taekwondo black belt?

For most students training consistently, a first-degree (1st dan) black belt takes about 3 to 5 years, though it varies with the school, how often you train, and your age. Along the way you test for a series of colored belts, each with its own requirements. Black belt is considered a new beginning rather than the finish line.

What is a poom belt in taekwondo?

A poom is a junior black belt for students under about 15. Young students who complete the black-belt requirements earn poom rank (1st, 2nd, or 3rd poom) rather than an adult dan; when they reach the qualifying age, their poom converts to the equivalent dan. It recognizes real black-belt skill while acknowledging the student is still young.

What does dan mean in taekwondo?

Dan means "degree" — the level of a black belt. Black belt starts at 1st dan and runs up through 9th dan (and occasionally a ceremonial 10th). Each higher dan requires more years in grade than the last, so the senior degrees represent decades in the art. Ranks registered with a body like Kukkiwon or World Taekwondo carry international recognition.

Do you have to test for taekwondo belts?

Yes. Unlike some martial arts, taekwondo is built around periodic belt testing. At a test you typically demonstrate your poomsae (forms), basic techniques and terminology, sparring, and — at higher ranks — board breaking, with a testing fee for each. Instructors invite you to test when they judge you are ready, and passing earns the next belt.

Taekwondo belts and dan ranks explained

Few goals in martial arts are as motivating as earning your next taekwondo belt — and few systems cause as much confusion, because the colors and their order vary from one association to the next. Here is the whole picture explained plainly: the colored (geup) belts, how stripes and grades work, the black-belt dan degrees, the kids' poom belts, roughly how long each stage takes, and how belt testing actually works.

The quick version: taekwondo students climb a ladder of colored belts (the geup grades) before reaching black belt, which is 1st dan. The exact colors and order depend on the association — WT/Kukkiwon, ATA, and ITF each differ — but most run roughly white → yellow → green → blue → red → black. A first-degree black belt usually takes about 3–5 years, kids under about 15 earn a junior "poom" black belt that later converts to dan, and every rank is earned by passing a test. Belts come faster than in some arts, so the frequent milestones keep motivation high — especially for kids.

The belt colors (order varies)

The single most important thing to know is that taekwondo has no universal belt order. Different associations use different colors and sequences, so a green belt at one school might sit where a blue belt sits at another. The three biggest systems each have their own ladder:

WT / Kukkiwon-style (common): white → yellow → orange → green → blue → purple → red or brown → red-black → black. Many Kukkiwon schools use a shorter set (white, yellow, green, blue, red, black) with "high" intermediate belts marked by a stripe.
ATA (Songahm): white → orange → yellow → camo → green → purple → blue → brown → red → red-black → black.
ITF: a similar palette — white, yellow, green, blue, red, black — usually with intermediate "tag" grades (a colored stripe on the belt) between the full colors.

The takeaway: don't try to memorize a universal chart, because there isn't one. Ask your school for its exact belt order — that is the only one that matters for you. To understand how these associations differ more broadly, see our ATA vs WT vs ITF guide.

Geup grades and stripes

Below black belt, the ranks are called geup grades (also spelled gup or kup), and they count downward — a beginner might start at 10th geup and work toward 1st geup, the last stop before black belt. Each colored belt corresponds to one or more geup grades.

Many schools split a color into two steps — for example a solid green and a green-with-a-stripe, sometimes called "high green" — or add small stripes and tags to a belt to mark progress between full belt tests. These in-between markers keep motivation up across the months between gradings, which matters most for younger students. The exact number of geup grades — anywhere from about 8 to 11 — depends on the association.

Beyond black: the dan degrees

Once you earn a black belt, you enter the dan grades — the degrees of black belt. Black belt begins at 1st dan and runs up through 9th dan (a few systems recognize a ceremonial 10th). Each step up asks for more time, skill, teaching, and contribution than the last, with minimum waiting periods that lengthen as you climb — often about a year for the first jump and several years each near the top.

As a result, the senior degrees — 7th, 8th, and 9th dan — represent decades in the art and are held by masters and grandmasters. Dan rank certified through Kukkiwon or World Taekwondo carries international recognition. And it is worth remembering that reaching 1st dan is best seen as a new beginning: black belts keep learning for the rest of their journey.

The kids' poom belts

Children cannot hold an adult dan rank, so taekwondo has a junior black belt called poom (품). A young student who completes the black-belt requirements earns poom rank — 1st, 2nd, or 3rd poom — which recognizes genuine black-belt skill while acknowledging their age. When the student reaches the qualifying age (around 15), their poom converts to the equivalent adult dan.

