Philosophy of Shirts/Uniform

Grandmaster Shin established a shirt system for World Ki Gong to provide practitioners with tangible goals and to recognize their level of achievement in Ki Gong. The World Ki Gong system currently recognizes 8 levels of practice. Each of the four shirt colors – white (beginner), yellow (practitioner), blue (instructor), and red (master) – contains two levels.

The original director of World Ki Gong, Dr. Tim Schroeder, attaches a metaphor to the sequence of colors: “White represents a dormant seed under the snow; it is a beginner that desires growth. Yellow represents humanity and the desire to show others a healthy way of life. Blue represents the Ki Gong instructor/practitioner becoming closer to the natural feeling of earth and sky. Red is like a healthy heart; it has power and good intentions, signifying a keen ability to work with the power of Ki.”

Grandmaster Shin stated that “All Ko Dan Ja should have an in depth understanding of the human body and its functions. The practice of Ki Gong and philosophy of the laws of nature help to increase this understanding.” He felt that all instructors should undertake Ki Gong practice to improve and maintain their own physical skills and also to help students with their health problems. World Tang Soo Do classes are intended to be a health activity for all.

Although Grandmaster Shin encouraged advanced Tang Soo Do practitioners to also practice Ki Gong, the shirt system is unrelated to a formal rank system in the World Tang Soo Do Association. Highly accomplished Tang Soo Do practitioners may not be highly accomplished Ki Gong practitioners, and highly accomplished Ki Gong practitioners may not have achieved any rank in Tang Soo Do.