Martial Arts Belt Rank Promotion Gifts

I am often asked what to give a Martial Artist as he or she promotes to a new belt color. It is a big deal for a Martial Artist to go through a belt rank promotion test. A lot of practice and preparation goes into learning the blocks, strikes, kicks and forms of their belt color. These promotion tests are usually performed in front of judges-often the black belt club of the gym or dojo. The Martial Artist is usually very nervous no matter if they are a child or adult.
It is very thoughtful to recognize and appreciate the perseverance and work that has gone into promoting to the new belt rank with a gift or present. Martial Arts Gifts by Lora Severson Photography offers a complete line of gifts, cards, t-shirts and apparel for belt rank promotion tests and black belt tests. You will find gifts suitable for any Martial Art including karate, taekwondo, kung fu or judo for all belt ranks and ages. Customize a martial arts congratulations card and pair it with a matching personalized martial arts t-shirt, mousepad, tote bag, keychain or coffee mug. Or choose an inspirational and motivational Martial Arts poster. You can also personalize an embroidered martial arts warm up jacket, golf shirt or hat. During the holidays, a dated Martial Arts Christmas ornament is always nice to commemorate the year your Martial Artist became a first, second or third degree black belt.
After all of your Martial Artist's hard work, they will be so relieved that the promotion test is over and so thrilled with the gift they just received from you!

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Martial Arts Overview

Anytime an individual decides to learn how to protect themselves, learn self defense, or become a better person, one thing comes to mind - martial arts. Martial arts is very common these days, being practiced all over the world.

The martial arts has been used for many centuries, although it really became famous around the time of Bruce Lee. Bruce invented the style of Jeet Kune Do, which involves very fast strikes with amazing counter defenses. Once people began to see just how fast Bruce Lee could move, they began to look into martial arts and see just how it could benefit them.

Martial arts is broken down into specific styles. The style all depends on where and what you study. A lot of cultures and countries offer martial arts. Brazil offers Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Japan has Karate, Thailand has Muay Thai, France has Savate, and China has Shaolin. Keep in mind that each style will vary in techniques and what it has to offer you.

Although many people think of martial arts as being just for self defense purposes, this isn't always the case. Martial arts is used in tournaments and competitions as well, which can include sparring, floor routines, and even block and brick breaking demonstrations. All across the world, there are competitions and chances for fighters to prove themselves and their knowledge.

In general, all martial arts will teach you how to defend yourself and above all else - help you develop self control. Once you begin to study a martial art, you'll quickly start to develop a much better state of mind. No matter what style of martial art you study, the instructors will focus on self control. Not only will you learn self control, you'll also learn how to defend yourself in the most drastic of situations. Self control is very important, as martial arts can be very deadly if they are taught to the wrong person - with the wrong intentions.

Over the last decade, there have been a lot of mainstream competitions that showcase martial arts, such as Extreme Fighting, King of the Cage, and the most popular of all, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). The UFC has come a long way over the years, sparking interest from all over the world. It pairs athletes from all over the world together, to test their skills and see who is the better fighter.

No matter how you look at it, martial arts can be great to learn if you learn it for the right reasons. Each style will vary in technique and what it has to offer you, which is why you should pick the best style for your needs and what you hope to accomplish. Martial arts can teach you about self defense and yourself - all you have to do is give it a try.

For unique Martial Arts presents for birthdays, holidays and belt rank promotion tests,  visit Martial Arts Gifts by Lora Severson Photography.  See the large collection of Self Control themed martial arts gifts, cards and apparel.

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Belt Colors of Taekwondo

The Belt Colors Of Taekwondo

The belts and their colors that are used with Taekwondo aren't just a random assortment of colors that are used to separate the ranks in the martial art.  In Taekwondo, each belt color has a meaning that symbolizes advancement and increasing knowledge.

The colors of the belts found in Taekwondo vary, as they represent the advancement of rank, as well as the growth of the student.  It can take a long time for students to move up the ranks, all depending on their knowledge and how quite they adapt to the techniques and forms of the art.

