Testing Requirements
3rd Gup - High Blue Belt
Kicks
- Vertical kick with the footsword
- Vertical kick with the reverse footsword
- Reverse turning kick – to front or side
- Skip twisting kick
- Sweeping kick
- Mid-air 180° back piercing kick (Back leg kicks, turn toward back shoulder)
- Flying crescent kick
- Triple kicks – multiple targets (same kick, same leg, same direction) (See Kicking Terms in the Testing Notes.)
- Three consecutive kicks - multiple targets (same leg, same or different kick) (See Kicking Terms in the Testing Notes.)
Hand Techniques
- Side block with the reverse knife hand
- Upward block with the palm
- Upward strike with the elbow
- Vertical punch with the twin forefists
- Upset punch with the twin forefists
- Rising block with the x-fist
- Pressing block with the palm
- Angle punch with the forefist
- U-shaped block with the arc hands
Stances
Rear Foot Stance
Length
Measured from:
Front
Rear |
1.0 shoulder widths
Tip of big toe
Footsword |
Width
Measured from:
Front
Rear |
0.0 shoulder width
N/A
N/A |
| Weight distribution (front/rear) |
Most of the weight on the rear foot |
| Available facings |
Half |
| Named after |
Rear foot |
- Rear knee is bent so that the kneecap is over the toes of the rear foot.
- Front knee is bent proportionately with the ball of the foot lightly touching the floor.
- Heel of the front foot is above the ground and inside the heel of the rear foot.
- The front foot points 25° in from the front.
- Back foot points 15° in from the side.
Low Stance
Length
Measured from:
Front
Rear |
1.5 shoulder widths
Back heel
Tip of big toe |
Width
Measured from:
Front
Rear |
1.0 shoulder width
Center of instep
Center of instep |
| Weight distribution (front/rear) |
50/50 |
| Available facings |
Full, half |
| Named after |
Front foot |
- Back knee is locked, the front knee is bent so that the kneecap is over the heel of the front foot.
- Front foot points to the front and back foot points no more than 25° from the front.
- Foot muscles are tensed as if to pull the feet together.
Closed Ready Stance B
Length
Measured from:
Front
Rear |
0.0 shoulder width
N/A
N/A |
Width
Measured from:
Front
Rear |
0.0 shoulder width
N/A
N/A |
| Weight distribution (front/rear) |
50/50 |
| Available facings |
Full |
- Both feet are together and parallel.
- Both knees are locked.
- The left hand wraps around the right fist with the left-hand fingertips on the right-hand knuckles.
- The hands are held 6 inches in front of the umbilicus.
Testing requirements reproduced from the Traditional TaeKwon-Do Alliance Testing Syllabus (revised 2023). © 2013–2023 Traditional TaeKwon-Do Alliance, LLC. All rights reserved. See the Testing Notes for age brackets, kicking terms, breaking rules, and community service guidelines.
