white belt (10th gup)
Hint: right-click on the names and use print target to make a hardcopy.
All forms are listed by name, number of moves, then number of fundamentals. Interpretations by General Choi Hong Hi. History by Hee Il Cho. An attempt has been made to list proper names in their traditional form, with the family name first, but names typically appear in both their traditional and western forms.
CHON JI 19 3white belt (10th gup)
When translated from Korean, Chon Ji means literally "heaven and earth." As was interpreted in the first book of classic I Ching, which explained all processes of growth and change in the natural world, Chon Ji symbolizes the creation of the universe.
Designed with the potential of the beginner in mind, Chon Ji is the only form to address all four directions from a central point. The beginners' form commemorates the birth of the universe.
Lake Chon Ji, a crater lake atop Mount Paektu, is the spiritual and mythological origin of the Korean people. According to legend, heaven and earth meet at this lake and the universe began with the descent of Hwan-ung from heaven.
DAN GUN 21 6
white belt, yellow stripe (9th gup)
In the year 2333 B.C.E. (wou-chan of tang-yoa) Hwan-ung, son of the great god Hwan-in, descended to Earth to rule the universe. A tiger and a bear begged Hwan-ung to change them into humans.
The tiger could not comply with the tenets of Hwan-ung, so he lost his chance to be human. However, the bear could obey, became a woman, and prayed under an altar to become pregnant.
Hwan-ung was moved by her plea, changed himself into a man, and married her. They had a son, Dan Gun, the father of Korea. Dan Gun founded the nation of Choson, centered in North Korea.
The Koryo dynasty viewed Dan Gun as the sole founder of the Korean kingdom and used this legend to show Korean superiority to the Mongolian tribes. There was considerable antagonism toward the Mongolian tribes because in the past they invaded and conquered Korea several times.
In this myth, Dan Gun played a very important role in protection of the Korean kingdom from invasion by maintaining the Korean culture for several thousand years, through the succession of the Silla, Koryo, and Lee dynasties. Nowadays, October 3rd is celebrated as a national holiday, commemorating the founding father, Dan Gun.
DO SAN 24 9yellow belt (8th gup)
Do San was the name used by Ahn Chang Ho (1876-1938), who was a renowned educator and advocate of Korean independence. A farmer's son, he became a member of the "Independence Association" at the age of 18. This association was formed to promote independence, to reform domestic affairs, and to reduce dependence on foreign countries.
In 1910, when the Lee Dynasty, a minor kingdom, was forcefully absorbed into the Japanese Empire, Ahn Chang Ho started underground activities focused on regaining Korean independence. He advocated freedom of choice in education, culture, and speech.
Do San exiled himself several times to China and the United States of America, but always returned. He was finally arrested by the Japanese in 1932 and died in jail in 1938. He was an outstanding member of the Korean independence movement. Without him, the local Korean resistance fell apart.
The next four intermediate forms are named for scholars, a monk, and a bomb-throwing assassin. They are full of hidden surprises and are distinct. They present a new dimension to the student, challenging and developing him as a thinking fighter.
WON HYO 28 11
yellow belt, green stripe (7th gup)
Won Hyo was the most renowned Buddhist monk of the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 A.D. He was recognized as a great scholar by the Dang Dynasty of China, although he never studied there, and was highly respected by the people of Korea. Won Hyo hated the idea of different religions arguing with each other over their different beliefs. Instead he established his own system of ideology in which the conflicts between various religious sects could be reconciled.
Won Hyo reached the highest position possible as a scholar and a monk. However, his most remarkable achievements were his activities in relieving the poverty and suffering of ordinary people. After Won Hyo left his monastery, he traveled around the country and taught Buddism to the people. Sometimes he played a homemade instrument and used song and dance to communicate. As an example to the people, he lived as he preached.
He was a very worldly, even bawdy, monk but only after his teachers tired of his naïve piety and shaken him up a little. This form can be converted as a pole form. The tricky, sweeping, staff-fighting motions of the form include some of the legend's down to earth approach and unexpected humor.
YUL GUK 38 14green belt (6th gup)
Yul Guk (1536-1584) was the pen name of Master Yi-I. A great scholar of the Lee Dynasty, he was so brilliant that he passed the national examination for selecting public servants at the age of 13. He participated in national affairs and helped various government appointments. Later on, he resigned from government service and returned home, devoting himself to writing. He published many books on philosophy, Confucianism, and public administration.
Yul Guk pointed out various shortcomings of the government system, and suggested reforms which had tremendous impact on the social policy of the Yi Dynasty. Anticipating the Japanese invasion, he also advised maintaining an army of 100,000 soldiers.
The 38 movements of this form refer to his birthplace on the 38° latitude, and the diagram ± represents "scholar."
CHOONG GUN32 17
green belt, blue stripe (5th gup)
Choong Gun (1879-1910) is the name of the man who fought against the Japanese Empire for Korean independence and eventually died for his country.
In 1905, when Korea was invaded and colonized by Japan, Joong Gun Ahn sacrificed himself as follows: On the 26th of October, he snuck into the Halbin railroad station, which was then under heavy security, and assassinated the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, Hiro-Bumi Ito, known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea-Japan merger.
Joong Gun was eventually arrested and the thirty-two movements of the form symbolize the age of Joong Gun Ahn when he was executed at Lui-Shung Prison at the age of 32.
