Orange Belt

Orange Belt

Overview

“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles”- Sun Tzu

Orange belt is the third belt on your road to Black belt, students who have achieved orange belt should have a solid concept of the basics and have an understanding of what is required to make it to black belt. Most activities as a orange belt will be centered around; training technique on the learned blocks and strikes, maintaining balance during both sparring sessions and practice, and a brief intro into different styles of martial arts, and will be encouraged to begin to develop their own “comfort zone” while fighting. Student will also be introduced into the second Taeguek pattern.

Similar to yellow belts, orange belts are required to hold their belt for 1 semester or about 3 months.
Here is a breakdown of what you can expect from Orange belt.

  • Intermediate Level Kicks
  • Releases
  • Basic stances
  • Beginning/Intermediate fighting techniques
  • Simple traditional courtesies
  • Chokes
  • Patterns

Testing Requirements:

Time Requirements

Orange belts are required to hold their belts for a minimum of one (1) semester. A semester is typically between 3-4 months or about 15-20 classes.

Required Material

  • Beginniner Kicking Drills
  • 3 Releases (1 Minimum from Orange Belt)
  • 3 One Step Sparing Techniques (1 Minimum from Orange Belt)
  • Pattern (Taeguek EE Jang) 
  • Pattern (Taeguek IL Jang)
  • Board Breaking (Axe kick/180′ Back kick)

Required Knowledge

  • Releases
    • Straight hand grab from behind
    • Cross hand grab from behind
    • Inside/Outside hook block take-down
    • Elbow Lock
    • Half-Nelson
  • One Step Sparring
    • X-Block
  • Kicking (how to perform the kick and what part of the foot to use)
    • 180′ Back kick (required in kicking drill #8)
    • Standing Side kick
  • Stances (proper foot position)
    • Horse stance/ Riding stance
    • Back stance
    • Front stance

Kicking Drills:

    • Kicking Drill 1:
      • 1. Front Kick (R), Roundhouse (L), Back Punch (R)
      • 2: Turn
      • 3: Front Kick (L), Roundhouse (R), Back Punch (L)
      • 4: Turn
    • Kicking Drill 2:
      • 1. Roundhouse (R), Axe Kick (L), Back Punch (R)
      • 2: Turn
      • 3: Roundhouse (L), Axe Kick (R), Back Punch (L)
      • 4: Turn
    • Kicking Drill 3:
      • 1. Side Kick (R), Step-Behind Side Kick (R), Rear Leg Side Kick (L), Back Punch (R)
      • 2: Turn
      • 3: Side Kick (L), Step-Behind Side Kick (L), Rear Leg Side Kick (R), Back Punch (L)
      • 4: Turn
    • Kicking Drill 4:
      • 1. Roundhouse Kick (R), Elevated Roundhouse Kick (R), Rear Leg Roundhouse Kick (L), Back Punch (R)
      • 2: Turn
      • 3: Roundhouse Kick (L), Elevated Roundhouse Kick (L), Rear Leg Roundhouse Kick (R), Back Punch (L)
      • 4: Turn

Release Drills

Straight Hand Grab from Behind

*Attacker is standing behind you, grabbing your right wrist with his right hand. (Straight hand grab)

  1. With your right foot step back and rotate until you face your attacker. As you rotate use your left arm to grab the attackers right wrist.
  2. With your left foot step between your right foot and the attackers feet as you continue to rotate. (you should rotate a full 360′)
  3. As you finish rotating drop into a horse stance and position the attackers elbow over your left shoulder. As you stand up from the horse stance bring the attackers elbow down on your left shoulder to break his arm.

Tips: This move uses the first 2 steps of the 6 step circle. When you make your 360′ turn make sure to step around the attacker (do not spin in place.)
Make sure when you do the elbow break you do not move the arm over your head. Trying to break on the wrong shoulder (in this case the right shoulder) will lead to a easy choke for the attacker.

