Here at Fist and Foot we teach the traditional ITF, ‘Chang Hon’ Tae Kwon Do forms, (‘hyung’ in Korean). And we teach self-defense techniques that have “real world” application, right from the start of your or your student’s training. These are things that a student can practice at home with his\her folks, or partner, in the case of adults, that can save their life in many “Stranger Danger” situations. Arts
We teach:
*posture and body positioning
*escapes from some common grabs
*safe and effective striking and kicking
*awareness of physical environment and risk assessment
*verbal self-defense; things to say and how to say them
Here at Fist and Foot, we don’t require our students to learn a ‘form’ or ‘pattern’, known as HYUNG** [in Korean], to achieve a Yellow Belt like most Tae Kwon Do schools. The reason is simple: Learning a form is a lot of work, (especially that ‘first one’) for younger students. **You might have heard the Japanese term: KATA.
Procession of Belts
White Belt
Yellow Belt
Orange Belt
Green Belt
Camouflage Belt
Blue Belt
Purple Belt
Brown Belt
Red Belt
Junior Black Belt, Recommended
Junior Black Belt, Decided
Adult Black Belt, Recommended
Full Black Belt, Decided aka, First Dan/degree
At Fist and Foot Martial Arts (FnF), as my instructors taught me, “Everybody is born a White Belt”. It represents ‘purity of knowledge’ of Tae Kwon Do. When you begin your Martial Arts journey at Fist and Foot, we put a White Belt on you. You have taken the first step.
Here at Fist and Foot Martial Arts, we no longer wear a traditional “Dobak” (Korean) or “Gi” (Japanese). Instead, we wear our black FnF tee-shirt, our black FnF cadet hat, and black tactical pants or shorts; clothes that you might actually wear in your ‘day-to-day’ life. (Black Cargo pants and shorts also work, with the exception of “skater shorts”. They have strings, loops, etc, that hang off them, and are made to be worn “kinda baggy”.)
At most schools, students get their White Belt with their uniform.
According to legend, with the admonition against washing the belt, over time, through both indoor and outdoor training, it would become black. This takes time.
Here at Fist and Foot, it usually takes about 4 or 5yrs of consistent practice to earn a Black Belt. When a student 15yrs or younger tests for their Black Belt, they earn a “Junior Black Belt”. This is a two-step process. (1R [recommended] and 1D (decided). Then, at the age 16, they must test again for their “Full” Black Belt, with the difference between “Junior” and “Full” being their “power of technique”. Currently, there are NO additional fees for Junior Black Belt 1D to Full 1D testing.
Taken from Black Belt Magazine:
“There has been a rule that when the disciple puts on the belt once, he doesn’t take it off throughout all his practice. The kimono is changed because the disciple grows and becomes stronger as well as it gets ruined by frequent training. But what happens with the belt? What makes the belt change color and what meaning does it have? Well, the belt is white in the beginning, but through long training it becomes yellowish (titled-Mudansha) from the disciple’s frequent sweating. As practice was held in nature the belt would become greenish from sweat and grass and later purple, brown from dust and soil while practicing in the yards of a certain school. By the longtime training the belt got soaked with sweat, grass, soil, dust and even with the disciple’s blood becoming dark brown i.e. dirty black (titled-Yudansha). If we have the knowledge of how the colors of the belt were made and how they changed from white to black, we can understand the link between a color and the length of the disciple’s practice and development.”