TOI GYE 37 20blue belt (4th gup)
The pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century A.D.), an authority on neo-confucianism. The 37 movements of the forms refer to his birthplace on the 37° latitude and the diagram ± represents "scholar."
Yi Hwang(1501-1570) was a great Confucian philosopher at the time of the Lee Dynasty. In 1534, he passed the prestigious national qualifying examination for the civil service, and was eventually appointed to the highest position in the civil service. However, he later resigned from the government service and returned to his hometown, where he bacame a scholar. His specialty was Joo Ja Hak (confucianism), and he developed many intellectual theories. He founded the Do San Learning Institute where he spent the rest of his life educating his young disciples. His interpretation of Confucianism, known as Toi Gye Hak, is today the subject of study in both the western and eastern worlds.
HWA RANG 29
blue belt, red stripe (3rd gup)
Hwa Rang was the name of a National Institute which trained its youth for times of national need. A Hwa Rang candidate had to be a man of character, virtue, and countenance. Those who met these qualifications could become Hwa Rang pupils. They were trained to improve their moral principles and military skills. They entertained themselves by listening to music and poetry, and travelled around the country visiting famous mountains and rivers. The youth were taught to be brave, to love their country, and to be cooperative. The five leadership qualities of Hwa Rang were:
The main reason why Silla was able to defeat both Ko-Ku-Ryo and Bak Jai, and unify the three dynasties was because of the Hwa Rang spirit under which the youth had been trained. The Hwa Rang spirit had survived through the ages, and today it is used as the motto of the youth.
The form commemorates the Korean equivalent of the Knights of the Round Table, the chivalric cavalry of the seventh century. The 29 movements refer to the 29th Infantry Division, where Tae Kwon Do developed into maturity.
CHOONG MOO 30red belt (2nd gup)
In the naval history of the world, Choong Moo is actually Admiral Yi Soon-Sin (1545-1598) of the Lee Dynasty, whose fame is comparable to that of Admiral Nelson of Great Britain. Admiral Soong Shin Lee was in charge of naval operations during the Lee Dynasty. He anticipated the Japanese invasion and in preparation had his armed forces trained for war.
In 1592 when Im Jin Uae Ran (a conflict between the Japanese Empire and the Lee Dynasty) broke out, Admiral Lee commanded his battleship Kobukson (the turtle boat), which he designed, against the Japanese invaders. Whenever his naval forces met with Japanese battleships, Admiral Lee was victorious. His forces reigned supreme over the sea during the 7-year conflict.
However, Admiral Lee was imprisoned and almost sentenced to death due to the plotting of Won Keun, the naval commander in Kyong San District, who was a rival of his. Won Keun was killed during battle, and the King reluctantly pardoned Admiral Lee and assigned him to the battlefield as a soldier because of the urgent need for his expertise.
On November 8, 1598, Admiral Lee was shot to death during a sea battle against the Japanese Navy. He died at the age of 54. Admiral Lee showed true allegiance to his country, and had a noble character and excellent leadership ability. He was a great hero in Korean history and almost single-handedly protected the country. He also wrote a book entitled The Diary During the Conflict.
Admiral Yi Soon-Sin of the Lee Dynasty 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 why this pattern ends with a left hand attack is to symbolize his regrettable death, his unrestrained potential checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the king.
KWANG GAE 39
red belt, black stripe (1st gup)
Kwang Gae was the 19th king of the Ko-Ku-Ryo (375-418 A.D.) Dynasty and he was known as a great conquerer. He was very bold and ambitious when he was young. When he succeeded to the throne, he undertook the great task of expanding the land holdings of the Ko-Ku-Ryo Dynasty. According to the record embedded in his great tombstone, 64 castles and 1400 villages were attacked and conquered by Kwang Gae during this era.
His most remarkable achievement was the conquest of Manchuria dominated by the Chinese Hwo Yun which then became part of the Ko-Ku-Ryo Dynasty. His expansionist philosophy was inherited by his son, Jang Soo Wang, the 20th king of the dynasty. Jang Soo Wang strengthened the army, and invaded nearby nations. He further expanded the land of the Ko-Ku-Ryo Dynasty, and made it into a great empire.
The diagram ± represents the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 movements refer to the first two figures of 391 A.D., the year Kwang Gae came to the throne.
PO EUN 36black belt (1st dan)
Po-Eun is also known as Chong Mong-Chu. He was a scholar and a faithful public servant for the king in the Koryo Dynasty around 1400 A.D. At the age of 23 he took three different national qualifying examinations which were used to select public servants, and received the highest scores on all three. He participated in various national projects because the king had much confidence in his wide knowledge and good judgement. From time to time, he also visited Japan and China as a diplomat for the king, and was most knowledgable about human behavior. He also founded an institute devoted to the theories of Confucianism.
At this time, Sung Kae Lee headed the armed forces of the Koryo Dynasty. In reaction to Sung Kae Lee's increasing military power, many contemporaries of Chong Mong-Chu plotted to dethrone U-Wand, the king of Koryo Dynasty, and replace him with Sung Kae Lee. Chung Mong-Chu faithfully supported the king up to the last minute, but was assassinated by his opponents. The 474 year old Koryo Dynasty ended with the death of Chung Mong-Chu, and was followed by the new Lee Dynasty. The death of Chong Mung-Chu symbolizes faithful allegiance to the king.
Chong Mung-Chu's 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 at the end of the Koryo Dynasty.
