Black Belt Test Gallery | Black Belt Photo Gallery My Journey in Tae Kwon Do In the summer of 1992, I began my quest to achieve that which I have always wished for: to achieve the rank of 1st Dan, commonly called the Black Belt. However, when I started attending Cornell, I discovered there were actually two major schools of thought and training in TKD, and Cornell followed the WTF, or World Tae Kwon Do Federation, while my school at home, Arizona Tae Kwon Do, followed the WTF and the ITF, or International Tae Kwon Do Federation. Since the two schools were incompatible with each other, I wound up with two different ranks for the two different schools, although I really don't know if either belt would be accepted at any other school, even within the same federation. I had a blue belt (5th Gup) at Arizona and a black stripe (2nd Gup) at Cornell. I did not give up, though. On May 29, 2003, I began training in an ITF school (Desert Taekwondo) again. And finally, on Saturday, March 6, 2004, I successfully tested for my black belt. I officially received the rank of 1st Dan at an award ceremony held on March 15. The journey that wound up taking twelve years was finally over. However, with the rank of black belt comes added responsibility, and in many ways another journey has begun, one that will last for a lifetime. Remembering back when I had great difficulty finding websites that adequately described the TKD forms, or poomses as they are called (both ITF and WTF), I have created this website to provide these for your continuing knowledge and instruction! Below are descriptions of both the basic meaning and background of Tae Kwon Do, as well as how to do the forms. I have also provided a suggestion box on the bottom of this page for your convenience. In reality Tae Kwon Do is a small thing, no more or less important than anything else really. But as with any other endeavor in life, should you decide to fully accept integrity, honesty, and generosity into your Tae Kwon Do training, not to mention your life, then what you will really create is an enriched life where you not only better yourself, but serve for the betterment of others. This may only be a website, but if it should help you in some small way in your own personal journey, as it has in mine, then it will have served its purpose. I certainly hope this site helps in your Tae Kwon Do training... About Tae Kwon Do* Tae Kwon Do means "art of hand and foot fighting." It is a martial art that has no equal in either power or technique. Tae Kwon Do stresses the importance of harmony and balance between the mental and physical. By doing this, one can have a stable and balanced system. Then one can learn how the mind and body become the weapons of Tae Kwon Do. Tae Kwon Do offers an individual...* Self-defense                                        Self-confidence Self-discipline Coordination Physical and Mental Conditioning Weight Control Muscle Toning Posture Improvement An opportunity to make new friends Tenets of Tae Kwon Do* Courtesy Integrity Perseverance                         Self-Control Indomitable Spirit What do the colored belts signify? WHITE- Signifies innocence, as that of a beginning student who has no knowledge of Tae Kwon Do. YELLOW- Signifies earth, from which a plant sprouts and takes root as Tae Kwon Do's foundation is being laid. ORANGE- Signifies a maturing plant. GREEN- Signifies the plant's growth as the Tae Kwon Do skills develop. BLUE- Signifies the heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering tree as training in Tae Kwon Do progresses. BROWN/RED- Signifies danger, cautioning the student to exercise control, and warning the opponent to stay away. BLACK- Opposite of white, therefore, signifying the maturity and proficiency in Tae Kwon Do. Also indicates the wearer's imperviousness to darkness and fear. Belt colors vary depending on school. Meaning of the Hyungs, or Poomses, or Forms International Tae Kwon Do Federation Forms CHON-JI- (19 movements, 9th Gup) means literally "Heaven and Earth", and is in the Orient, interpreted as the creation of the world and the beginning of human history. Therefore, it is the initial pattern learned by the beginner. The pattern consists of two parts-one to represent heaven, the other, the earth. DAN-GUN- (21 movements, 8th Gup) is named after the Holy Dan-Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C. DO-SAN- (24 movements, 7th Gup) is the pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang Ho (1876-1938) who devoted his life to furthering the eduation of Korea and its independence movement. WON-HYO- (28 movements, 6th Gup) was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 A.D. YUL-GOK- (38 movements, 5th Gup) is the pseudonym of the great philosopher Yi (1536-1584 A.D.) nicknamed the "Confucious of Korea". The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on the 38th parallel and the diagram (+) represents scholar. CHUNG-GUN- (32 movements, 4th Gup) is named after the patriot An-Chung Gun who assassinated Hiro Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea-Japan merger. The thirty-two movements in this pattern represent Mr. An's age when he was executed at Lui-Shung prison in 1910. TOI-GYE- (37 movements, 3rd Gup) is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century A.D.), an authority on Neo-confucianism. The 37 