Below, are the colors and belts of Taekwondo, along with their meaning.

White belt
A white belt is the symbol of birth and purity, or the beginning for the martial artist.  Students that wear white belts are just starting out, searching for the knowledge to continue Taekwondo.

Yellow belt
A yellow belt is the first ray of light that shines on the student, giving them new strength to the Taekwondo martial art.  The meaning of the yellow belt is Heaven or Keon. Students that have yellow belts have taken a great step in learning, and have opened their mind to new techniques.

Orange belt
The meaning of orange belt is Joyfulness or Tae. When you have earned your orange belt, you are nearing the end of the very beginner stage of Taekwondo moving into an intermediate stage.

Green belt
A green belt is the symbol of growth, or a seed as it sprouts from the ground and begins to grow into a plant.  The meaning of green belt is Fire or Rin. Students with green belts are continuing along the path of Taekwondo, learning to develop further and redefine every technique they have been taught. At this point, the green belt martial artists have been studying for approximately one year and are becoming leaders in their dojo or gym.



Purple belt
The meaning of purple belt is Thunder or Jin. Now that the martial artist is solid in their basics, different aspects of Taekwondo, such as sparring are now introduced.


Light Blue belt
A blue belt represents a blue sky, with the plant continuing to grow upwards, heading for the sky.  Students with blue belts continue to move higher in ranks, as the plant continues to grow taller.  The meaning of light blue belt is Wind or Seon. Students at this stage will also be given additional knowledge of Taekwondo so that their mind and body can continue to grow and develop.


Dark Blue belt
The meaning of Dark Blue belt is Water or Gam.  Water is a necessity to life, but it can also be very destructive. We must respect water. As the martial artist moves up in ranking, they are respected by the martial artists below them.

Brown belt
The meaning of Brown belt is Mountain or Gam.  The journey to achieving a black belt is sometimes an uphill challenge. Martial Artists at this point are defining their skills in preparation to becoming a black belt.

Red belt
The red belt is the heat of the sun, with the plant continuing the path upwards toward the sun.  Students that possess red belts are higher in rank, as they have acquired a lot of the knowledge in the art of Taekwondo.  Red belts also tell the students to be cautious, as they gain more knowledge and their physical techniques increase.  The meaning of red belt is Earth or Gon.

Deputy belt
A Deputy belt is a red and black belt. It symbolizes Creativity. During this belt rank, students train and hone their skills to become a black belt shortly. A black belt is a master of the basics, and it is during this time that those basics, while already learned, are reviewed and mastered.


Black belt
A black belt is the best of the best.  It is called Koryo and the Koryo poomsae is learned. It symbolizes the darkness that is out there beyond the light of the sun.  Once the student is given a black belt and begins to train other students, he will teach all that has been taught to him.  Black belts recognize the best students, as they continue to teach others the art of Taekwondo, and continue the never ending cycle of training.



For a martial artist progressing through the ranks, each belt is a big accomplishment. Each belt color rank has it's own challenges and difficulties for each martial artist. As your martial artist promotes to each belt rank color, celebrate their achievement with a unique martial arts gift, card or token of appreciation for what they have done. A complete collection of customizable martial arts gifts, congratulations cards, t-shirts, hoodies, ornaments,tote bags, keychains and more are available at Lora Severson Photography. All belt rank colors are represented. Lora Severson is the mom in a Taekwondo black belt family and will be earning her 2nd degree black belt very soon.

make custom gifts at Zazzle

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Martial Arts Ornaments

Unique Martial Arts Christmas and Holiday Ornaments for your martial artist are available at Lora Severson Photography. Several designs to choose from. All belt colors are represented. Commemorate a special year with a dated martial arts ornament. They make a thoughtful gift at a martial arts Christmas party, belt rank promotion test or black belt test. Suitable for all martial arts including karate, taekwondo, kung fu and judo.
See other martial arts Christmas presents for martial artists of all ages and sizes. Choose from photo cards, t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, coffee mugs, magnets, buttons, mousepads and more. All items are fully customizable by the customer. Add your martial artist's name to make it a personalized gift.

