Orange Sash "The sun is beginning to rise. As with the morning's dawn, only the beauty of the sunrise is seen rather than the immense power." The beginner student sees the beauty of the art of Martial Arts but has not yet experienced the power of the technique. Orange is found among the many colors of the sunrise.
Yellow Sash "The seed is beginning to see the sunlight." The student begins to understand the basics of Martial Arts. The sun appears to be yellow.
Green Sash "The pine tree is beginning to develop and grow in strength." The student's technique is developing power. The components of the basic techniques are beginning to work in unison. As the pine tree develops, it sprouts green pine needles. 5 stripes are needed to pass onto the next sash
Blue Sash "The tree reaches for the sky toward new heights." Having passed the mid-way point, the student focuses his/her energy upward toward black belt. The sky appears as blue.
Red Sash "The sun is setting. The first phase of growth has been accomplished." The first day (the period of time from white belt to red belt) of growth is coming to an end. The physical skill has been developed but lacks control; therefore, physical and mental discipline must now be achieved. Variations of red are found among the many colors of the sunset.
Red/Black Sash "The dawn of a new day. The sun breaks through the darkness." The previous day has ended, giving way to a new dawn. The student must begin a new phase of training; that of being a black belt. The red is the sun (in a sunrise) as it breaks through the black of night.
Black Sash "The tree has reached maturity and has overcome the darkness... it must now 'plant seeds for the future." The color black is created when all the colors of the light spectrum have been absorbed into an object. That object has "taken control" of the colors and retained them. If one color was to "escape", the object would no longer be black but would appear as that color. He/she has "absorbed" all the knowledge of the color ranks and overcome or "mastered" that level or training.
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