Taekwondo students live in their kicks: the first time a foot goes through a board, the first sparring match, the forms practiced in the living room until a lamp is in danger. Good taekwondo gifts meet a student in one of those places. Here are ideas for every age, from a child in their first year to an adult working toward a second-degree black belt.
Gear that gets used at home
- Kicking targets. A handheld paddle target lets a parent or sibling hold for practice at home. It is inexpensive and gets used constantly.
- Rebreakable boards. Plastic practice boards come in different strengths and snap back together, so students can practice breaking without a pile of lumber. Check with the instructor before a child practices breaks at home.
- A new dobok. Uniforms wear thin at the knees and get outgrown. Ask whether the school requires a particular style or patch.
- Sparring gear. Headgear, a chest protector, and forearm and shin guards. Schools and tournaments set rules about what is allowed, so ask first.
Keeping track of every belt
Many taekwondo schools use tip belts, a stripe of the next color, between full ranks, which means kids promote often and the list gets long. My Belt Journey keeps all of it in one place: every belt in their school's order, each drawn in its color, with a line beside it for the date it is earned. List the tip belts in your order if your school uses them. The belts they already have come filled in. From $39.
For a student further along, or as a black belt gift, The Journey shows every belt from white to black climbing the print, stripes and all, with the date and place each was earned. From $45.
A note on junior black belts: some schools give younger students a junior rank until they are old enough for an adult black belt, often worn as a half red, half black belt. If your child holds one, include it exactly as the school names it. It is a real step and deserves its place on the print.
The first board break
Ask any taekwondo kid about their first break and they will show you the kick. The Milestone Certificate makes it official: their name, the date, the place, the details (the technique and how many boards) and the witnesses who saw it. Keep the broken board too. Many families write the date on it in marker and hang it next to the certificate. From $24.
For the sparring competitor
If they compete in sparring, The Record can hold a sparring career: their name set big, the record, the tale of the tape and every match with the date, the opponent, the result and how it ended. Start collecting results after each tournament rather than at the end of the year; brackets are easier to find while they are fresh. From $45.
Forms competitors and demonstration team members have their own moments: a first medal, a first time performing in front of a crowd. Those fit a Milestone Certificate, with the event name typed as words.
For the holidays
The Belt Ornament carries this year's belt, drawn in its color with any stripes or degrees, plus the student's name, rank, the year and the school, on a two-sided ceramic ornament. In a taekwondo family with siblings at different ranks, each child gets their own, and the tree becomes a record of the year. From $24.
For black belt test night
Black belt tests are often long, public events with forms, sparring, breaking and sometimes a written essay or speech. Families like to have something ready to hand over afterward. The Journey is the classic choice. Some instructors also give certificates; the Rank Promotion Certificate is made for schools that want one, with the new belt drawn in color, the student's name, the date and signature lines for the instructors. From $24.
Gifts that are not things land well on test night, too: a letter from a parent about watching them train, or a meal out with the instructor and family afterward.
What to gather before you order
- The school's full belt order, including tip belts and any junior black belt rank.
- The date of each promotion, and the school or location if it changed along the way.
- The school name exactly as it should read. It prints as words you type, never as a logo.
- For sparring records: every match, the opponent's name as you want it shown, and the result.
Shop this guide
The JourneyFrom $45
My Belt JourneyFrom $39
Milestone CertificateFrom $24
Belt OrnamentFrom $24
The RecordFrom $45
Rank Promotion CertificateFrom $24
Ordering
Personalize on each product page. Since many taekwondo students are minors, a parent supplies the details, every order is checked by hand, and you approve a proof before it prints. Allow about two weeks before a test, a tournament banquet or the holidays. Schools ordering five or more prints get 30% off; see team orders.
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