Policies

Attendance

We typically offer practices three times a week, and you are welcome to show up to as many or as little as you want! The days offered do vary from semester to semester, so join the mailing list for updates.

Dress Code

Wear any loose-fitting athletic clothing to practice. If you have a Taekwondo uniform from a different studio, feel free to wear that as well. Kicking around in jeans is hard and uncomfortable. Once you receive a uniform, only the belt will be required at practices.

Taekwondo, like other martial arts, is traditionally done barefoot. 

• If you have flat feet or some other foot conditions, feel free to wear Taekwondo Shoes. 

• If you need to tape your foot for ankle support, plantar fasciitis, etc. please feel free to do so as well. 

You generally will not be required to bring running/training shoes, practices are run entirely in PED 201. You will be notified for any special exceptions.

Equipment

USC Taekwondo provides the protective equipment for all practices and tournaments. If you have your own equipment, feel free to bring that as well. 

Here is a list of protective gear we use while sparring: 

• Helmet

• Mouthguard

• Chest Guard (a.k.a. Hogu, 호구)

• Forearm Guards

• Open-Finger Gloves (not boxing gloves) 

• Groin Protector (males required, females optional)

• Shin Guards 

• Foot Guards

For sanitary reasons, we do not provide mouthguards. Please invest in your own if you choose to compete in sparring. Tournament competition generally requires clear or white mouthguards to easily spot mouth damage. 

For Black Belts, some tournaments score using an electronic scoring system. Most tournaments will provide electronic helmets and chest guards (hogu).

Tournaments

Tournament participation is not mandatory to be a member of USC Taekwondo. However, we would love for you to come out and compete. Tournaments help you improve your Taekwondo skill as well as involve yourself in the greater Taekwondo community.

We participate in the following categories at tournaments:

• Poomsae (Forms)

• Sparring

• Board Breaking

You are not required to attend every or any tournaments. Furthermore, you are free to choose whatever categories you want to specialize in. Some members specialize in sparring only, others in poomsae only, and some do both. Doing two events during a competition is only marginally more expensive than one event, so it is to your benefit to do two events. However, your Taekwondo competition experience is determined entirely by you. 

Stay tuned to your Executive Board officers for announcements regarding tournaments throughout the year.

Social Events

Aside from kicking each other during practice, we also provide other social events to forge lasting friendships between members of the club. These include anything from potlucks, beach days, team dinners, outings, and more. 

Stay tuned to fellow Executive Board officers for announcements regarding social events throughout the year.

Ranking System

Aside from black belt ranks, there is no standardized color belt ranking system in Taekwondo. Here at USC Taekwondo, the curriculum is designed so you can become a black belt by the time you graduate.

If you are not sure of your belt level, or you have stopped practicing Taekwondo for a while, please ask our coaches where you stand. We will be happy to assess your skill level and assign you an equivalent rank. 

Black Belt ranking follows the Kukkiwon Dan (degree) system, starting from 1st dan and ending with 9th dan. 

For members of equal belt rank, the higher rank is determined by the person with the longer tenure at USC Taekwondo.

Belt Testing

Belt testing is required to progress up the ranks described above – starting from white belt, and if one perseveres, eventually to black belt. Only members who have demonstrated sufficient progress to our coach and coaching assistants throughout the semester will be invited to belt test. When our coach invites you to promotion testing, they believe you have what it takes to make it to the next rank. However, belt testing does not guarantee promotion to the next rank, that's for the coach and coaching assistants to believe and you to prove.

Belt testing usually consists of the following sections:

• Hand/Foot Techniques: These include kicks, hand strikes, blocks, or some combination thereof.

• Poomsae (Forms): These include Taegeuk 1-8, Koryo, Keumgang, etc. You will be held accountable for poomsae only up to your current rank, though you may not necessarily perform all of them during the actual test. 

• Board Breaking: You will have a limited amount of attempts to break boards with a specific technique. Remember to concentrate your techniques with the correct striking tool to reduce risk of injury. 

• Sparring: The coaches do not care if you "win" or "lose" the fight. They only care if you are able to demonstrate techniques and strategies you have learned during the fight.

For specific requirements regarding belt testing at your belt rank, requirements will be posted as they become available.