Cross Hand Grab from Behind

*Attacker is standing behind you, grabbing your right hand with his left hand. (Cross hand grab)

  1. With your right foot step back and rotate until you face your attacker. As you rotate use your left arm to grab the attackers right wrist.
  2. With your left foot step between your right foot and the attackers feet as you continue to rotate. (you should rotate a full 360′ at this point)
  3. As you rotate lift your attackers arm over your head and step back with your right foot. This should place you behind the attacker (still holding their wrist with your left hand). Pull your right arm free from the attackers grip (they should have a weak grip at this angle)
  4. Place your right hand on the back of attackers hand (thumb on the back of the attackers hand, fingers wrapping around to the attackers palm). Move your left arm to grab the attackers hand next to your right hand.
  5. As you apply pressure with your thumbs, it should cause the attackers hand to bend, causing his head to drop down. Apply pressure to drop the attackers head. As their head drops use your right leg to front kick the attackers face.

Tips:
Note that the first two moves are exactly the same as Orange belt release #1. Also note that if you try to break the attackers arm (as in release #1), it will just cause the attackers arm to bend, not break.

Elbow Lock

Attacker is performing a straight hand wrist grab with his left hand (They are grabbing your right wrist with his left hand).

  1. Close your right hand and rotate it upward (palm facing up). Place your right hand (and attackers fingers) against your stomach.
  2. Using your left hand grab the back of the attackers left elbow (make sure the attackers arm is straight).
  3. In one motion pull your left hand up and toward you and your right hand down. With this motion you are hyper-extending or breaking the attackers arm at the elbow.

Tips: It sometimes helps for balance to be in a walking stance (right leg back).

Half Nelson

Attacker is choking you in a half-nelson choke.

  1. With your left hand grab the attackers right wrist.
  2. Step out with your right foot into a deep front stance. As you step perform a right straight punch (this punch is not to hurt the attacker, who is behind you, but rather to throw him off balance).
  3. As soon you foot lands perform a right hand elbow strike to attackers ribs (this elbow strike can be repeated as many times as you like).
  4. Perform a second elbow strike but instead of striking the attackers ribs, aim for the space between you and the attackers body. As soon as you elbow passes between you and your attacker swing your arm up and under your attackers left armpit. Perform a hip-throw by rotating counterclockwise and tripping your attacker over your right foot (which is in a front stance). (Your left hand is still holding on to the attackers right wrist, make sure at this point your left elbow is not touching the attackers left arm, otherwise the hip throw will not work.)
  5. As you complete the hip throw there is an optional elbow break by dropping to your left knee and using your left arm and the momentum from the hip throw, break the attackers left arm over your knee.

One-Step Sparring

One-Step #3

*Attacker throws a right lung punch.

  1. Step back with your right foot into a back stance. As you step perform an outward block with you left hand.
  2. Step forward with your right foot in between the attackers feet. As you step perform a elbow strike with your left arm (if you cannot reach the attackers face with an elbow strike, a straight punch will also work).
  3. As soon as your elbow strike lands, perform a palm heel with your right hand to the attackers chin or nose.

One-Step #4: X-Block

*Attacker throws a right lung punch.

  1. Step 45′ outside the attackers punch with your left foot into a walking stance. As you step perform an X-block (the X block should have your arms crossed in front of you. The right arm should be in back and the left arm should be in front. The idea is to punch the attackers arm up, opening up their ribs.)
  2. Using your right arm hook block the attackers arm. Pull the attackers arm past you and use your left hand to hammer fist the attackers rib. Circle your left arm around and forearm strike the attackers elbow.

Pattern Advice:

Before attempting to learn a pattern online, remember patterns were meant to be learned by practicing. While we have done our best to explain the moves step-by-step below, many students have trouble remembering the pattern, or learn a move wrong by simply reading it or watching the video. My advice is to have us practice the pattern with you, practice the pattern on your own, and demonstrate the pattern regularly to see if there are any corrections.

