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 several movements from Naihanchi, but about half 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

I'm also fond of modern Koryo. 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?

67: Tong-Il under fist ("bear hand") strike and circular block

Continuing our analysis of Tong-Il, let's analyze a set near the end with three unique movements:

• Inward strike with the "under fist"
• Reverse palm pushing block 
• Turn 135-degrees into knifehand circular block 

The under fist comes from Karate's kumade or "bear hand" strike. 

 

Although Gen Choi lists the striking tool as the finger knuckles, it's thought the palm heel can be part of the strike as well. 

 

For an inward strike with the bear hand, the usual application given is a ripping attack to the ear, as shown by Tom Hill below.

Source: Tom Hill

 

The idea of ripping someone's ear off seems a little theatrical to me, but you can do an ear clap attack, disorienting the opponent by slamming air into their ear drum. 

 

Howcast ear slap

 

Striking with the finger knuckles is fine, since the outer ear is soft and this will still distract the opponent. Supposing we do use this as a disorienting attack to the ear, what's next in the pattern?

 

In context, we strike the opponent's right ear while pulling their right arm. We then grab the back of their shoulder and then pull while pushing their arm forward with the palm pushing block, effectively turning them around.

 

We then attempt to throw by pulling them 135-degrees right, the turn into the "circular block". We drop our weight into this to make the throw more effective.

 

 

If the throw fails, we rise up and use the knifehand "block" as a KO strike to the back of the opponent's neck.

 

We can then use the next movement (steps 54) in the pattern to kick behind the opponent and pull them towards us with both fists, essentially the same kind of throw but pulling straight back rather than at an angle. [1]

 

[1] This kick-then-pull is not in the 1965 version of Tong-Il, which instead has you perform a rising block followed by a reverse punch. The intent of the original version is probably to strike up under their right armpit before punching the back of their head. 

66: Tong-Il W-shape blocks

I don't believe that forms, on their own, teach you how to fight. The reason I hunt for applications is because I see it as one big puzzle box to solve. Plus I want to know what the movements I practice may be used for.

Since I recovered from four years of chronic low back pain, I have been getting back into taekwondo forms (mainly as a form of aerobic exercise). It gave me time to reflect on portions of the original 20 ITF patterns that were still mysterious to me. One movement that has been my bane is the outward W-shape block found in Tong-Il.

Source: Master Natasa Manavaki

The outward W-shape block (also called "mountain block") comes from the karate kata Jitte, which also contains the stomping W-shape block.

I tried looking up applications or bunkai for the block. I didn't find much. The typical application is to block with the setup (arm fold) and then strike the opponent's neck while pushing out their arm.

My question is why do we do two outward W-shape blocks in Tong-Il, with a slide between them?

One interpretation is to use the first move as a block against a right-handed attack, while also holding the opponent's left arm. From here, you may strike into the opponent's left inner-elbow while sliding right, and then strike the side of their neck with the second W-shape block.

 From here, the opponent may try to dive down for a body lock or leg grab. But you can foil this by applying the next movement, the stomping inward-moving W-shape block, to move CCW while maintaining contact with the opponent's head, possibly moving the opponent's arm behind them.

Christopher Hein demonstrating how if your opponent dives for a body grab from this position, you may keep contact with their head while moving CCW. Is it easier to maintain contact with the forearm than the palm.

Although we turn CCW once in the pattern, we can continue to turn CCW as much as we need to frustrate the opponent, maintaining forearm contact with their head.

From here, what would I do? One option is to overhook their left arm as I shift left, trying to get a kumura lock. This applies the setup (arm fold) part of step 44

Image source: tritacacademy

From here I have two options.

The first, since the opponent's head is lowered, is that I can perform a downward elbow strike to the top of their head. This would be the application of the final outward W-shape block (Step 44), which would be a finishing blow, though I lose the kimura lock.

The other option is to keep the kimura lock and throw the opponent by performing a sweep. This is an application for the next movement in the pattern, step 45

 

We even turn 90-degrees left to throw like we do in the pattern, and can kick behind us (step 46) because our opponent falls behind us. 

1965 vs 1982 version of Tong-Il

This is just a short post about the 1965 version of Tong-Il. Most of the original 20 patterns had minor changes between the 1965 and modern versions. But Tong-Il underwent more substantial revision. Jukka Ahola has uploaded a performance of the original version here

For comparison, here is the revised, modern version

A lot is still the same, but the changes include:

• Both the opening and ending set are altered
• A single-mountain block precedes the inward-crescent kick in the 1965 version, whereas an outward backhand precedes the crescent kick (striking the palm) in the 1982 version
• There are no outward-crescent kicks. Front kicks are used instead.
• Instead of "angled fingertip strikes", crescent punches are used in the 1965 version

It seems these changes were in part to add new techniques, and in part to make the pattern a little more challenging to perform. The original ending is perhaps too similar to Gae-Baek's ending, so it was changed to include two separate finishing techniques. 

