How to Get Your Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do

Many people who take up martial arts want to know how long it’s going to take to earn their black belt.  The answer depends on which art you are taking up and also depends on whether you are with ITF or WTF.  In general however, it takes approximately 3-4 years to master everything you need to know to pass the testing and earn your black belt depending on how often you attend class.

Everyone starts at the same point and that is, with their white belt.  Your first belt is a yellow stripe and then you move on to a full yellow belt.  From there, you work on earning your green stripe and then your full green belt, then blue stripe, full blue, red stripe and then full red, first black stripe, second black stripe and then full black.  In general you will spend about 3 months at each of the beginning levels and then as you progress through the belt ranks, it takes a little longer.

Along the way, you will learn so much and have a lot of fun, gain friendships and improve your fitness, become better able to handle stress and manage relationships.  You will learn a variety of several patterns (known as katas in karate), different blocks, strikes, kicks, take downs and sparring.  As you move up through the ranks you will mentor lower belts and may participate in teaching some classes.

Becoming a black belt is not only about getting to wear a piece of black cloth around your waist.  It takes a lot of hard work and commitment to get there.  And once you’re there you will find that you possess a confident and self-assured attitude in almost any situation.  Once you reach the level of black belt is the level where you’ve mastered the basics of Tae Kwon Do.  It’s your first degree black belt and from there, you will want to move on to earning your second degree black belt, third degree and so on.

If you’re looking for a Martial Arts School in Waterloo to study Tae Kwon Do, drop by D’Souza Martial Arts Academy or call 519-725-5550.