Brown Belt (3rd Gup)
Traditional Meaning:
The oak tree is growing towards the atmosphere and reaching further into the darkened sky. It can now see the black unknown. The brown represents the maturation process of the oak. The brown belt is a student who dreams of leaving the basic techniques and moving onto the more advanced ones. However, at the same time, it is their basic techniques that are the ones beginning to mature
Our Interpretation:
Brown belt can be a dangerous level. You can see black belt within reach and may begin to feel overconfident in your basic techniques. We start to really focus more on advanced techniques and training processes, but you cannot lose focus on your basic techniques. Remember, you may be growing as a martial artist but it is those basic techniques that have you rooted to the ground. Without those roots you cannot possibly stand so tall. You are once again the lower level belt in the class. As such you much abandon the ego you may have developed as high blue belt. The higher ranking belts in the class have been taking Tae Kwon Do for longer than you and have had more time to gain more knowledge learn and accept this fact early and allow yourself to use them in addition to the instructors to further your own knowledge.
Toi-Gye – (37 Moves) the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century) an authority on neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on 37 degree latitude, the diagram represent "scholar".