Taegeuk Pal Jang is the last of eight ''
taegeuk
''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term ''Taiji'' ( Wade-Giles spelling: ''T'ai-chi''), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The symbol was chosen for the design ...
''
taekwondo forms
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
practiced by the
Kukkiwon
Kukkiwon (), also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters, and home of the World Taekwondo Academy, is where the official taekwondo governing organization was established by the South Korean government.Min, B.-H. (2005)Kukkiwon, the spiritual home ...
and the
World Taekwondo Federation
World Taekwondo, called the World Taekwondo Federation until June 2017, is an international federation governing the sport of taekwondo and is a member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).
The ''World Taekw ...
. A form, or
poomsae
The Korean terms hyeong, pumsae, poomsae and teul (meaning "form" or "pattern") are all used to refer to martial arts forms that are typically used in Korean martial arts such as Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do.
* Hyeong is often romanized as ''hyu ...
(also romanized as ''pursue'' or ''poomse''), is a choreographed pattern of defense-and-attack motions. Taegeuk Pal Jang is often (but not universally) practiced by students of Kukkiwon/WTF-style taekwondo with rank of 1st
geup
GEUP is a commercial interactive geometry software program, similar to Cabri Geometry. Originally using the Spanish language, it was programmed by Ramón
Alvarez Galván. Recent versions include support for three-dimensional geometry
In math ...
. First geup students of Kukkiwon/WTF-style taekwondo practice this form in order to advance to the next rank (usually 1st
dan black belt), at which students then begin studying a new sequence of black belt forms.
Etymology
The taegeuk symbol
The word ''taegeuk'' (, ) refers to the universe from which all things and values are derived.
It is also the symbol that makes up the center of the
flag of South Korea
The national flag of South Korea, also known as the Taegukgi (also spelled as ''Taegeukgi'', ) and colloquially known as the flag of Korea, has three parts: a white rectangular background, a red and blue Taegeuk in its center, accompanied by fo ...
and the source for its name, ''taegeukgi'' (hangul: 태극기, where ''gi'' means "flag").
The taegeuk is commonly associated with
Korean Taoism
Taoism or "Do" is thought to be the earliest state philosophy for the Korean people spanning several thousand years. However, its influence waned with the introduction of Buddhism during the Goryeo kingdom as the national religion and the domin ...
philosophical values
as well as
Korean shamanism
Korean shamanism or Mu-ism is a religion from Korea. In the Korean language, alternative terms for the tradition are ''musok'' () and ''mugyo'' (무교, 巫敎). Scholars of religion have classified it as a folk religion. There is no central auth ...
.
[Korea's Sam-Taegeuk Symbol](_blank)
san-shin.org, dedicated to the sacred mountains of Korea.
The word ''pal'' is the number 8 in the
Sino-Korean numbering system. The word ''jang'' translates roughly as "chapter" or "part". Taegeuk Pal Jang translates as "Part 8 of the Taegeuk".
Symbolism
The
floor pattern (or ''yeon-mu'') of each taegeuk poomsae is three parallel lines. On each line, a 180 degree turn is performed.
* If the turn is performed by pivoting in-place, the line is considered to be a broken line.
* If the turn is performed by moving the lead foot to the rear, the line is considered to be a solid line.
The floor pattern of each taegeuk poomsae then represents three broken or solid lines, called trigrams or ''gwae'' (
bagua
The bagua or pakua (八卦) are a set of eight symbols that originated in China, used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each lin ...
in Chinese). Each trigram (gwae) corresponds to a natural element.
All three turns of Taegeuk Pal Jang are performed by pivoting in-place. (The turn on the third line is considered a pivot-in-place because the turn uses a cross stance as a transitional movement.) This indicates that the associated trigram is three broken lines; this is the trigram for ''earth'' ("gon"). The Kukkiwon teaches that this poomsae serves as the foundation (i.e., the earth) for the student's future training (i.e., black belt training).
Techniques
As the final Taegeuk form, this poomsae focuses on consolidating prior lessons, and so includes only a few new techniques:
* Augmented outside blocks, at both medium and low heights
* Cross stance, used as a transitional movement on the third line
* Half Mountain block
* Forward-facing double knifehand block, as seen in the tiger stance movements on the middle line
Of all the Taegeuk forms, this form includes on its upward stem the most advanced kick: a single upward jump in which the practitioner kicks twice (once with each leg) while still in the air. A similar (but simpler) combination is seen on the downward stem, where one front kick is performed on the ground, followed immediately by a single jump front kick.
Development
During the 1920s and 1930s many of the
pioneers of taekwondo studied
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
or
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. Th ...
in which forms practice is seen as an essential element of the martial art. When these pioneers returned to
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
after the
Japanese occupation, they incorporated forms practice into their teaching. During the 1960s there were several efforts among these pioneers to unify their styles of martial art and create a consolidated set of forms. In 1965 the
Korea Taekwondo Association
Korea Taekwondo Association ( 한국 태권도 협회; 韓國 跆拳道 協會; KTA), originally the Korea Tang Soo Do Association (1961),Park, S. H. (1993): About the author. In H. H. Choi: ''Taekwon-Do: The Korean art of self-defence'', 3rd ed ...
appointed a committee of representatives from six of the
Nine Kwans to develop the forms for what is now called Kukkiwon- or WTF-style taekwondo.
