Midnight Blue



The Philosophy of the Midnight Blue Belt

The way of life of a martial artist is dynamic. As we learn new concepts and skills, our DO (way of life) is slightly revised to take into consideration the implication of what we have learned. Sometimes this revision is not slight, but is sweeping across all aspects of our lives.

Midnight Blue is worn as a symbol of the wearer's humility and reminds one that perfection cannot be attained.

The Tang Soo Do philosophy considers "black" as a color which does not get darker therefore symbolizing an ending or death, which contradicts the Tang Soo Do philosophy.

Midnight blue symbolizes the knowledge which has been absorbed, but it is not so dark that it cannot absorb more color (knowledge). Thus, the midnight blue belt is seen only as a new beginning, where a student may continue to learn and refine their technique, and begin to gain greater insight into their art.

Midnight blue symbolizes many things; Water, which is necessary for life and growth, the autumn sky, which represents harvest time and the seasons, and much more positive ideals, which are in harmony with the Tang Soo Do philosophy. Midnight Blue is not better than Black, it just represents the Tang Soo Do philosophy more appropriately.

. The solid midnight blue belt is worn for 1st thru 3rd dans, with white stripes on the left end of the belt to indicate rank. For 4th dan (master level) and above, a midnight blue belt with a red stripe all the way through the center is worn. The red is supposed to put fire back in the Black Belt, motivating them to keep training.

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