Ranking systems

Two levels of gradation

There are two apparent levels of gradation in Hapkido.

The kup, or pupil degrees

Depending upon the Hapkido style and organisation there are different numbers of kup grades, varying between 7 and 11 ranks. In some systems each kup has its own belt colour, in others several kup grades share the same colour. Unfortunately there is no uniform standard for which belt colour belongs to which kup. Usually one begins with a white belt, and the belt colour darkens from kup to kup. The levels of the kup grades are counted in reverse, i.e. 11, 10, 9, 8 and so on. The 11th kup is the first pupil degree, the 1st kup the last pupil degree before the 1st Dan. The syllabus of the pupil degrees contains the basic elements of Hapkido: defence against hand grabs, clothes grabs, fist attacks, kick attacks, knife attacks and choking attacks, plus the basic kicks.

The Dan, or master degrees

The Dan degrees are divided from 1 to 9, or from 1 to 10, and are counted upwards. After the kup grades one receives the 1st Dan, then the 2nd Dan and so on. In most systems the Dan degrees are subdivided into:

• 1st and 2nd Dan — teacher (saw bum nim)
• 3rd and 4th Dan — main teacher (chung saw nim)
• 5th to 7th Dan — master (kwan jang nim)

• 8th to 10th Dan — grand master (chong kwan jang nim)

In systems that allow technique examinations only up to the 4th Dan, the designation master is used from that grade on. Some systems define the 1st to 3rd Dan as master pupils. The 9th or 10th Dan is reserved for the founder (do joo nim) of a system.

For Dan degrees there are no different belt colours — the belt is black. Some systems indicate the Dan degree with yellow stripes on the belt, the number of stripes matching the Dan grade. From the Dan degrees onwards, weapon techniques, attacking techniques and advanced defence techniques are usually trained. Depending on the system, examinations are held up to the 4th or 5th Dan; degrees beyond that are usually awarded.

Often the clothing also gives information about the graduation. In some systems black trousers replace white ones after the 2nd kup, or black stripes are added to the belt. In others a patterned jacket is worn from the 1st Dan, or the colour of the pattern changes so that it stands out against the pupils’ degrees. There are numerous such variations.

However, all systems have one thing in common: whether student or master, Hapkido can be studied all life long. Every pupil degree (9th to 1st kup) contains 25 to 35 basic techniques; the master degrees contain about 200 to 300 techniques each.

Belt grading and promotion

A belt grading and promotion take place only on the recommendation of the instructor, taking into account regular attendance and diligence over a period of 6 to 12 months.