At Chung TKD in New Hyde Park, a stripe on your child's belt marks a class in which they reviewed their curriculum with an instructor. Stripes show progress between belt colors. After a set number of classes and stripes, an instructor checks whether your child is ready to test for the next belt.
What does a stripe on a Tae Kwon Do belt mean?
A stripe means your child took a class and reviewed the curriculum for their belt during it. It is the small step between one belt color and the next, and it makes progress visible long before the next test.
How does my child earn a stripe?
By coming to class and working on their belt's curriculum while they're there. Each belt asks for more in six areas: attendance, forms, technique, sparring drills, breaking and terminology. When a class includes a review of that work, your child earns a stripe.
How many stripes before a belt test?
The school doesn't publish a count. Children generally test after a set number of classes and stripes, and then an instructor checks whether they're ready. The check matters more than the count: a child tests when they're ready, not when a tally is full.
What happens if my child isn't ready yet?
They get extra attention. When the readiness check shows a child needs more work, the instructors give them extra help to push them toward the test. Nobody is rushed into a test they aren't ready for.
Are there fixed belt test dates?
Not until brown belt. Below brown belt, your child tests when their instructors say they are ready. From brown belt on, tests are on set dates. Grandmaster Howard Chung runs and oversees every test, the school's instructors demonstrate, and families have a seat and watch. Tests get harder as the belts go up, and black belt tests are a big occasion.
How can I help my child earn stripes?
Come to class regularly and ask about the curriculum. A stripe comes from a class where the curriculum was reviewed, so steady attendance is the simplest help you can give. Ask an instructor after class what your child is working on, and let your child show you at home.
Questions parents ask
Do stripes go on the belt?
Yes. Stripes are marks on your child's belt that show progress between colors.
Does every class earn a stripe?
Not necessarily. A stripe comes from a class where your child reviewed their curriculum with an instructor.
Do stripes mean my child will pass the test?
No. Stripes lead to a readiness check. Below brown belt, your child tests when their instructors say they are ready. From brown belt on, tests are on set dates.
For every belt color in order, with the form for each, read Tae Kwon Do belt colors in order.