Do Jang of Won Kwang The Do Jang of Won Kwang was a military academy and " " in the city of Pyong Do in Koryo . It was one of ten respected schools in the land for the teaching of martial arts , particularly tae kwon do , and techniques of honorable behavior and warfare . History . In 925 DR , the noted monk , scholar , and philosopher Won Kwang established a school for martial arts and other skills in the city of Pyong Do in the then kingdom of Koguryo . Known simply as " the Master " , Won set down its daily routine and rules and also built a shrine there . By 1357 DR , the Do Jang of Won Kwang was a prestigious military academy . Philosophy & Rules . Won defined five rules for the basis of the school ' s teachings and the good behavior of its students : Furthermore , no saki or any other kind of intoxicant were allowed in the " do jang " . Structure . The school included a shrine and a temple , and a main building for training . Uniform . As was common for practitioners of tae kwon do , students of the " do jang " wore training uniforms , or " " , consisting of white pants and a short white robe , tied with a belt whose color and tips denoted their grade , or " " . Beginners , known as neophytes , started at 10th " gup " and achieved lower " gup " s with higher grades , denoted as follows : These colors each bore special significance . White represented innocence . Yellow represented the earth , in which the seeds of tae kwon do were planted ; this plant sprouted and took root here . Green represented the plant growing and unfurling ; new skills were acquired like leaves were grown . Blue represented the sky and Heaven ; as the plant matured with training , it reached to the sky and heavens . Red warned of danger to would - be foes , and indicated agility , balance , and knowledge of all combat techniques taught in the " do jang " . At this point , the student was expected to train only to perfect their physical and spiritual nature . After this point , a student achieved the rank of master and a black belt . Black represented an imperviousness to darkness and fear , and indicated maturity and proficiency . As they advanced , black belts could special techniques and maneuvers . However , as none could be truly perfect , there were different degrees of black belt , or " " , ascending through 1st " dan " , 2nd " dan " , and so on . Each " do jang " marked these degrees in different and even secret ways , and the Do Jang of Won Kwang was no different . Curriculum . Students were typically taken to the school at the age of six , and thereafter left in its care . Since it was set down by the Master , the daily routine of the school remained unchanged for over four centuries . Each day , waking before dawn , students dressed in their " do bak " then exercised for two hours . Afterward , they meditated then had a small breakfast of rice porridge . The rest of the morning was spent in study , unless it was a holy day , in which case they worshiped in the temple . In these studies , students learned the arts of war , military history , geography and general knowledge ( with a focus on the land of Choson , later known as Koryo ) , and animal husbandry , as well as courtly manners , calligraphy , and meditation techniques . At midday , students were allowed an hour off ; most used this time to practice a hobby or conduct personal business . At the end of this period , they reported to the school ' s main building , where they had a midday snack , typically some fresh fruit or dried fish . Through the afternoon , the students were instructed and supervised in martial arts by school masters . They were taught both armed and unarmed combat techniques . The former included the use of weapons , and the latter focused on self - defense and the martial art of tae kwon do . At this time , students trained to perfect their techniques and underwent testing to achieve new grades . At sunset , the students commenced worship with the chants of Ki Rho Zsa and burned incense beside idols in the shrine as they made their prayers . Afterward , they had dinner , which included meat and nuts . In the evening , the students learned from the masters techniques for focusing and enhancing their " ki " . With focused " ki " , it was said they could endure much more than an ordinary person , being able to ignore the touch of hot coals or the bite of chill wind , to live without food and drink for three times longer , to live in a harsh desert , and to survive any catastrophe . Students could spend hours working to focus their " ki " , after which the masters permitted them to retire . They lay on sleeping mats . Notable Students . Over the centuries , the Do Jang of Won Kwang had trained many great generals , including King Wanang Sun , and some students aspired to follow their careers . Meo Cha was a student there . Appendix . Background . The Do Jang of Won Kwang is heavily based on the practices of , with identical uniform and common belt colors and arrangements . It is also heavily based on the , a Korean military order of the 5th , 6th , and 7th centuries who practiced an early form of taekwondo and had very similar rules devised by the monk .