65: Why I prefer the original bending ready stance

Most ITF students may not be aware that when General Choi's 1965 book on Taekwon-Do was published, the original bending ready stance from Shotokan karate was still in use, and it was used to make the original 20 patterns.

Steps 7 and 8 of Won-Hyo in the 1965 book

This instruction is for all of the one-legged stances before a kick (as well as the one-legged stance in Gae-Baek). The only exception is Ko-Dang, where a "mid section wedging block" is instructed to be used while the leg is lifted.

Sometime before the 1980s, the bending ready stance was changed to the version modern ITF students practiced. But I've always had a bone to pick with this version. It's not that it doesn't have applications of its own. It's that the original 20 patterns were designed with the original version in mind. So if you are hunting for applications in those patterns (like I do), the fists-on-the-hip must be taken into account.

The modern Bending Ready Stance A

Changes to the 1965 versions of the patterns are not uncommon. In my book on Sam-Il, I documented three changes from the 1965 version. But those were specific to the pattern and had practical considerations. E.g. the X-fist pressing block at Step 21 was changed from a 90-degree technique to a 45-degree technique, likely due to the position of your opponent. The problem with the change to the bending ready stance A was it was applied universally across all patterns, regardless of whether it made sense or not.

Applications of the old version

The pulling of both fists to the opposite hip, also called "smaller hinge" or "cup and saucer" position, is mainly used either to strike into the opponent's inner elbow or lock their outer elbow.

A commonly given "Cup-and-saucer" application displayed by Karate Dungannon

This puts the opponent in a position where you may apply a kick to their knee.

There are some other, more esoteric applications of the cup-and-saucer. In Naichanchi it's often applied as a neck crank. In some contexts you can underhook and pull the opponent's shoulder. Even the elbow pull earlier in the above video (which he identifies as a hikite application) can be a hidden cup-and-saucer application, one I would use in Step 7 of Won-Hyo.

Applications of the new version

The modern Bending Ready Stance A gives the impression of holding the opponent's arm while you set up a kick, then pulling back as you kick. In theory, this will increase the power of the kick.

A more advanced application is to use the stance itself as a sweep. You might pull the back of the opponent's shirt while sweeping their foot, as in the image below.

A different way to interpret Step 7 of Won-Hyo, if you end up outside the opponent's right arm

Is the new version appropriate?

In both Won-Hyo and Yul-Gok, it is possible to make the modern Bending Ready Stance A work. But the more I played around with both versions, the more I felt the original version made sense for me. Choi-Yong is similar. I could probably come up with a new application, but the original cup-and-saucer movement is more parsimonious for the context of the pattern.

And then you have Choong-Moo and Gae-Baek. In these cases I have a specific application for the cup-and-saucer motion which is not replicated by the new version. Gae-Baek is unique because the stance is not followed by a kick. It's followed by a palm scooping block instead, which I apply as throwing the opponent by pushing out their head and turning their face to the floor.

But what about the patterns beyond the original 20? Moon-Moo and So-San?

So-San I never learned, but in Moon-Moo the new version seems appropriate. I interpret it as blocking the opponent's arm while I setup a kick to their knee. Given that both Moon-Moo and So-San were made after Choi's 1965 book, they may have been made with the new bending ready stance in mind.

But since most of my research is limited to the original 20 patterns, I increasingly find I prefer the cup-and-saucer movement.

64: The "spinning top throw" in TKD patterns

Funakoshi's nine throws, which come from his book Karate-do Kyohan, occasionally show up in taekwondo patterns. This is unsurprising since this book was published in 1935, well before the patterns were made. One of these is the spinning top throw, which is an application for a 360-degree spin found in some patterns.

For example, in the video below, Simon John O'Neill applies the spinning angle punch from Keumgang (Kukkiwon pattern). The throw itself is at time 2:03. 

 

In addition, the spin in the Original Koryo following an inward block may have the same application. If the opponent is not thrown, you may attempt a backfist strike to the back of their head.

 

Source: Master Jeong

In the case of the ITF patterns, a standing waki gatame lock is preferred to the inward block on the elbow (inward blocks / front blocks are rare in ITF patterns).

The spinning guarding blocks in Gae-Baek may used to create this exact same throw, just putting pressure on the opponent's elbow a different way.

Performance by Joel Denis