The school patch is shaped like the silhouette of Daruma, the celebrated Indian monk who originally brought Buddhism to the Shaolin Temple in China.

This bottom-heavy figure depicts the low center of gravity for which all martial artists strive, symbolizing invincibility. Portraying a roly-poly figure, this image signifies "impossible to topple." If one knocks such a figure down, it just keeps getting back up.

Likewise, this symbol stands for the Korean saying, "Seven times to battle; eight times ready."

At the top of the school patch is the circular Um-Yang symbol, representing the martial art principles of balance and harmony. Inside the symbol is the ideogram for Tae, which means "kick and smash with foot."

Grandmaster Kim Soo first came up with this design in 1960 when he organized the Kwon Bup Club at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Korea. He then used the same design in 1963 when he opened his first school in Seoul, the Korea Taekwon-Karate Academy.

In 1968, after opening his first shool in Houston, Grandmaster modified the lettering one final time to produce the patch pictured above.