Contents
The Kukkiwon ladder: geup, poom, dan
| Kukkiwon ladder | Content |
|---|---|
| Geup (10th → 1st) | The colour grades, from 10th geup (beginner) to 1st geup, the last before the black belt. |
| Poom (1st → 3rd) | A dan exam passed before the 15th birthday grades as a poom (junior black belt); poom 1–3 convert to dan at 15. |
| Dan (1st → 9th) | The black-belt grades, issued by Kukkiwon, never by World Taekwondo, which issues no grades at all. |
The FFTDA children's Progression Française
The FFTDA runs children (under 14) on its own Progression Française: 15 keup and 8 colours, from white (15th keup) to red with two black stripes (1st keup); each « stripe » announces the NEXT colour. Keups are passed in the club, before its teacher. The dan itself requires age 14. The two ladders coexist without ever merging: a French child progresses on the Progression Française; then the club chooses the FFTDA's proposed teen and adult ladder (white, then yellow, blue and red, each with up to two stripes) or the international ladder.
Kukkiwon and Progression Française: two ladders, never conflated
10 geup → poom → dan on one side; 15 children's keup on the other, and a poom that becomes dan at 15.
Sources: Kukkiwon (geup/poom/dan promotion rules); FFTDA, Présentation de la Progression Française keup (15 keup / 8 colours, under-14). Paak taekwondo corpus, files 00/02.
What the exam asks
- The grade's taegeuk: one form per keup; 9th→8th = Taegeuk 1, and so on to 2nd→1st = Taegeuk 8; 1st dan presents Koryo.
- Hanbon kyorugi by belt: 1 sequence at white, 2 at yellow, 4 at blue, 4 harder at red, tightening constraints (upper-limb → multiple kicks → turning/jumping).
- Hosinsul by belt: escape only at the first belts, escape + strike at blue, takedown/control at red, and 1st dan requires five escapes on five imposed grips.
keup, geup, Kup: the spelling follows the federation
The same Korean word is written keup at the FFTDA, geup at Kukkiwon (revised romanisation), Kup at the DTU. None is « wrong »: each federation has its house style; use the one of the federation you cite. The DTU, incidentally, accepts Hyong or Poomsae up to 1st Kup; dan exams are Poomsae only.
FAQ
Can my 13-year-old take the black belt?
Why does my club write « keup » and the internet « geup »?
Does World Taekwondo issue dan grades?
Sources
Kukkiwon: geup/poom/dan promotion rules (poom before 15, conversion at 15) and the Taekwondo Textbook. FFTDA: Présentation de la Progression Française keup (15 keup / 8 colours, under-14, club + league validation) and the federal booklet (taegeuk per keup, hanbon and hosinsul per belt, the five-grip 1st-dan exam). DTU: Prüfungsordnung 2024 (Hyong or Poomsae up to 1st Kup). Paak taekwondo corpus, files 00/02/03. Content verified September 2026.