74: Sam-Il reverse knifehand guarding block

Let's start with set from the 1959 version of Sam-Il.

The "reverse-knifehand guarding block" is a strange movement unique to Sam-Il. I suggested in my e-book that the previous step, the twin low punch, may be used to grab the opponent's leg, so the movement is lifting that leg.

The problem is this double low punch is missing in the 1959 version of the pattern. However, there are other differences that provide insight into what's going on. The set is:

• L. front stance R. knifehand rising block with L. middle palm strike
• Step forward into R. front stance L. middle palm strike
• Step forward into R. back stance outward strike with L. reverse-knifehand with rear hand coming to chest as a guard

Yes, that last movement is described as a "strike" in the 1959 instructions. However, I don't think it's a block or a strike.

The first movement is the precursor of the double arc-hand block. We use this as a right arm lapel grab release. The knifehand rising block does a "wax off" motion while the middle palm strike pushes the opponent's elbow.

 

Double arc-hand block application from Russ Martin

 

From here, we continue into the next movement (reverse palm strike) as a standing armbar, placing pressure on the opponent's outer-elbow.

Standing armbar technique from Choi's 1959 book (left) and the Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do (right)

This is not a stable lock and a strong opponent could easily overpower us. As the opponent turns back towards us, step forward and encircle their head with your left arm. Use your reverse-knifehand to dig into their right jaw, getting a chin lock.

Original image source: Bunkai Jutsu (link now broken)

Your rear hand overhooks the opponent's right arm.

Modern Version

Performance by Joel Denis

In the modern version of Sam-Il

• Step 11 becomes a double arc-hand block
• The reverse palm strike becomes a reverse middle punch
• You turn CCW 180-degrees into a twin low punch
• Then turn CCW 90-degrees into the reverse knifehand guarding block

The application of the double arc-hand block is the same as above. But rather than locking the opponent's elbow joint, we continue into punching their face while pulling their arm.

 

Image source

 

From here, grab the back of their shirt with both fists and pull them back and downwards

If this fails to throw them, at least we've distracted them. Encircle their head and execute the chin lock shown above.

Why Did It Change?

I can think of a couple reasons this set changed.

• This standing armbar (ikkyo in Aikido) is rare in the ITF patterns, despite being frequently shown in Gen Choi's self-defense chapters. Instead, the patterns prefer to use a waki gatame lock, which is more stable. It may be someone changed the reverse palm strike to a reverse punch to avoid using this lock
• Because the ikkyo lock is unstable and easy to counter, someone may have believed it's difficult to get the chin lock from this position. So a strike (punching the head) and shirt pull were added as distractions, but the chin lock itself was kept.

The change to this form creates a "missing footwork" problem. The transition into the first U-shape block was originally done turning 90-degrees clockwise. In modern Sam-Il you execute the first U-shape block in place, but adding a clockwise turn to the block makes its application (part of a single-leg takedown) more effective.

73: Why did poomsae Ilyeo change?

Time for some more pattern revision nerdiness. Let's talk about the highest kukki-taekwondo poomsae, Ilyeo.

 

You see, I own a copy of this 1975 book.

 

 

 

 

It contains instructions for the 8 Taeguek and 9 Yujanda (black belt) poomsae. A while back I noticed a curious difference in the written instructions for Ilyeo: the form is symmetric. The movements are performed on both sides, except for a change in the direction of one kick which I'll be focusing on.

This makes sense as all the other Yujanda poomsae are symmetric. It's a fairly short form with few unique movements. Why not practice them on both sides? 

 

Anyway, the portion where you leapt into the "crane back stance" looked like this in 1975 Ilyeo.

 

First half (left) vs second half (right) of the 1975 poomsae

 

 

In both cases, the spearhand was performed on the same side as the lifted leg. The first time, you kick to the front. The second time, you kick to your right.