If, however, you do not have time to practice with us (because your test is in a week and you forgot to practice all semester), I recommend watching the video below a few times while reading the step-by-step instructions. The video is Kukkiwon and considered to be what a good pattern looks like. I would recommend watching the video all the way through once, then practicing a few steps. Watch a little further on the video and practice a little further. Keep practicing like this until the pattern becomes easy and you can do it without watching the video.

Orange Belt Pattern

Name:
Taeguek Ee Jang
Taeguek 2

Meaning/ Symbolism:
Tae (Korean for Lasting Joy)

Number of Moves:
18

Description:
Taeguek Ee Jang is the second of eight Poomses (patterns) in the World TaeKwonDo Federation forms. Students should be able to demonstrate the basic blocks, stances, and kicks, while adding movement. One important point to remember, a middle block is stomach level and a high punch is head level. Both of these moves are in this pattern and a incorrect punch is considered a wrong move.
The different types of moves required for this pattern are listed below.

Stances:

  • Attention stance (just before and after bowing)
  • Ready stance
  • Walking stance
  • Front stance

Blocks:

  • Down block (low block)
  • Inward block (middle block)
  • High block

Strikes/Punches:

  • Middle Punch
  • High Punch

Kicks:

  • Front Kick

Moves:

  •  Premove 1: Attention (cha ryuht- Korean)
  •  Premove 2: Bow (kyung nae – Korean)
  •  Premove 3: Ready stance (choon bi- Korean)
  •  1: Turn 90′ to your left. Step forward with your left foot into a walking stance– left foot in front. Left hand down block.
  •  2: Step forward with your right foot into front stance. While you step do a right arm middle punch.
  • 3: With your right foot (left foot stays in the same position) turn 180′ to your right into a walking stance– right foot forward. Right hand down block.
  • 4: Step forward with your left foot into front stance. While you step do a left arm middle punch.
  • 5: Bring your left foot back to your right foot, turn 90′ to the left. Step out with your left foot into walking stance– left foot forward. Do a middle block with your right arm.
  • 6: Step forward with your right foot into a walking stance– right foot forward. Do a middle block with your left arm.
  • 7: Bring your left foot up to your right foot and turn 90’to the left. Step out with your left foot into a walking stance. As you turn and step do an down block with your left arm.
  • 8: Front kick with your right foot. As you bring your right foot down in front of you, land in a front stance– right foot forward. Right hand high punch (a high punch will be about your own head level).
  • 9: With your right foot (left foot does not move) turn to your right 180′ so you end up in walking stance with your right foot forwards. While you turn do a right arm down block.
  • 10: Front kick with your left foot. As you bring your left foot down in front of you, land in a front stance– left foot forward. Left hand high punch.
  • 11: Move your left foot back to your right foot. Turn 90′ to the left and step with your left foot into a walking stance- left foot forwards. Do a left arm high block.
  • 12: Step forward with your right foot into a walking stance– right foot forward. Do a high block with your right arm.
  • 13: Bring your left foot up to the side of your right foot and turn 90′ to your left. Step with your left foot into a walking stance with your left foot in front. Do a high block with your left arm.
  • 14: Do a front kick with your right leg and land the leg in front, in walking stance. Do a right hand middle punch.
  • 15: With your right foot turn to your right 180′ to end up in walking stance with your right foot in front. Do a high block with your right arm.
  • 16: Do a front kick with your left leg and land the leg in front in walking stance. Do a left hand middle punch.
  • 17: Bring your left leg back to your right leg and turn 90′ to your  right (towards your starting position), step forward with your left into front stance. Do a left arm down block.
  • 18: Step forward into front stance with your right foot in front. Do a right arm middle punch. *yell*Ki-hap!
  • Ending move 1: Return to ready stance (bah ro- Korean): Pivot on your right foot turning toward your left. Bring your left foot along side of your right foot and into a ready stance (At this point the instructor will provide any feedback).
  • Ending move 2: Relax (shiuh- Korean): From ready stance, bring your feet to attention, bow to the instructor, and relax, the pattern is over.