Green Belt Skills

[nipper219]

I was recently promoted to a green belt from a white belt and I was wondering what kind of skills are required or learned as a green belt? I know it's probably different for each school, but what skills do green belts learn in your school of Taekwondo?

 

[Jared Traveler]

Maybe hop around, throw a kick to the groin, then apologize?

 

[nipper219]

Maybe hop around, throw a kick to the groin, then apologize?

I meant serious green belt skills?

 

[skribs]

It is going to be different for each school. You mentioned in the other thread that everyone learns the same skills. I would assume then that you will continue to work on the same techniques you did as a white belt.

I will answer your question for purple belt in my experience, because purple is the third belt (first after yellow) in my old school.

Purple Belts at my school learned the following:

• Kicking: New footwork (step-and-kick and step-behind side kick). New kick in the back kick. Jumping kicks (jumping front, jumping roundhouse, flying side kick). Students are expected to learn and memorize Sliding Kicks #1-5 and Jumping Kicks #1-3.
• Strikes: In addition to the basic punches we do in the white and yellow belt class, purple belts learn the chop-spin-chop combo.
• Forms: Adults will already know Kibon #1-3 and will learn Kibon #4. Kids will know Kibon #1 and will learn Kibon #2-3. Kibon #2 adds kicks to Kibon #1, Kibon #3 adds a lot more blocks to Kibon #1, and Kibon #4 combines 2 and 3 together.
• Self-Defense: Kids and Adults will both learn "Purple Belt Punch Defense #1-5", however the kids are learning the second set of punch defenses and adults learning the third (because kids start memorizing self-defense at Yellow and adults at White, same as forms). These are more complicated than the previous defenses. Adults will also learn "Straight Grab Defense #1-3", to contrast with the "Cross Grab Defense" series they had at White and Yellow.

Purple Belt is also when you get sparring gear. White and Yellow belts would only do non-contact sparring, in which you take turns moving backward and forward shadowboxing with an opponent just out of range. Purple belts get their sparring gear and do contact sparring, where you're allowed to strike the chestguard and you don't have to take turns or stay in your line anymore.

Another difference is that the Purple and Orange belt class will zip through content that we would do slowly in the White and Yellow Belt class. For example, going into Horse Stance takes a second to do in one motion instead of 5 seconds to do step-by-step. A drill using a roundhouse kick we can describe as "roundhouse kick" instead of "roundhouse kick: chamber, pivot, snap, recoil, and land."

A lot of people quit when they get their purple belt. Because all of a sudden they need to memorize kicks, and the new footwork is hard, and they think they already knew "the form" and now there's more to learn, and they go from being top dog in white and yellow to bottom of the barrel in purple and orange. It's a tough class to teach because you want to push the students, but also don't want them to get too far over their head.

 

[Holmejr]

More advanced than yellow and not quite the skill level of Blue.
My advice would be to observe the upper belts at your school and use them as goalposts…. Only be better.

 

[ninjazz]

The color green is often seen as a representation of growth. In the same way, we give this color to our intermediate students who are working to strengthen and refine their skills. At this stage, we focus on a mix of striking and grappling/wrestling. Students must start practicing at home, which takes discipline.

 

[WaterGal]

Every school is going to be different. At the school I manage, we have TKD students at that level working on turning kicks (back kick, tornado kick, etc), various one-steps, and they're starting to do light head contact in sparring. But you'll need to ask your instructor or see if they have some curriculum outline or videos you can reference.

 

[Alan0354]

It's only color!!! You are who you are, it's all on you. I spent 3 years working very hard on TKD, I was only a red belt. Belt test in my school was pretty much auto pass, you had to FAIL the test. I have my own standard, I skip 2 test every time because I didn't feel I was up to MY standard. I could be advanced Brown easily if I just took the test like everyone else.