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on the 37th parallel, and the diagram (+) means scholar. HWA-RANG- (29 movements, 2nd Gup) is named after the Hwa Rang Do youth group which originated in the Silla Dynasty around 620 A.D. This group eventually became the driving force in the unification of the three kingdoms of Korea (Silla, Koguryo, and Baek Je). CHUNG-MU- (30 movements, 1st Gup) was 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) which was the precursor of the present day submarine in 1592 A.D. The reason why this pattern ends up with a left hand attack is to symbolize his regrettable death, having no chance to show his unrestrained potentiality checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the king. KWANG-GAE- (39 movements, 1st Dan) is named after the famous Kwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, the 19th King of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost territories, including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram (+) represents the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 moves refer to the first two figures of 391 A.D., the year he came to the throne. PO-EUN- (36 movements, 1st Dan) is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong Mong-Chu (1400 A.D.), who was a famous poet and whose poem "I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred times" is known to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of physics. The diagram (-) represents his unerring loyalty to the king and country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty. GAE-BAEK- (44 movements, 1st Dan) is named after Gae-Baek, a great general in the Baek Je Dynasty (660 A.D.). The diagram (l) represents his indomitable spirit, displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity of his nation. EUI-AM- (45 movements, 2nd Dan) is the pseudonym of Son Byong Hi, leader of the Korean Independence Movement on March 1, 1919. The 45 movements refer to his age when he changed the name of Dong Hak (Oriental Culture) to Chondo Kyo (Heavenly Way Religion) in 1905. The diagram for this pattern represents his indomitable spirit, which he displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity of his nation. CHUNG-JANG- (52 movements, 2nd Dan) is the pseudonym of General Kim Duk Ryang of the Yi Dynasty who lived during the 15th century. The pattern ends with a left hand attack, intended to symbolize the General's death in prison at the age of just 27. KO-DAN **- (39 movements, 2nd Dan) is the pseudonym of the patriot Cho Man Sik who dedicated his life to the Korean Independence Movement and the education of the Korean people. The pattern's 39 movements signify his periods of imprisonment and his birthplace on the 39th parallel. JUCHE **- (45 movements, 2nd Dan) is a philosophical idea that man is the master of everything and decides everything. In other words, the idea that man is the master of the world and his own destiny. It is said that this idea was rooted in Baekdu Mountain which symbolizes the spirit of the Korean people. The diagram for this pattern represents Baekdu Mountain. SAM-IL- (33 movements, 3rd Dan) denotes the historical date of the Independence Movement of Korea which began throughout the country on March 1, 1919. The 33 movements in the pattern stand for the 33 patriots who planned the movement. YU-SHIN- (68 movements, 3rd Dan) is named after General Kim Yu-Shin, a commanding general during the Silla Dynasty. The 68 movements refer to the last two figures of 668 A.D., the year Korea was united. The ready posture signifies a sword drawn on the right rather than left side. This symbolizing Yu-Shin's mistake of following his king's orders to fight with foreign forces against his own nation. CHOI-YONG- (46 movements, 3rd Dan) is named after General Choi Yong, Premier and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces during the Koryo Dynasty in the 14th century. Choi Yong was greatly respected for his loyalty, patriotism, and humility. He was executed by his subordinate commanders headed by General Yi Sung Gae. General Yi later became the first king of the Yi Dynasty. YON-GAE- (49 movements, 4th Dan) is named after a famous general during the Koguryo Dynasty, Yon Gae Somoon. The 49 movements refer to the last two figures of 649 A.D., the year he forced the Tang Dynasty to quit its invasion of Korea after destroying nearly 300,000 of their troops at Ansi Sung. UL-GI- (42 movements, 4th Dan) is named after General Ul-Gi Moon Dok who successfully defended Korea against a Tang invasion force of nearly one million soldiers led by Yang Je in 612 A.D.. General Ul-Gi employed hit-and-run guerilla tactics and was able to decimate a large percentage of the invasion force. The diagram for this pattern represents his surname. The 42 movements represent General Choi Hong Hi's age when he designed the pattern. MOON-MOO- (61 movements, 4th Dan) honors the 30th king of the Silla Dynasty. 