Beginner Taekwondo Terms Every Kid Should Know

Taekwondo comes from Korea, so class uses Korean words for commands and greetings. Learning these words helps you follow class and show respect to your instructor and classmates — no matter what belt you're working toward.

Here are the basics.

Commands Used in Class

Charyot (차렷) — Attention Stand up straight, feet together, hands at your sides, and stay quiet. This tells your instructor you're ready to focus.

Junbi (준비) — Ready Move into your starting position before a drill or form begins.

Shijak (시작) — Begin The signal to start the drill or technique.

Geuman (그만) — Stop Stop immediately and give your attention to the instructor. Responding quickly here matters — it's part of training your focus and keeping everyone safe.

Kyungae (경례) — Bow

Bowing is how respect is shown in Taekwondo. Students bow to their instructor, to training partners, to classmates, and to the flags at the front of the dojang.

Dojang (도장) — Training School

The dojang is the room or school where Taekwondo classes take place.

Sabomnim (사범님) — Instructor

This is the term used to address a Taekwondo instructor. It reflects the respect students are expected to show toward the person teaching them.

Dobok (도복) — Uniform, and Tti (띠) — Belt

The dobok is the Taekwondo uniform, usually white. The tti is the belt. Everyone starts with a white belt and works toward new colors as they build skill — the belt marks progress, not competition with classmates.

Kihap (기합) — Yell

A kihap is the short, sharp shout made during certain techniques. It's not something to be shy about — instructors expect it. A strong kihap sharpens focus, adds power to a technique, and builds confidence.

Why These Words Matter

These terms aren't just vocabulary — each one reinforces something Taekwondo is built on:

• Charyot builds focus.
• Kyungae builds respect.
• Geuman builds discipline and safety.
• Tti builds patience and long-term effort.

It Gets Easier With Practice

You don't need to have these memorized right away. They'll become familiar the more you train — the same way any new skill does.