Green Belt

What Does it Mean?

Meaning of the Green Belt - Green signifies the plant’s growth as taekwondo skills are developing.

When you achieve the rank of Green Belt, you have moved from the beginner into the intermediate class. This means that you have now acquired the basic Taekwondo skills which you are now working to develop.  You will begin to Free Spar and more will be expected of you. Now there will be many students at a lower rank than you, and you will need to set a good example for them. Now that you have the basic skills to begin achieving your goals, you must believe in your abilities and inspire yourself to work hard to achieve these goals. 

At the Green Belt level you will learn three new patterns:

• 1. Yong Gom
• 2. Won Hyo
• 3. Yul Gok

 Many students frequently ask, “Why must we learn patterns; why not just spar?”  Patterns were first developed as a means to practice offensive and defensive moves in a logical sequence.  Until recent years when safety equipment was developed, free sparring was not a safe and enjoyable sport. It was too dangerous to use as a regular training technique. Instead, patterns were developed. When you practice your patterns, consider what move your opponent might have made which you are now countering.  In this way, patterns can come to life for you and become a much more memorable training experience.

In the Choong Sil Kwan system we study 24 traditional patterns, the Chang Han series, developed by General Choi Hong Hi of Korea, the father of modern Taekwondo, and 4 Choong Sil, or discipline, patterns developed by Master Robert H. Hardin, founder of the Choong Sil Taekwondo Federation.

The reason General Choi developed 24 patterns is likened to the 24 hours in a day. Twenty-four represents a complete cycle, his entire life, which he has devoted to the development and spread of Taekwondo.

The four Choong Sil patterns consist of 180 total moves which represent 180 degrees, a half circle, or a complete reversal of direction. With a very small, for example, one degree, change each day, you can attain complete change in only 180 days.

As you can see, patterns are an integral part of our Taekwondo tradition.  They also represent our reward as we advance to new ranks. A student is not entitled to learn a pattern until he has achieved the rank associated with the pattern. In order to learn all the patterns, one must attain the rank of 6th degree black belt. This is a lifetime goal!

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