Tae kwon do is a martial art developed in Korea and practiced around the world. Different organizations and associations of tae kwon use varying criteria for advancing through belts and skills for the art, though there also are similarities.
Significance
The yellow belt in tae kwon do represents the earth, or where you grow roots in the world of tae kwon do. The yellow belt is one step up from a white or novice beginner's belt and requires basic skills and abilities to achieve.
Skills
In preparation for earning a yellow belt, you learn to perfect foundations of tae kwon do, such as how to hold your feet and hands in preparation of striking and kicking. You also learn basic stances and blocks. Blocks include the low, middle and high. Early stances such as the chumbi and ready stance are perfected at this stage of training. The horse stance, or juchun seogi, is also taught. It is performed by spreading the feet wide and lowering your body weight until your thighs are parallel to the floor. You also practice the walking stance, which is like taking a regular step, though your forward foot faces slightly outward in preparation for a kick or strike.
Requirements
Before you earn your yellow belt, you need to perform the dan-gun pattern, which consists of 21 moves. You also need to practice and perform one- and three-step sparring. You need to show proficiency with self-defense against basic holds taught to white belts and perform a kick with a knife hand.
Taegeuk
As a yellow belt, you've learned the chon-ji basic pattern of 19 moves. You'll also learn the poomse, or form, called the do-san, depending on which tae kwon do federation or association you belong to. The International Tae Kwon Do Assocation requires you to know the chon-ji, dan-gun and do-san patterns by the time you've completed your yellow belt. The Olympic Tae Kwon Do Federation requires you to know the taegeuk Il jang for the yellow belt. The taegeuk Il jang, or heaven and light, poomse is composed of 21 moves. The pattern is performed in a walk and covers low, middle and high blocks, a high kick with the left and right foot, and several blocking moves with the arms.
Progression
As a yellow belt progressing to your next belt within the International Tae Kwon Do Federation, you need to perform the do-san, a 24-step pattern and one-step sparring. You need to show proficiency in breaking out of holds with kicks and hand strikes, and show adequate self-defense against basic attacks and holds.
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