Color belt courses
The full Moo Duk Kwan color belt curriculum — white belt through red belt — taught in pre-recorded lessons you buy once and own permanently. Tang Soo Do and Soo Bahk Do share the same curriculum at these ranks.
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Online Rank Certification in Soo Bahk Do and Tang Soo Do
Train at home, test by video, and earn Gup (color belt) rank certified through the World Moo Duk Kwan — the organization founded by Hwang Kee and led today by his son, H.C. Hwang, Kwan Jang Nim.
- Quarterly
- Gup evaluations, four times a year
- $79
- Per evaluation, personal feedback included
- 10th–1st Gup
- White belt through red belt with two stripes
- Worldwide
- Open to students in any country with a Moo Duk Kwan organization
Yes — you can earn legitimate color belt rank while training online. Digital Dojang evaluates students for Gup (color belt) rank four times a year by video submission, and successful candidates are certified through the World Moo Duk Kwan by way of its United States organization, the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation.
Dan (black belt) rank testing is always done in person. You can prepare for it here, and then test in person at the same in-person Dan testing the students at Wasatch Martial Arts Academy test, or we will help you find the nearest place to test.
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Who signs your certificate
A rank certificate is only worth the lineage behind it. Digital Dojang instruction is delivered by Brian Corrales, Sa Bom Nim — 6th Dan in Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan (Dan #36364), a certified Sa Bom, or "master model" instructor, which is the highest teaching certification the system awards, and an appointed member of the US Federation's Technical Advisory Committee. It is co-signed by the Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee and the President of the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation, H.C. Hwang Kwan Jang Nim.
Every evaluation is measured against the published standards of the World Moo Duk Kwan and the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation — the same standards used in a certified studio. Nothing is relaxed because the test is remote.
Digital Dojang is the distance-learning arm of Wasatch Martial Arts Academy, a certified studio in Salt Lake City, Utah.
How a video evaluation works
The process is the same one used in the dojang, moved to video. Six steps, start to certificate.
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Meet the time and technical requirements
Each rank carries a minimum training period, from one month at 10th Gup up to six months at the red belt ranks. Time passing is not the same as being ready — you also have to have practiced enough during that period to demonstrate the minimum technical standards for the rank. Your instructor confirms you are ready.
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Join the Moo Duk Kwan
Candidates must hold current membership in the World Moo Duk Kwan through their own country's organization. In the United States, that is the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation.
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Register and pay the $79 evaluation fee
Registration opens ahead of each quarterly evaluation window. One fee covers one evaluation attempt.
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Record and upload your requirements
Film yourself performing the basics, hyung (forms), partner drills, and kyuk pa (breaking) listed for your rank, then upload the video before the window closes.
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Receive written feedback
Shortly after the evaluation you get a written assessment naming your strengths, the specific areas to improve, and your result — not a bare pass or fail.
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Your certificate is issued and mailed
After a successful evaluation the promotion is processed through the Federation and your official certificate is mailed to you.
Certification fees
Certification is à la carte. Everyone pays the same evaluation fee — Pro subscribers, bundle buyers, and standalone course owners alike.
Rank evaluation
One attempt, including written feedback on your performance
$79
Retest
Within 30 days of your original attempt; full price after that
$49
Federation membership
Paid directly to your country's Moo Duk Kwan organization, not to Digital Dojang
Varies
Evaluation and retest fees are not refundable once a submission has been reviewed. Full terms are on our refund policy page.
Two ways to prepare
Certification is separate from training, so you choose how you want to learn the material first.
Pro membership
The Soo Bahk Do Dan-level curriculum plus a live weekly class over Zoom, where you train with an instructor watching and get corrections in real time.
See membershipColor belt ranks you can earn
Gup ranks count down toward Cho Dan (1st degree black belt). Each one has its own list of basics, hyung, partner drills, and breaking requirements.
- 10th Gup — White belt
- 9th Gup — White belt, one stripe
- 8th Gup — Orange belt
- 7th Gup — Orange belt, one stripe
- 6th Gup — Green belt
- 5th Gup — Green belt, one stripe
- 4th Gup — Green belt, two stripes
- 3rd Gup — Red belt
- 2nd Gup — Red belt, one stripe
- 1st Gup — Red belt, two stripes
What about black belt?
Dan (black belt) rank cannot be awarded by video. Cho Dan and above require an in-person evaluation in front of a board, and that requirement comes from the Moo Duk Kwan itself — it is not something we can waive.
What we can do is prepare you. Pro members train the Dan curriculum here and attend the weekly live class, and when you are ready we will help you connect with the closest testing location and walk you through the process. Ask us about Dan testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an online martial arts belt rank legitimate?
It depends entirely on who issues it. A Digital Dojang Gup certificate is issued through the World Moo Duk Kwan by way of the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation, and it carries the same standing as rank earned in a certified studio. The evaluation standards, the time-in-grade requirements, and the curriculum are identical — only the delivery is remote.
How often can I test?
Evaluations are held quarterly, though most students need longer than three months between ranks. Time-in-grade runs from one month at the earliest ranks to six months once you reach red belt.
Do I need to be a Moo Duk Kwan member to test?
Yes. Only candidates holding current membership in the World Moo Duk Kwan are evaluated. Each country has one affiliated organization; in the United States it is the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation.
How much does certification cost?
$79 per evaluation attempt, which includes written feedback on your performance. If you need to test again, the retest fee is $49 within 30 days of your original attempt, and full price after that. Federation membership is paid separately to your country's organization.
Can I get a refund if I don't pass?
No. Evaluation fees are not refundable once a submission has been reviewed, because the work has been done either way. Remember that the point of training is not the rank — the feedback you receive, pass or fail, is what moves you forward.
My family shares one course. Can we all test from it?
A standalone course purchase can be shared and trained from by everyone in your household, but rank certification is individual. Anyone who wants to test needs their own course purchase under their own name before adding the evaluation fee.
I train in Tang Soo Do, not Soo Bahk Do. Does this apply to me?
At the color belt level the curriculum is the same. Tang Soo Do and Soo Bahk Do are both names for Hwang Kee's Moo Duk Kwan system, and the rank you earn is Moo Duk Kwan rank either way.
I already hold rank from another school. Do I start over?
Not necessarily. Reach out before registering and we will look at your training background, your current technical level, and where you would sit against Moo Duk Kwan standards. Everyone must follow the process of moving through the full Moo Duk Kwan curriculum to be recommended for rank advancement or certification.
Can international students certify?
Yes, as long as your country has an organization affiliated with the World Moo Duk Kwan for your membership to run through. Get in touch and we can help you identify it. Otherwise, we can adopt you into the US Federation.