The committee consisted of:
*
Young Sup Lee
Young may refer to:
* Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents
* Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood
Music
* The Young, an American roc ...
of the
Song Moo Kwan
Song Moo Kwan, also named "Song Moo Kwan Kong Soo Do ", is one of the Five original kwans (martial art schools) of taekwondo in Korea. Its founder, from 1944, Supreme Grandmaster Byung Jik Ro (1919-2015), was one of the highest ranking taekwond ...
*
Kyo Yoon Lee
Kyo can refer to:
;Anime, game and manga
* Kusanagi 'Kyo', KOF 1994, one of the main characters of the ''King of Fighters'' series of video games
* ''Kyo'', a manga comic created by Ryōji Minagawa in 1996
* Kyo Sohma, a character in the manga an ...
of the
Han Moo Kwan
Han Moo Kwan, was founded in August 1954 by Kyo-yoon Lee and is one of the nine original Kwans that later formed Kukkiwon Taekwondo.
Lee was a student at the Chosun Yun Moo Kwan Kwon Bop Bu (sometimes spelled "Yun Mu Kwan" in English translit ...
*
Hae Man Park Hae may refer to:
People
* Hae Phoofolo, interim Prime Minister of Lesotho
Other uses
* Hae (letter), a Georgian letter
* Height above ellipsoid, a measure of elevation or altitude
* Hereditary angioedema, a rare disease
* Hepatic artery embol ...
of the
Chung Do Kwan
Chung Do Kwan, created by Won Kuk Lee in 1944, is one of the first of nine schools or '' kwan'' teaching Tang Soo Do. Later, the school began to teach what came to be known as taekwondo. This style of Tang Soo Do is known for its overall powe ...
*
Jong Myun Hyun Jong may refer to:
Surname
*Chung (Korean surname), spelled Jong in North Korea
*Zhong (surname), spelled Jong in the Gwoyeu Romatzyh system
*Common Dutch surname "de Jong"; see
** De Jong
** De Jonge
** De Jongh
*Erica Jong (born 1942), American ...
of the
Oh Do Kwan
Oh, OH, or Oh! is an interjection, often proclaiming surprise. It may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Albums
* ''Oh!'' (Girls' Generation album), 2010
* ''Oh!'' (ScoLoHoFo album), 2003
* ''OH (ohio)'', by Lambchop, 2008
* ''Oh!'', an E ...
*
Soon Bae Kim
Soon may refer to:
Music
* ''Soon'' (musical), a 1971 rock opera by Joseph M. Kookolis and Scott Fagan
Albums
* ''Soon'' (album), a 1993 album by Tanya Tucker, and the title song (see below)
* ''Soon'' (EP), a 1997 EP by Far
Songs
* ...
of the
Chang Moo Kwan
Chang Moo Kwan is a style of Korean martial arts that was founded by Yoon Byung-in and Lee Nam Suk.
History
At the end of World War II, several Kwans were set up to teach martial arts to Korean public. In the late 1950s, spearheaded by Choi ...
In 1967, this committee introduced the
Palgwae and
Yudanja (Black Belt) forms (including a simpler version of
Koryo). In 1971 two additional kwans joined the committee:
*
Chong Woo Lee of
Jidokwan
Jidokwan is one of the original nine schools of the modern Korean martial arts that became Taekwondo and was founded in what is now South Korea at the end of World War II. Its name translates as "School of Wisdom". The Jidokwan in Korea stil ...
*
Young Ki Bae also of
Jidokwan
Jidokwan is one of the original nine schools of the modern Korean martial arts that became Taekwondo and was founded in what is now South Korea at the end of World War II. Its name translates as "School of Wisdom". The Jidokwan in Korea stil ...
*
Young Tae Han of
Moo Duk Kwan
Moo Duk Kwan is the name of a martial art organization founded by Hwang Kee in South Korea in 1945. Licensed Moo Duk Kwan schools teach Soo Bahk Do, formerly Tang Soo Do (and earlier 'Hwa Soo Do'). 'Moo Duk Kwan' translates as "School of Martial ...
This expanded committee went on to develop the
Taegeuk
''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term ''Taiji'' ( Wade-Giles spelling: ''T'ai-chi''), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The symbol was chosen for the design ...
forms.
See also
*
Taegeuk (taekwondo)
In taekwondo, taegeuk is a set of ''Pumsae'' (also known as ''Poomsae'' or ''Poomse''), or defined pattern of defense-and-attack forms used to teach taekwondo.
Between 1967 and 1971, Kukkiwon-style taekwondo made use of an older set of forms ...
*
Taekwondo forms
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
*
Karate kata
Kata ( ja, 形, or more traditionally, 型; lit. "form") is a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. Karate kata are executed as a specified series of a variety of moves, with stepping and tu ...
*
List of Taekwondo Techniques
References
{{reflist
Taekwondo forms