General Choi set out five guiding principles that every student should observe in training and in life.
Be polite and respectful to instructors, seniors and fellow students; encourage a sense of justice and humanity.
Know right from wrong and have the conscience to feel guilt when wrong; be honest with yourself and others.
“One who is patient in one thing can be patient in many things.” Pursue your goals without giving up.
Maintain control of body and mind — essential both inside the dojang during sparring and outside it in daily life.
Show courage when faced with apparently impossible odds; stand up for what is right whatever the cost.
I shall observe the tenets of Taekwon-Do.
I shall respect the instructor and seniors.
I shall never misuse Taekwon-Do.
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice.
I shall build a more peaceful world.
Recited at the start or end of training in many ITF schools.
General Choi explained how Taekwon-Do techniques generate power with six principles.
For every force there is an equal and opposite reaction. Pulling the opposite fist back sharply adds power to the striking hand.
Focusing every available force onto the smallest possible target area at the instant of impact maximises pressure and damage.
Balance — keeping the centre of gravity over a stable base — allows techniques to be delivered with full, committed power.
Sharp exhalation at the moment of impact tightens the abdomen, adds power and helps the body absorb a blow.
Bringing maximum body weight into a technique — through hip rotation and the sine-wave motion — increases its force.
The single most important factor: kinetic energy rises with the square of speed, so a faster technique hits far harder.
These principles are unified in the sine-wave motion, a characteristic up-down rhythm of the body (relax–rise–drop) that ITF uses to add mass and momentum to each technique.
Students progress through coloured-belt grades (gup), counting down to 1st gup, then through black-belt degrees (dan), counting up to 9th dan. The belt colours each carry a meaning.
| Belt | Grade | Colour Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| White | 10th Gup | Innocence of the beginner who has no knowledge of Taekwon-Do. |
| White–Yellow | 9th Gup | Transition toward the first stage of growth. |
| Yellow | 8th Gup | The earth, from which a plant takes root as Taekwon-Do foundations are laid. |
| Yellow–Green | 7th Gup | Foundations developing toward the next stage. |
| Green | 6th Gup | The plant's growth as skill begins to develop. |
| Green–Blue | 5th Gup | Skill maturing toward the heights of training. |
| Blue | 4th Gup | The heaven, toward which the plant grows into a towering tree as training progresses. |
| Blue–Red | 3rd Gup | Skill rising toward maturity and the need for control. |
| Red | 2nd Gup | Danger — cautioning the student to control and warning opponents to stay away. |
| Red–Black | 1st Gup | On the threshold of black-belt expertise. |
| Black | 1st–9th Dan | Opposite of white: maturity and proficiency; imperviousness to fear and darkness. |
Exact belt systems and the number of stripes vary between schools and federations. Black belt is awarded in degrees (dan) from 1st to 9th.
A starter glossary of commands and terms heard in an ITF dojang (training hall).
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dojang | Training hall |
| Dobok | Training uniform |
| Ti | Belt |
| Sabum | Instructor (4th–6th dan) |
| Charyot | Attention |
| Kyong-Ye | Bow |
| Junbi | Ready |
| Sijak | Begin / start |
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Goman | Stop / finish |
| Baro | Return to ready |
| Tul | Pattern |
| Matsogi | Sparring |
| Jirugi | Punch |
| Chagi | Kick |
| Makgi | Block |
| Sogi | Stance |
Traditionally, ITF training has five parts:
Fundamentals, patterns, conditioning, sparring and self-defence support one another, and students keep practising all of them. Breaking and special techniques test what you can do, but they are not a substitute for conditioning. Reference: ITF Australia: composition of Taekwon-Do.
Before step sparring, agree on the number of attacks, attacking tools, targets and distance. Work cooperatively and stop on command. Free sparring does not mean unrestricted fighting. Reference: ITF training overview.
For a pattern, check the ready position, direction, stance, attacking or blocking tool, target height, breathing and finish. Get each section right before working on the rhythm of the whole pattern. Afterwards, pick one detail to improve and ask your instructor about it.
Dojang etiquette is part of training: arrive on time, keep equipment clean, bow and respect partners. Agree on contact before partner work and speak up if something hurts. Build conditioning gradually; you do not need to put up with pain or hit hard objects to make progress.