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 forever defend my land against the Japanese." It is said that the Sok Gul Am (Stone Cave) was built to guard his tomb. The Sok Gul Am is a fine example of the culture of the Silla Dynasty. The 61 movements symbolize the last two figures of 661 A.D. when Moon Moo came to the throne. SO-SAN- (72 movements, 5th Dan) is the pseudonym of the great monk Choi Hyong Ung (1520-1604) during the Yi 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 who overran most of the Korean peninsula in 1592. SE-JONG- (24 movements, 5th Dan) is named after the greatest Korean king, Se-Jong, who invented the Korean alphabet in 1443, and was also a noted meteorologist. The diagram for this pattern represents the king, while the 24 movements refer to the 24 letters of the Korean alphabet. TONG-IL- (56 movements, 6th Dan) denotes the resolution of the unification of Korea which has been divided since 1945. The diagram for this pattern symbolizes the homogenous race. World Tae Kwon Do Federation Forms# Palgwe Palgwe is descriptive of a world made up of elements which are both conflicting and harmonious, i.e. sky and earth, light and dark, man and woman, and good and evil. These elements meet and depart from one another according to the rules of nature, thus everlastingly growing and developing. Number of movements Level of Form Trigram Symbol of Form Palgwe 1 20 8th Gup Heaven  Palgwe 2 20 7th Gup Lake  Palgwe 3 22 6th Gup Fire  Palgwe 4 24 5th Gup Thunder  Palgwe 5 35 4th Gup Wind  Palgwe 6 19 3rd Gup Water  Palgwe 7 23 2nd Gup Mountain  Palgwe 8 35 1st Gup Earth  Tae Guk This is the basic poomse in World Tae Kwon Do Federation Poomse. Literally translated, "Tae" means "bigness", while "Guk" means "eternity", and it represents the essence of Cosmos. Having no ending and no beginning, Tae Guk represents the Asian philosophical views on the world, and a way of life. The principle Asian philosophy can be found in the Joo Yeok, the Book of Changes. All movements are represented by eight symbols, or Palgwe. Eight major branches of philosophical theories stems from Tae Guk, and the Tae Guk Poomses are derived from these principle theories. Number of movements Level of Form Trigram Symbol of Form Tae Guk Il Chang 18 8th Gup Heaven  Tae Guk E Chang 18 7th Gup Lake  Tae Guk Sam Chang 20 6th Gup Fire  Tae Guk Sa Chang 20 5th Gup Thunder  Tae Guk Oh Chang 20 4th Gup Wind  Tae Guk Yuk Chang 19 3rd Gup Water  Tae Guk Chil Chang 25 2nd Gup Mountain  Tae Guk Pal Chang 27 1st Gup Earth  WTF Black Belt Forms KORYO- (30 movements, 2nd Dan) is the name of an ancient Korean dynasty (935-1392A.D.) and the derivation of the English word "Korea". The form's linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "scholar". The form's movements are said to reflect the spirit of a learned man imbued with a strong, unyielding spirit. KUM GANG- (27 movements, 3rd Dan) means "diamond", used widely in Buddhism to symbolize the eternal and indestructible nature of Buddhist truth. It is also the name of a spectacular mountain range in North Korea. The form's linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "mountain". The form's movements are said to reflect solidarity, stability, and power. TAE BACK- (26 movements, 4th Dan) means "Great White", the ancient name for a legendary sacred mountain, which Korean folk legends cite as the origin of the Korean race. Although the specific mountain in question has never been agreed upon, the idea remains a symbol of the underlying spirit of the Korean people. The form's linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "construction", which symbolizes a bridge between heaven and earth, signifying human beings building a world according to heaven's laws. PYUNG WON- (21 movements, 5th Dan) means "vast plain", a metaphor for a vast, endless, flat land that is the source of all life, and the plain upon which human beings live out their lives. The form's pattern is based on the Chinese character for "one". SIP JIN- (28 movements, 5th and 6th Dan) means "ten progressing", a metaphor for endless growth in a systematic order. The concept is derived from ancient East Asian cosmology, which cites ten entities of long life: sun, moon, mountain, water, stone, pine tree, herb of eternal youth, tortoise, deer, and crane- all of which provide human beings with hope, faith, and love. The form is said to symbolize these ideas. Its linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "ten". JI TAE- (28 movements, 6th and 7th Dan) means "earth", a metaphor for the notion that all life begins and ends on the earth. The form's linear pattern is based on the Korean character for the vowel "o" (a horizontal line, with a vertical line rising from its middle). This is said to be symbolic of a human being standing firmly on the ground, surveying heaven and earth. This form is said to represent the various struggles that define a human being's existence. CHUNG KWON- (26 movements, 7th Dan) means "heaven's power" or "heaven's authority", a metaphor for the ancient notion that heaven rules the universe and all human existence. The form's linear pattern is based on the Korean character for the vowel "u" (a horizontal line, with a vertical line descending from its middle). This is said to be symbolic of a human being descending from heaven endowed with its power and living in harmony according to its laws. This form is said to represent both reverence and vitality, as typified in some of its arm motions. SILLA HANSOO- (27 movements, 8th Dan) means "source water", a metaphor for the idea that water is a vital substance which nurtures and sustains all creatures. The form's linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "water". This form is said to represent fluidity, flexibility, and adaptability, qualities that