Mission 6 of 10 Β· 1st geup
Red-Black / Brown β the final approach
Nothing new to learn. Everything to fix.
Depending on the school this is a red belt with a black stripe, a brown belt, or a 'bo-dan' (candidate) rank. The name varies; the job never does β you are being audited on four years of accumulated sloppiness before you are handed a black belt.
The 1st geup period usually runs three to six months and is deliberately uncomfortable. Expect your oldest form to be corrected harder than your newest one, because the mistakes in Il Jang have had four years to set.
Techniques
Stance audit
seogi jeomgeom
Measure your front stance against a taped line. Most 1st geups are 10β15 cm short and have never noticed.
Kick audit
chagi jeomgeom
Every kick, both legs, chambered and re-chambered slowly. Slow motion exposes everything speed hides.
Block preparation
junbi dongjak
The preparation position of every block, checked individually. Missing preps are the most-deducted item on colour-belt-form scoresheets.
Breaking set
gyeokpa gusung
Rehearse the whole sequence in order, including walking to the boards and bowing. Nerves attack the transitions, not the kicks.
Continuous sparring
yeonsok kyorugi
Several rounds back to back against fresh partners. Pace yourself: the panel is watching whether you keep your guard up in round four.
Test-day presentation
dobok jeongdon
Clean uniform, correct patches, belt tied evenly, nails cut, hair tied. Presentation is graded at black-belt level in most schools.
Terms
Quiz
Which is NOT one of the five tenets of taekwondo?