Soo Bahk Do uses four color belts before dan rank: white, orange, green, and red, followed by midnight blue at dan level. Students progress through ten Gup (student) levels, counted downward from 10th Gup at white belt to 1st Gup at advanced red belt.

The colors follow the seasons: white is winter, orange early spring, green spring, red summer, and midnight blue autumn — a full cycle of growth rather than a straight line to a finish.

Soo Bahk Do awards a midnight blue belt instead of a black belt. In Korean philosophy, black represents completion and perfection — a color that cannot absorb any more. Because the Moo Duk Kwan holds that a martial artist never stops learning, black would contradict the philosophy of the art.

Midnight blue is dark, but not so dark that it cannot take on more color. It signals that dan rank is a beginning, not an ending. In rank and recognition, a midnight blue belt is equivalent to a black belt in other martial arts.

Stripes mark intermediate Gup ranks within the same belt color. Because there are ten Gup levels but only four color belts, a student earns one or two blue stripes at the end of the belt to show progress without changing belt color.

For example, a green belt with one stripe holds a different Gup rank than a plain green belt, even though both wear green. This is why two students in the same color belt may be working on different requirements.

Gup ranks are the color belt levels, numbered from 10th Gup (beginner) down to 1st Gup. Dan ranks begin at midnight blue and are numbered upward — 1st Dan (Cho Dan), 2nd Dan (E Dan), and so on.

When a student earns dan rank, they receive a Dan Bon — a permanent registration number recorded with the World Moo Duk Kwan. That number stays with the practitioner for life and identifies them anywhere in the world.

Most students reach dan rank in four to five years of consistent training. The published minimum times between Gup ranks add up to roughly three years at the fastest possible pace, but very few students move at minimum time — and that is by design.

Rough milestones at a typical training schedule: orange belt around 3–6 months, green belt around one year, red belt around two years, midnight blue at four to five years.

Time-in-rank is a floor, not a schedule. Readiness is judged on the quality of the technique, not the calendar.

Soo Bahk Do is a traditional Korean martial art founded by Hwang Kee and governed by the Moo Duk Kwan. It shares historical roots with Tang Soo Do — the Moo Duk Kwan originally used that name — and Soo Bahk Do represents the system as it was later codified under Hwang Kee.

Compared to sport-focused taekwondo, Soo Bahk Do places heavier emphasis on hyung (forms), traditional philosophy, and the internal aspects of training alongside the physical. It is often described locally as “Korean karate” because the movements look familiar to people who know Japanese karate, but the lineage, terminology, and philosophy are Korean.

Gup Shim Sa (color belt tests) are held quarterly at our Salt Lake City dojang. Registration closes seven days before each test date.

Current test dates are announced in the do jang and posted on the Gup test registration page.

Your instructor invites you to test. Students are not permitted to register on their own judgment alone — being recommended for a test means your Sa Bom Nim has already assessed that your technique meets the standard for the next rank.

Four things are considered: you have met the minimum time in your current rank, you can perform the required curriculum for your Gup, your attendance and attitude in the do jang reflect readiness, and your fees are current.

If you are unsure, ask your instructor directly — that conversation is part of the process, not an imposition.

A Gup Shim Sa runs approximately 60 minutes and follows the curriculum categories listed above: basic hand and foot techniques (Gi Cho Soo Gi and Gi Cho Jok Gi), hyung (forms), Il Soo Sik Dae Ryun (one-step sparring), Ho Sin Sool (self-defense), and — depending on rank and age — free sparring and breaking.

Testing is judged on more than whether you remember the movements. Examiners evaluate Weh Gung (external technique), Neh Gung (internal control such as breathing and Ki Hap), and Shim Gung (focus, protocol, and attitude), along with your knowledge of the art’s history and philosophy.

Because students only test when their instructor determines they are ready, most students who test are promoted. When a student is not yet at standard in a particular area, they may receive a conditional pass, where promotion is issued after corrections are made in that area.

A test that does not go perfectly is not a failure of the student. It is information about what to train next.

We do not charge testing fees. Your membership with the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation is the only cost associated with testing, and it is paid directly to the Federation rather than to us.

Many martial arts schools charge a fee for every promotion, which can create pressure to test students on a schedule rather than on readiness. We would rather remove that incentive entirely. When your instructor says you are ready, you test.

Yes. All students must hold a current membership with the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation to test and receive rank certification. Wasatch Martial Arts Academy is a certified school under the World Moo Duk Kwan and is authorized to hold official promotional examinations.

This is what makes your rank internationally recognized rather than a certificate that only means something inside one building.

Wear a clean, complete dobok with your current belt tied correctly, and arrive 10 minutes early to check in and warm up. Bring water.

You do not need to bring sparring gear, and there is no paperwork to bring with you — registration is handled in advance.

New to tying your belt or uniform? See our uniform guide.

Families are welcome to attend and watch. We ask that spectators keep conversation minimal while students are testing and silence phones.

A promotion test is a formal occasion in the Moo Duk Kwan tradition — your quiet attention is part of what makes it meaningful for the students on the floor.

Yes, in some areas. The official World Moo Duk Kwan curriculum includes age-appropriate modifications, which are noted throughout the requirements above — younger students may have optional requirements at lower ranks and modified self-defense and one-step sparring sets.

Breaking (Kyok Pa) is required for every student at the ranks where it appears, regardless of age. The technical standard is not lowered for children; where requirements differ, they are matched to what is safe and developmentally appropriate for a growing body.

Yes. Rank earned at Wasatch Martial Arts Academy is certified through the World Moo Duk Kwan, which means it is recognized at certified Moo Duk Kwan schools worldwide. Dan members receive a Dan Bon recorded in the official registry of the Moo Duk Kwan.

Many martial arts schools issue rank that exists only within that school or that organization. International certification is one of the reasons students choose a certified Moo Duk Kwan dojang.

You can train and test remotely through Digital Dojang, our online platform at dojang.org. Gup (color belt) rank is tested by video submission — you follow the same official World Moo Duk Kwan curriculum shown above, record your requirements, and submit them for evaluation. Successful candidates receive the same internationally recognized rank certification as students testing in Salt Lake City.

Dan testing must be completed in person. Training and preparation for dan rank happen on the Digital Dojang platform, but the examination itself requires travel. This is by design — dan rank is a lifetime credential recorded with the World Moo Duk Kwan, and it is earned on the floor.

Federation membership is required for remote students as it is for everyone. Students in the United States register with the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation; students outside the US obtain membership through their own country’s Moo Duk Kwan organization.

The curriculum standard does not change because the delivery does. Video submissions are evaluated on the same Weh Gung, Neh Gung, and Shim Gung criteria applied in person.

This is built for students without a certified Moo Duk Kwan school nearby, practitioners relocating who want to continue in the same lineage, and instructors seeking authentic curriculum resources. Learn more at Dojang.org.