define various aspects of water as it exists in nature. IL YEO- (23 movements, 9th Dan) means "oneness", a metaphor for the unification of body, mind, and spirit, a fundamental principle underlying the practice of Tae Kwon Do. The form's linear pattern is based on the Buddhist swastika symbol, signifying the state in which all aspects of human existence became one. How to do the Forms The titles of each form on each form webpage are color coded to match the form with the belt rank. To earn a particular belt color, you must learn that form. To see a detailed diagram of the particular ITF Hyung(form), click on the adjacent "Diagram" link. Each numbered step shown in the diagram matches the corresponding numbered step described in the written description of the form. Please note that there may be a couple minor variations/discrepancies between what is shown in the diagram versus what is described in the written descriptions of the forms. In this case, follow what is written in the descriptions rather than the diagram as the ultimate authoritative source. Please understand that the purpose of these form descriptions are for helping to refresh your memory of the forms rather than a replacement for actual instruction. There is no substitute for real instruction, which goes beyond knowing how the steps of the forms proceed. All diagrams copyright KMAI/Master P. Curell. ITF Hyungs (Forms) Chon-Ji (Diagram) Dan-Gun (Diagram) Do-San (Diagram) Won-Hyo (Diagram) Yul-Guk (Diagram) Chung-Gun (Diagram) Toi-Gye (Diagram) Hwa-Rang (Diagram) Chung-Mu (Diagram) Kwang-Gae (Diagram) Po-Eun Gae-Baek Eui-Am Chung-Jang Ko-Dan/Juche** Sam-Il Yu-Shin Choi-Yong Yon-Gae Ul-Gi Moon-Moo So-San Se-Jong Tong-Il WTF Forms Palgwe Forms Palgwe One Palgwe Two Palgwe Three Palgwe Four Palgwe Five Palgwe Six Palgwe Seven Palgwe Eight Tae Guk Forms# Tae Guk Il Chang Tae Guk E Chang Tae Guk Sam Chang Tae Guk Sa Chang Tae Guk Oh Chang Tae Guk Yuk Chang Tae Guk Chil Chang Tae Guk Pal Chang WTF Black Belt level Forms Koryo Kum Gang Tae Back Pyung Won Sip Jin Ji Tae Chung Kwon Silla Hansoo Il Yeo *- Taken from Arizona Tae Kwon Do #- Taken from Cornell Tae Kwon Do **- In 1983, General Choi Hong Hi replaced Ko-Dan with Juche, which was named after the isolationist policy of "self-reliance" advocated by North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. General Choi had introduced Tae Kwon Do to North Korea in 1980, and replaced Ko-Dan with Juche in an attempt of reconciliation with North Korea. South Korea viewed the change as treasonous, and many ITF schools still have not embraced the change due to its origins. Videos of ITF forms The Tae Kwon Do Forum Given the increasing amount of email I receive about Tae Kwon Do related matters, I have installed a forum for your use. There are many questions that I may not be able to answer, but maybe someone else out there does. Hopefully this forum will allow the everyone to exchange ideas/suggestions/tips for furthering their knowledge and resources for Tae Kwon Do. Feel free to post any questions/messages/tips to help your fellow Tae Kwon Do artists learn from each other. NOTICE OF LIABILITY The information contained in this website is only presented as a reference to refresh your memory of Tae Kwon Do. The information is not intended to serve as a substitute for actual instruction and training, which I personally would not recommend, as there is a huge difference between learning from pictures and text versus actually having personal instruction in the techniques and procedures of Tae Kwon Do. All information and techniques are to be used at the reader's discretion. While every precaution has been taken in preparation of this website, neither the webmaster nor the server this website is on shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to injury, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the contents contained in this website or by the procedures or processes described within. There is no guarantee that the techniques described or shown in this website will be safe or effective in any self-defense or sport situation, or otherwise. You may be injured if you apply or train in the techniques described in this website. Consult a physician regarding whether to attempt any technique described in this website. All information and techniques presented in this website are derived from the webmaster's research and personal experiences. He alone has determined what should be included and how it should be organized and presented, and he is solely responsible for any errors or omissions described. CREDITS                                      Thanks to: Arizona Tae Kwon Do Cornell Tae Kwon Do Worcester Taekwondo Academy Desert Taekwondo AWARDS WON BY THIS SITE Suggestions Below I have provided a comments box for you to use if you wish. Feel free to write any helpful comments or suggestions about this site or other sites of mine. Please read this FAQ before sending your comments. Please note that due to the demands of my occupation, I am no longer able to personally answer any individual questions. If you need to have a question addressed, please post this in the forum provided above. Many special thanks to those who have written to praise this website- I really appreciate it! TKD Contact Form First and Last Name: E-Mail Address: Message:

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