General Choi Hong Hi was born on November 9th, 1918, in the Hwa Dae Myong Chun District of Korea. At the age of twelve he started to study Taek Kyon, an ancient Korean method of fighting with the feet. Later, when he was studying in Japan, he met a Karate teacher who helped him... more »
Chon ji is a Taekwondo 19-movements form (hyeong). Literally, Cheon-Ji (or Chon-Ji) means “heaven and earth” and refers to the creation of the world or the beginning of human history, and thus is the initial pattern learned by the beginner. It consists of forearm low blocks and punches in the first part to represent... more »
Choong moo is a Taekwondo 30-movements form (hyeong). Choong moo (Chung mu) is the name given to the great Admiral Yi Sun-sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored battleship (kobukson) in 1592, which is said to be the precursor of the present day submarine. The reason this... more »
Chul gi is a 25 movements Taekwondo form. Chul-Gi literally means Iron Horse and stresses techniques performed in a horse/riding stance. Chul-Gi is Japanese in origin and practiced by many martial arts styles. Chul-Gi is known as Naihanchi in Okinawan Karate and as Tekki in Shotokan Karate. (This pattern normally resides between Hwa-Rang and... more »
Dan gun is a 21-movements Taekwondo form (hyeong). This pattern is named after the holy Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea in 2333 BC. Unusually for a teul, all the punches in Dan-Gun are high section (at eye level), symbolizing Dangun scaling a mountain. [From Wikipedia. Original page is... more »
Do san is a Taekwondo 24-movements form (hyeong). Do san is a pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang-ho (1876-1938). The 24 movements represent his entire life, which he devoted to furthering education in Korea and the Korean independence movement. [From Wikipedia. Original page is... more »
Ge Baek is a Taekwondo form (hyeong) in 44 movements. Gae-Baek is named after Gyebaek, a great general in the Baekje Dynasty. The diagram represents his severe and strict military discipline. [From Wikipedia. Original page is... more »
Hwa rang is a Taekwondo 29 movements form (hyeong). This pattern is named after the Hwarang youth group, which was originated by the Silla Dynasty in about 1350 years ago. The group eventually became the actual driving force for the unification of the three Kingdoms of Korea. The 29 movements refer to the 29th... more »
Ko dang was one of the original 24 patterns created by General Choi. In the early 1980s, however, Kodang was removed from the official syllabus by General Choi and replaced by a new pattern which he named Juche. Go-Dang was a famous South Korean anti-communist, and when Choi began to spread his art throughout... more »
Kwang gae (or gwang gae) is a Taekwondo 39-movements form (hyeong) named after the famous Kwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, the 19th king of the Goguryeo Dynasty, who achieved the greatest territorial expansion including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram of the form represents the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 movements refer to the... more »
Moon moo is a Taekwondo form that honors King Munmu, the 30th king of the Silla Dynasty, who completed the unification of the three kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baik-je, Silla). His body was buried near Dae Wang Am (Great King’s Rock). According to his will, the body was placed in the sea “Where my soul shall... more »
Po Eun is a Taekwondo 36-movements form (hyeong). The name “Po Eun” is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Jeong Mongju who was a distinguished scholar of neo-Confucianism during the Goryeo Dynasty. His poem “I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred times” is known to every Korean.... more »
Se jong is a Taekwondo pattern named after Se-Jong who was the 4th King of the Yi Dynasty. He was known for his many great achievements in domestic and foreign affairs, diplomacy, scientific advancements, defense matters and culture. His most remarkable achievement was his invention of “Hangeul”, the Korean Alphabet. The 24 movements of... more »
So san is a Taekwondo form (hyeong). “So-San” is the pseudonym of the great monk Choi Hyon Ung during the Joseon Dynasty. The 72 movements refer to his age when he organized a corps of monk soldiers with the assistance of his pupil Sa Myung Dang. The monk soldiers helped repulse the Japanese pirates... more »
Toi gye is a Taekwondo 37 movements form (hyeong). “Toi-Gye” is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16 century AD), an authority on neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on 37-degree latitude, the diagram represents “scholar” as in the Yul-Gok hyeong. [From Wikipedia. Original page is... more »
Tong il is a Taekwondo form (hyeong). The name “Tong il” means “unification” which is the ultimate goal of all Koreans. Korea used to be one country, but was divided into North and South Korea in 1945 by the ideological conflict between the USSR and the USA after World War II. Yon Mu Sun,... more »
Won hyo is a Taekwondo 28-movements form (hyeong). This pattern is named after the noted monk Wonhyo who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 AD. [From Wikipedia. Original page is... more »