 

In modern Ilyeo it looks like this 

 

First half (left) vs second half (right). Source video

 

I apologize if it's hard to see. You appear at first to be repeating the first half of the poomsae. But when you leap into the crane back stance the second time, although the left leg is still raised, the hands are switched. You perform the spearhand with your right hand, whereas before you did it with your left hand. Then you kick to your left.

 

This change makes the whole poomsae more repetitive. In 1975 Ilyeo, you performed the back stance diamond block twice in R. back stance and twice in L. back stance. You performed the high X-fist block twice in R. back stance and twice in L. back stance.

 

In modern Ilyeo, you perform the diamond block four times in R. back stance. 

 

So if you're wondering why Ilyeo is so darn repetitive, it was originally symmetric.

 

So why did they change it? My theory is it had to do with the floor pattern.

 

 

The KTA wanted the floor pattern for each poomsae to have a symbolic meaning.  So for Ilyeo, you turn 90-degrees during the second kick so that you follow this floor pattern.

The problem is this turn doesn't match the underlying application.

Leg reaping application of the back crane stance. Left spearhand knocks opponent to the floor. Source: moncoachjudo

We may utilize the crane back stance with the left spearhand as a throw. If this throw fails, then we end up just pushing the opponent forward, hence why it makes sense to kick to the front while still controlling the opponent's left arm.

 

This problem of matching a symbolic floor pattern caused issues in multiple KTA poomsae, not just Ilyeo. But it seems somebody at the KTA cared about the floor pattern, but also cared about fixing this particular application issue. So they made a change: mirror the hand movements but not the stance. When you do this, the application changes.

In-context application for the right spearhand thrust. Image source: Gun Carrier

A different application for the spearhand is to hammerlock the opponent's arm. Use the supporting hand to pull in their triceps while you force their forearm back with the spearing arm.  

Not only does the application for the spearhand change, the application for the stance changes as well. You leap forward to get left of your opponent. The leg lift is used to just lift your rear leg out of the way, as well as set up the kick.

From here it makes sense to kick to your left, because that's where your opponent's legs are.

The 1959 version of Sam-Il was surprisingly different from the modern version.

Update: Thanks to  Ørjan Nilsen and Dr. George Vitale, I have obtained the full instructions for 1959 Hwa-Rang. And of course, thanks to Master Nathan Doggett for preserving the 1959 book digitally.

 In 1959 General Choi published his Taekwon-Do Teaching Manual. His earliest book, it contains instructions for five Ch'ang-Hon patterns plus 19 karate kata, including the three Taikyoku, five Heian, and three Tekki/Naihanchi kata.

No one has fully translated the 1959 book because it has a mix of Korean and Chinese characters. This was not unusual at the time, but as I understand it makes it difficult for modern Koreans to read. However, when I was researching the origins of the double arc-hand block, I noticed the pictures for Sam-Il looked different than the modern version. Curious about the instructions, I ran the instructions for Sam-Il -- as well as Hwa-Rang, Choong-Moo, and Ul-Ji -- through Google translate. I found some surprising things.

I know online translation tools may be inaccurate, but the text is substantiated by pictures in some cases. Here is what I found. 

Hwa-Rang and Ul-Ji are mostly the same

 

The movements for Hwa-Rang are mostly the same as today, but with some changes in stances and hand technique details. One change of note is the twin block set (moves 4-6), which are different in all three versions of Hwa-Rang! (1959, 1965, and 1983). In 1959, the movements are described as identical to Heian Nidan. In 1965, the second movement was changed. In 1983, the second movement was changed again and a slide was added in to the punch. The roundhouse kicks also appear to be aimed off at 90-degrees. In modern Hwa-Rang they are officially aimed at 45-degrees.

Ul-Ji is also mostly the same, although a couple front snap kicks were originally side piercing kicks in the 1959 version. Also, the palm upward blocks seems to not have been created yet. Step 38 of Ul-Ji is instead a "middle inward block" with the palm heel. 