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New Martial Arts Scrapbooks and Photo Albums

New unique Martial Arts Scrapbooks and Photo Albums are available at Lora Severson Photography.  These new martial arts binders are fully customizable by the customer. Add your martial artist's name or commemorate a special year. These martial arts notebooks come in several designs and make great gifts for a birthday, holiday, black belt test or belt rank promotion test.  Instructors, buy in bulk for your schools or dojos. These sturdy Avery binders are great to keep training schedules, information and class lists.

See more martial arts themed gifts, cards, t-shirts and apparel available for martial artists of all ages and sizes. All belt ranks are represented. Suitable for all martial arts including karate, taekwondo, kung fu and judo.

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Martial Arts Sparring

Sparring is something that all martial arts use. There are numerous sports, such as boxing and wrestling that use sparring as well. It is a very useful technique, helping students become better with their techniques and what they have learned. By practicing with other people, students learn their arts better and become more apt at performing the techniques quickly and efficiently.

If you are studying martial arts in a dojo, you will find sparring to be very exciting as well as beneficial to your training. The instructors and teachers will be right there watching and guiding students, making sure that no one gets hurt. Students use full body gear, including headgear, to ensure safety during practice.

Depending on your skill level and martial art you are studying, you may end up using no protective gear. Students that are very skilled won't normally need protective equipment, as they are good enough with sparring and their techniques that they can go a few rounds with other skilled students and not make any type of contact at all.

Martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, that focus on grappling, make the most use of sparring, as it is needed to properly execute the techniques. Martial arts that focus mainly on grappling use joint locks and submission techniques, which will need to be practiced quite a bit before they can be used effectively during a competition or even as self defense.

During sparring, students go back and forth, competing with each other and testing each other. The rounds will vary, although most last several minutes. Students will also receive help and insight from their instructors to let them know how they are doing and if they need to change anything they are doing. This also gives instructors the chance to see just how well you are progressing in training and what areas you need to work more on.

Sometimes, sparring is done by yourself, without anyone else working with you. If you are sparring by yourself, you will use equipment such as punching bags, tackling dummies, or other forms of equipment that will help you with your martial art. The foam or rubber dummies are most often used with grappling techniques or punching on the ground, as they represent the opponent that you are trying to pummel into submission.

All in all, sparring is an excellent way to practice the skills you have learned against equipment or other students. Students are fun to spar against, especially if they are at a higher level of skill than you are. You can use sparring to your advantage, learning what others do and how they react to your movements and techniques. The longer you spar and practice your moves - the better you will get in your training, speed, and the execution of your skills.

Lora Severson Photography offers a wide selection of martial arts gifts, t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags and more. Presents suitable to give as for a birthday, holiday or belt rank promotion test. Lora Severson is a black belt in Taekwondo who loves to spar. She fights for fun and for the overall fitness she achieves from it.

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Martial Arts Flip Minos Discount

Take $30.00 off Martial Arts Flip Mino and Flip Mino HD available through Martial Arts Gifts by Lora Severson Photography! Just in time for holiday shopping, the Flip Mino and Flip Mino HD are now $30.00 cheaper! Buy one for your Martial Artist in Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu or Judo. These custom Flip Minos feature colorful Yin Yang, Martial Arts or Black Belt designs.

Product Information
Making and sharing great video has never been easier. Or more fun. The ultra-thin & pocket-sized Flip Video Mino camcorder has a handy USB arm that flips out and hooks up to your PC or Mac. This charges the battery, plus lets you use its built-in software to easily view, edit, and upload video and photos to favorite sharing sites.

• Records 60 minutes of VGA-quality video
• Built-in rechargeable Lithium Ion battery
• $55 restocking fee on returns
• Technical Specifications

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