My Favorite Forms

I know a lot of patterns. 

I mainly practice the original 20 ITF patterns, the 9 WT black belt poomsae, plus the Original Koryo. I know a few forms from other styles.

Of these, there are a handful I gravitate towards again and again. I asked myself "If I was to theoretically compete in form performance, which one would I choose?"

The criteria I used are (1) fun to perform (2) aesthetically interesting with a variety of techniques (3) good applications. With that in mind, I choose my top five.

1. The Original Koryo

This is, in my opinion, one of Taekwondo's best forms, which is ironic because it's no longer an official WT poomsae. It's a short-and-sweet poomsae that contains a variety of hand techniques. Because it's short, I typically practice it on both sides (that is, I perform it mirrored after I perform the standard version). 

Because it was never fully standardized, there are different versions of it. The version below by David McGoldrick is close to the one I practice, except that I perform the low knifehand block in a cat stance.

Although it's short, this is a good poomsae to practice delivering techniques with speed and power. 

2. Choong-Jang

For ITF, my favorite pattern is Choong-Jang. It's a good "self-defense" pattern, containing low kicks and a variety of hand techniques that attack the jaw, throat, eyes, and temples. It is also technically challenging and one of the longest ITF patterns. 

3. Gae-Baek

Apparently I'm a sucker for forms with an "I"-shaped floor plan. Gae-Baek is highly regarded among ITF students for its flow and array of techniques. I recall one comment that it's the taekwondo pattern that feels the most like a karate kata. Application-wise, Gae-Baek's focus is locking the opponent's arm to place them in a vulnerable position.

4. Po-Eun

Po-Eun is a fun one for students to learn because of how unique it is. While it's certainly inspired by Naihanchi, I think the connection is overstated. It uses the floor plan and a few movements from Naihanchi, but most of its movements do not appear in any of the three Naihanchi kata and the sets are completely different. I would argue Po-Eun consists of five mini-patterns, a series of grapple defenses.

5. Cheonkwon

Cheonkwon (or Chonkwon) is a fun poomsae to perform. It employs wide, circular movements not present in other poomsae, including a spinning inside crescent kick. Not much else to say here other than it's pretty and takes skill to perform correctly.

Honorable Mentions

For the color belt patterns, I enjoy both Yul-Gok and Toi-Gye. I'm also fond of Tong-Il lately, as it's another I-shaped pattern. Taeguek 5 (which has similarities to Yul-Gok) has a nice flow to it. Moon-Moo I do not personally practice, but it is technically challenging (with lots of kicks) and interesting to watch. 

Do you have any favorites?