Below poom, kids climb the same colored geup belts as everyone else, usually with extra stripes and encouragement to keep the journey fun and steady. If you have a child starting out, our taekwondo for kids age guide covers what to expect at each stage, and you can browse kids taekwondo programs near you.

How long each belt takes

Timelines vary enormously with how often you train, your age, the school's standards, and the association — so treat these as rough averages, not promises:

Milestone	Typical timeframe (varies by school)
First colored belt	A few months of regular classes
Each colored (geup) belt	Often about 2–4 months, with a test each time
1st dan — black belt	About 3–5 years from white for most steady students
2nd dan	Usually at least a year of black-belt training after 1st dan
Higher dan grades	Progressively longer — several years each at the senior degrees

Add it up and a first-degree black belt is commonly about 3–5 years of steady training. That is quicker than some martial arts, and it is part of taekwondo's appeal — regular, tangible milestones keep students (especially kids) engaged and coming back. There is nothing wrong with progressing slower than average; consistency, not speed, is what carries you to black belt and beyond.

What the colors mean

Many schools teach a symbolic meaning for each color — for example white for a fresh, blank start, yellow for the earth a seed is planted in, green for a growing plant, blue for the sky it reaches toward, red for heat and caution, and black for maturity and the depth of learning that begins at 1st dan. It is a lovely tradition, but the exact symbolism and the order of colors vary by association, so treat it as inspiration rather than a fixed rule.

It is also fair to address a common question head-on: because taekwondo belts can come faster than in some arts, you will occasionally hear talk of "belt mills." The safeguard is simple — choose a school affiliated with a recognized body such as Kukkiwon, World Taekwondo, or the ATA, where the standards behind each belt are real and consistent. Our ATA vs WT vs ITF guide explains those main systems and how to tell a legitimate school apart.

How belt testing works

Unlike some martial arts that promote quietly, taekwondo is built around belt testing (also called grading or a promotion test). Every so often — often every couple of months at the lower ranks — the school holds a test where students demonstrate what they have learned for the next rank. A typical test includes:

Poomsae — the form (pattern) for your grade, performed from memory.
Basics — kicks, strikes, blocks, stances, and Korean terminology.
Sparring — controlled kyorugi, introduced and supervised carefully.
Board breaking and self-defense — at higher ranks, plus one-step sparring (hosinsul).

Pass, and you receive your new belt and often a certificate; most schools charge a testing fee for each grading (see our cost guide). Instructors invite you to test when they judge you are ready, so you are not left guessing. Black-belt tests are longer and more demanding, and passing one can be registered with Kukkiwon or the ATA for recognition anywhere in the world. Browse schools with structured belt testing and poomsae (forms) classes.

New to it all? Read how the main systems compare in our ATA vs WT vs ITF guide, see what to wear in what to wear to taekwondo, or find a free trial near you and take the first step.

Common questions

What are the taekwondo belts in order?: There is no single universal order — it varies by association. A common WT/Kukkiwon-style progression is white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red or brown, red-black, then black. The ATA (Songahm) order differs: white, orange, yellow, camo, green, purple, blue, brown, red, red-black, black. ITF schools use a similar set of colors with their own intermediate grades. Always check the specific order your school follows.
How long does it take to get a taekwondo black belt?: For most students training consistently, a first-degree (1st dan) black belt takes about 3 to 5 years, though it varies with the school, how often you train, and your age. Along the way you test for a series of colored belts, each with its own requirements. Black belt is considered a new beginning rather than the finish line.
What is a poom belt in taekwondo?: A poom is a junior black belt for students under about 15. Young students who complete the black-belt requirements earn poom rank (1st, 2nd, or 3rd poom) rather than an adult dan; when they reach the qualifying age, their poom converts to the equivalent dan. It recognizes real black-belt skill while acknowledging the student is still young.
What does dan mean in taekwondo?: Dan means "degree" — the level of a black belt. Black belt starts at 1st dan and runs up through 9th dan (and occasionally a ceremonial 10th). Each higher dan requires more years in grade than the last, so the senior degrees represent decades in the art. Ranks registered with a body like Kukkiwon or World Taekwondo carry international recognition.
Do you have to test for taekwondo belts?: Yes. Unlike some martial arts, taekwondo is built around periodic belt testing. At a test you typically demonstrate your poomsae (forms), basic techniques and terminology, sparring, and — at higher ranks — board breaking, with a testing fee for each. Instructors invite you to test when they judge you are ready, and passing earns the next belt.