Belt grades & promotion

TAEKWONDO TRAINING Reading time : 8 min Updated September 6, 2026
Taekwondo has two grade ladders, and conflating them is the classic mistake. Kukkiwon side: 10 colour geup, the poom for a dan passed before 15, then dan 1 to 9. FFTDA side, for under-14s: the Progression Française — 15 keup, 8 colours, stripes that announce the next colour. And one absolute authority rule: WT issues no grades.

The Kukkiwon ladder: geup, poom, dan

Kukkiwon ladderContent
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 right authority for the right job: grades belong to Kukkiwon (and to the national federation for its own promotions), competition rules to World Taekwondo. Citing one for the other's job is the mistake this whole guide fights.

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. Validated by club and league, recorded on the licence. The dan itself requires age 14. The two ladders coexist without ever merging: a French child progresses on the Progression Française, the international ladder takes over after.

Grades · The two ladders

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.

Kukkiwon and Progression Française: two ladders, never conflated Two columns. Left, the Kukkiwon ladder: ten colour geup, then the poom (a dan passed before 15), then dan 1 to 9. Right, the FFTDA children's Progression Française: fifteen keup over eight colours, for under-14s. An arrow links poom to dan at 15. Kukkiwon 10th → 1st geup colour grades Poom 1–3 dan passed before 15 Dan 1 → 9 issued by Kukkiwon conversion at 15 FFTDA — Progression Française (under 14) 15 keup · 8 colours white (15th) → red, two black stripes (1st) stripes = the NEXT colour club + league validation, on the licence World Taekwondo issues NO grades

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.

In a real dojang, classes are also planned BY GRADE — « from 5th keup », black-belt class. Age and grade are two independent axes: never derive one from the other.

FAQ

Can my 13-year-old take the black belt?
A dan exam passed before the 15th birthday grades as a POOM (junior black belt, Kukkiwon), converting to dan at 15. And on the FFTDA side the dan requires age 14 — before that, the child progresses on the Progression Française (15 keup).
Why does my club write « keup » and the internet « geup »?
Same word: keup is the FFTDA spelling, geup the Kukkiwon romanisation, Kup the DTU's. Use the spelling of the federation you are citing.
Does World Taekwondo issue dan grades?
No. WT governs competition; grades belong to Kukkiwon and to your federation's national promotions. A « WT dan » does not exist.

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.

Last updated: September 6, 2026 ID : help.taekwondo.belt-grades-and-promotion