How to Do Yellow Belt Tai Kwan Do

In tae kwon do yellow represents the earth from which a students skills sprout and grow.

Tae kwon do is a Korean martial art that is the most widely practiced in the United States. In tae kwon do, as in most martial arts, the yellow belt is the first rank above white belt that a student achieves. In tae kwon do the yellow belt represents the earth from which a student's talents will sprout and grow. While most programs introduce a great many techniques to white belts, yellow belt technique is more stringent and involves learning fewer new techniques.

Instructions

1. Learn and practice the Dan-Gun form which consists of 19 movements representing "heaven and earth." Dan-Gun is the form you must master as a yellow belt in order to progress to the next belt level.

2. Master the kicks that coincide with the rank of a yellow belt. These include the rising kick, the inside crescent kick and the outside crescent kick. Rising kicks are thrown from a sparring stance using the back leg with a straight knee. Inside crescent kicks are the same kick thrown from outside to in while outside crescent kicks are thrown from inside to out. In all three kicks, kick with a straight leg and strike with the heel on the way down.

3. Learn and practice the flash self-defense techniques that are inherent to the rank of yellow belt. These techniques include defending from an overhead knife attack and a knife attack that involves an opponent lunging at your midsection. In both techniques the knife must be controlled first before you launch the counterattack against your opponent.

4. Spar against an opponent in a supervised situation. Practice moving, striking and blocking. Concentrate less on power then on launching clean techniques and getting a feel for what it feels like to exchange blows while utilizing your tae kwon do techniques.

Tips & Warnings

• Always stretch before performing any kind of martial arts related activity.

• Be careful when sparring and wear protective padding of some kind.

References

• World Tae Kwon Do