Belt Auction

What do the different 'Official' World Taekwondo Federation Black Belts look like?

I just went to an open tournament a few weeks ago and I saw a few people wearing World Taekwondo Federation uniforms. (WTF Patches on V-neck uniforms with black V-trim.) One had a black belt with 5 white stripes embroidered on it. Another guy had a black belt with a red strip running through it. (Someone said he was a 5th dan black belt.) Okay, so if a red strip running the length of the belt is 5th and 5 white strips on the tip is a 5th degree, then which one is 'Official' and what other 'Official' black belt designs are there. In other styles I have seen black belts with two red stripes running the length of the belt. Black belts with a red strip with gold trim running the length; black belts with a white stripe running the length, black belts with an extra wide red stripe running the length of the belt. Since I just started Tae Kwon Do, I would love to know what the office WTF black belt description are. Links are good, but just a brief description will be fine. Thank you! The man wearing the white WTF dobok (Uniform) with the black v-neck adn the black belt with the red stripe running through the center of the belt (NOT half black & half red) was in his early to mid 40's, not a child. So I guess I should have asked, what do each of the 'official' WTF black belts look like. (i.e. a 2nd Dan is a solid black belt with two white stripes at the tip. etc...)

Public Comments

1. black belt with red strip running thru it means that guy is a youth black belt....meaning black belt under 16 of age...he can still be able to get different levels of dan...and once he reach adulthood...he becomes a real black belt with dans...but nowadays...every club has its own style and stuff...like my current club ..kido black belts dun have red strip ... and basically ..only WTF black belt can wear vneck uniform with black trim ...colour belt should not have that with the black trim....and ITF people wear uniforms resemble judo..no vneck uniforms...it's an open robe..
2. The standard should be the all black belt with gold stripes at one of the tip. There are places with slightly different belt systems. But i'm sure kukkiwon standard's the all black with stripes.
3. I think this depends entirely on you club or school. I have seen at least two difrent belt systems at two clubs and both were affiliated with the WTF and the United States Taekwondo Union. The first school was setup as follows: (this was a much old club opened in the early 80's.) 1st Dan - Solid Black no stripes 2nd Dan - Solid Black with 2 white stripes at the tip. 3rd Dan - Solid Black with 3 white stripes at the tip. 4th Dan - Solid Black with 4 white stripes at the tip. 5th Dan - Solid Black with 5 white stripes at the tip. 6th Dan - Solid Black with 6 white stripes at the tip. (The belts did have gold embroidered English and Korean text on them, but the stripes were tape.) The second school: 1st Dan - Solid Black no stripes 2nd Dan - Solid Black with 2 gold embroidered stripes at the tip. 3rd Dan - Solid Black with 3 gold embroidered stripes at the tip. 4th Dan - Black belt with a 1/2 inch Red strip through the center. 5th Dan - Black belt with a 1/2 inch Red strip and 5 gold stripes at the tip. 6th Dan - Black belt with a 1/2 inch Red strip and 6 gold stripes at the tip. 7th Dan - Black belt with a 1/2 inch Red strip and 7 gold stripes at the tip. 8th Dan - Black belt with a 1 inch Red strip through the center. Didn't see anything above 8th Dan, sorry! I hope this helps.
4. WTF patches are sold by most martial arts supplies stores. Anyone can buy them and put them on a uniform. Also, manufacturers who produce V-neck doboks often put a "WTF Approved" square patch at the base of the V-neck trim. These mean nothing -- there is no official WTF uniform. As for WTF belts, there are only SIX approved WTF belts: white yellow green blue red black Those black belts who follow WTF guidelines to the letter will wear plain black belts, whether they are a 1st Dan or a 9th Dan. Grand Master Pak Hae Man, who is a 10th Dan, a WTF Vice President, and head of TKD Chung Do Kwan for the world, wears a plain black belt. Master H.S. Lee, who is the western liaison for the Kukkiwon (headquarters for TKD) also wears a plain black belt. It's other countries that have taken belts and added half ranks and differentiations between dan ranks. I am a USA Taekwondo (USAT) -certified coach and referee, and I have never seen a black belt with white tips, plus the only black belts with red running through it that I've seen have been worn by Pooms (junior black belts, under age 16, as recognized by the WTF, or "Bo Dans" which is a term created by Moo Duk Kwan in the US, wearable by someone between the rank of 1st Gup and 1st Dan/Poom regardless of age). Our association's Black Belts wear plain black belts. At 4th Dan (Master) they wear black belts with a gold stripe that weaves in and out the center of the belt.
5. Belts are not my thing so I can't say but I can give you my view, which I love to do. You will find every color of the rainbow in various combo. because the more belts you have in your system the more tests you have and the more fees you can charge and the more money someone can make. That and let us not forget Ego. The more belts you have the "higher" someone can go and feel better than those of "lesser" belt ranks. Belts = Money and Ego nothing more, nothing less