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Poomsae (Tae Kwon Do Forms)

Poomsae (forms) are the heart of Tae Kwon Do. It is impossible to understand Tae Kwon Do without thoroughly understanding the poomsae. Indeed, many scholars feel that the martial arts as formal disciplines began with the study of forms thousands of years ago. Experienced veterans returning from combat have always told their war stories to less experienced comrades. New recruits with any sense would listen carefully to their seniors if they wanted to return home from war alive. It is theorized that sequences of movements that veterans had found successful on the battle field became formalized into dance-like patterns that could easily be memorized and used for teaching. These teachings are what we now know as poomsae in Korean, or kata in Japanese, and they form the basis of all martial art.

The World Taekwondo Federation requires that students practice the Taegeuk poomsae. The history of the Taegeuk poomsae is bound closely to the cultural heritage of Korea, and the concepts that underlie Tae Kwon Do. The symbol of the Taegeuk is so important in Korea, that it is the basis of the South Korean flag, which is called the Taegeuki. It consists of an Um-Yang (known as a Yin-Yang in Chinese) surrounded by the Palgwea, which is the Korean name for the trigrams of the I Ching.

The I Ching, also known as the Book of Changes, is one of the most important and influential books in the world. The concepts in the book go back to undated antiquity thousands of years ago, and include major influences from Confucianism and Taoism. The central theme in the I Ching is the set of possible combinations of trigrams formed by strong and weak lines in three positions (see the diagram at the right which shows the set of possible trigrams). Each Taegeuk form is inspired by and is imbued with the attributes of one of the trigrams of the I Ching. One satisfying aspect of Tae Kwon Do practice is the greater understanding of the I Ching that can be garnered through meditative forms practice, and the greater understanding of Tae Kwon Do that may be gained through study of the I Ching. For those interested in further study, we recommend the Wilhelm / Baynes translation of the I Ching, which has a forward by Carl Jung. This wonderful book was out of print for many years, but has recently been reprinted, and is easily available.

Palgae Divination Signs

The practice of poomsae should be that of moving meditation. There are many different ways to meditate. The kind of meditation that we practice at the beginning and end of a Tae Kwon Do class involves stillness of both the mind and body. Poomsae are the polar opposite of this kind of meditation. In poomsae we meditate with both body and mind performing with the sharpest concentration and precision of which we are capable. Every movement should be sure and strong, with distinct beginnings and endings to all movements. When we watch a master demonstrate a poomse, we notice the power and speed of each movement, causing the dobok (uniform) to snap like the crack of a whip with each technique. At the same time, we notice the rhythm of the form, with stillness and motion flowing in to one another as do sound and silence in a great work of music.

The following pages have information, instruction, and videos of the Taegeuk poomsae. In most schools, it is traditional that you not read or otherwise learn about forms until your instructor gives you permission. We ask you on your honor to please respect this tradition.