Musings on forms 1: How forms encode a strategy

I'm currently in the process of writing down all the taekwondo form applications I know. This is time-consuming task: there are 26 forms I have analyzed extensively (15 ITF patterns, the 10 KTA black belt poomsae, and Chil Sung Il Ro), plus samplings from other ITF patterns. As I write, it has given me time to reflect on how forms encode a strategy, rather than just being collections of self-defense sets.

When you look for form applications (or rather, deeper applications), it usually happens in three levels.

1. Individual movements. What can this particular "block" or "strike be used for?

2. Sets of movements. Why are these blocks or strikes arranged this particular way? What is the logical meaning of the set?

3. The whole form. What theme or strategy does the form convey?

In terms of cadence and character, the 24+ ITF patterns feel more-or-less the same. When I look at the techniques, I can make general statements to distinguish them like "Choong-Jang uses rare hand striking tools" or "Gae-Baek has many armlocks", but distinct strategies for most of the patterns elude me. I have noticed that the first three Taekwon-Do patterns created -- Hwa-Rang, Choong-Moo, and Ul-Ji -- appear to have the theme of attacks to the arms, legs, and head respectively. In modern ITF, Kwang-Gae is learned after Choong-Moo, and that pattern also is built around attacks to the head. I don't think this is a coincidence.

Form	Apparent Theme
Hwa-Rang	Controlling the opponent’s arms
Choong-Moo	Attacks to the legs
Ul-Ji and Kwang-Gae	Attacks to the head

These themes are not exclusive. Choong-Moo opens with an attack to the head, and Hwa-Rang includes kicks to the legs. But nonetheless, the three patterns of Hwa-Rang, Choong-Moo, and Kwang-Gae complement each other by focusing on a different strategy.

An arm-break application for the three-quarter turn into the scissor block from Hwa-Rang (Mirrored). Image source: Enso-Ryu Ju-Jitsu

And this is why I find the KTA (or Kukkiwon/WT) black belt poomsae so interesting. Not only do they each feel different, each one appears to encode a different strategy to defeat the opponent. As I wrote down my applications, it gave me an opportunity to reflect on each one's strategy, as well as any possible connection to their names.

Originally, the 1st-Dan poomsae was what we now call the Original Koryo (or Old Koryo or Koryo Il in some schools). Contrary to what many believe, Koryo (or Goryeo) is not what Koreans call their country. They call it Daehan (Greater or United Dynasty) or Chosŏn/Joseon (a dynasty that ruled before Japanese annexation). Koryo refers to the dynasty that ruled before Joseon, and yes it is the origin of the name Korea. However, this name was chosen for the first poomsae because Koryo was repeatedly invaded (and eventually conquered) by the Mongols, and the poomsae represents "the strength and energy needed to defeat the Mongols". The emblem of the Original Koryo is a vertical line, representing facing a Mongol in battle. 

The first two movements of the Original Koryo (from Jeremy Selch's performance)

There are many versions of the Original Koryo, but based on the oldest versions (which Ørjan Nilsen is currently documenting) I believe the strategy of the poomsae is using the opponent's right arm to set up shots to their head. It resembles the karate concept of ikken hissatsu, or killing your opponent with a single blow.

Keumgang's
diamond block

Contrast this with the next poomsae, Keumgang, a peculiar form with few unique movements, and no punches or kicks. The strategy of Keumgang is using body movement to control the opponent. The opening strikes are executed either advancing or retreating. Movements like the stomping mountain block and 360-degree spin also encode this strategy. Even the crane stance diamond block manipulates the opponent with three body movements at once.

What's cool is that all of the black belt poomsae appear to have their own strategy, although not all of them are easy to describe. Take the fourth poomsae, Pyongwon. The original name of this poomsae was Baekje, an ancient Korean kingdom (during the Three Kingdoms era) whose name means "100 Vassals" or "Rules Over 100". I think the original name fits the poomsae better than the modern one, as the movements convey a sense of strength or mightiness. The strategy I would describe as being more stable than your opponent, or perhaps keeping your opponent unstable.  

Poomsae	Name Meaning	Possible Strategy?
Original Koryo	Ancient Korean kingdom under invasion by the Mongols	Setting up knockout blows
Keumgang	Diamond (indicating being “hard” or “unbreakable”)	Using body movement to control the opponent
Taebaek	“Bright mountain”, or the spiritual birthplace of Korea	Using swift attack combinations
Pyongwon/Baekje	Plain (indicating “vastness” or “openness”) / Ruling over many	Being more stable than your opponent
Sipjin	Decimal, as in Base-10	Attacking with both hands (10 fingers) at once
Jitae	Earth	Knocking down the opponent
Cheonkwon	Heaven/Sky	Using circular movements for power
Hansu	Water (indicating adaptability)	Attacking from different angles
Ilyeo/Silla	Oneness of body and mind / Ancient Korean kingdom known for its Buddhism	Cycling through the same movements until you defeat your opponent
Modern Koryo	Same as Original Koryo, but the floor pattern means “Learned Man” or “Wise Elder”	Alternating attacks to the arms, legs, and head.

Some of these strategies have a connection to the poomsae name, but others do not. I can't see how the name Taebaek indicates swiftness; some have argued that "bright" is synonymous with "lightness", which could mean "light of foot", but I'm not sure this double meaning exists outside of English. 

What about the philosophical meanings of these poomsae? These were largely added later. You might have read that Sipjin refers to the "10 eternals", for example. But the name really means "Decimal", as in "Base 10". The 1975 Taekwondo Poomse textbook makes no mention of the 10 eternals, and instead claims the name represents 10-fold expansion or the order and discipline of mathematics. Personally I think the two-handed attacks in Sipjin are a better explanation for the name, although I have no hard evidence this was the reason.

Sipjin contains many two-handed movements

How do the poomsae encode these strategies? By giving examples via the movements and deeper applications. So when I say in the Original Koryo you use the opponent's arm to set-up blows to the head, you must understand applications such as the parry-pass, the elbow lock, the underhook, etc to see this. (And this requires agreeing with me that these applications are even in the poomsae!)

These strategies are not mutually exclusive. You might be wondering, "Don't almost all forms involve knockout blows? Or body movement? Or attacking with speed?" The answer is yes, just not always to the same extent as in other forms. By exploring a theme or strategy in more detail, each form expands your knowledge of taekwondo. 

You may also be wondering what happened to these applications? If each poomsae is actually meant to teach a strategy, where did that knowledge go? That's a good subject for a future post.