 

In this section of Ul-Ji, a side piercing kick was originally used

 

1959 Choong-Moo

Choong-Moo has some noticeable changes

 

Choong-Moo has more noticeable changes, including:

There are no roundhouse kicks (aka turning kicks) in the pattern. It seems these were added in later. Roundhouse kicks do not appear in any karate kata, so the decision to put them into Hwa-Rang, the first TKD form, was intentional. It seems they were later added to Choong-Moo as well, but not in the original version. 

The supported middle spearhand thrust was originally an upset spearhand thrust. I've long suspected steps 22-23 of Choong-Moo represent a shoulder throw. An upset spearhand (palm faces up) may be use to reach under an opponent's armpit. But it seems this was changed to a more familiar movement.

Only one side kick before the turn into the X-knifehand block. Because of this, you end up with your right leg back in the 1959 version, whereas in modern Choong-Moo you perform two kicks and end up in a left back stance

No twin palm upward block After the X-knifehand block, you step forward into a rising block and that's the final movement. As with Ul-Ji, the palm upward block may not have been invented yet.

Sam-Il was significantly revised

 

That brings us to Sam-Il, which would have been more recently created along with Woo-Nam. Between 1959 and 1965 several changes were made, especially in the second half of the pattern. Listed all of them would be tedious, but here are some highlights.

Move 11 of Sam-Il (1959)

Step 5, the lunge punch, was in a "low stance" sliding forward. A low stance is just like a front stance but wider and low. The slide was dropped in later versions.

Step 11, the double arc-hand block, was originally a combined rising knifehand block and palm-heel strike.

It seems the double arc-hand block was not yet conceived as a distinct movement. The next few steps also differ: you step forward into a reverse palm heel strike instead of a reverse punch. (Yes, you strike with a left palm heel twice in a row). Then there isn't any turn into a twin low punch; instead you step forward again into the reverse-knifehand (ridgehand) guarding block.

This actually caused me to rethink this set. So move 12 was originally a palm-heel strike, not a reverse punch? Why? That movement is pretty rare in the ITF patterns. And the fact that you step forward into the reverse-knifehand block (which is actually described as a strike in 1959 with the rear hand guarding the chest) indicates it's probably not picking up the opponent's leg as I guessed.

Is this a strike or a block? The fact that its name has changed means it's probably neither.

After the 360-degree spin, you land in a different movement. In modern Sam-Il you land in a knifehand guarding block, same as Choong-Moo. In 1959 Sam-Il you landed in a R. front stance high backfist strike with the left wrist under the right elbow.

The diagonal stance hand motions has changed, as well as the footwork

1959 version (left) and modern version (right) 

After the elbow strike, you step backwards a little to form the L. diagonal stance, and perform what looks like a modern angle punch with your left arm (though the text mentions the right rear elbow strike is primary). In the modern version, you step forward and perform a rear strike with your left elbow.

The last third of Sam-Il diverges from the modern version

Here the movements diverge. You perform many of the same ones as in modern Sam-Il, but in a different order. The one that perplexed me the most is the order of the covered punch and the back stance low block is switched.

1959 (top) vs 1965 version (bottom)

In the 1959 version, you perform the punch first, then step forward and perform a low block with the same arm, still keeping the reaction hand high near the armpit. In the modern version we perform the low block and then the punch without changing stance.

Both of these movements have unusual instructions for the secondary hand, but the applications for the 1959 and 1965 versions cannot be the same. 

 

Grasping your right wrist occurs a second time. Step 3, where you perform a right knifehand block and grab your right wrist with your left fingers, occurs a second time in 1959 Sam-Il but in a cat stance, with different following moves.  

No palm upward block. Finally, I have to note there is no palm upward block in 1959 Sam-Il either.

What About Woo-Nam?

 

Pattern Woo-Nam was abandoned by 1965, but most of its material was reworked into the first two-thirds of Choong-Jang. If you compare this performance of Woo-Nam to Choong-Jang, you'll see the sequences were also significantly revised. 

Conclusion

 

Why the revisions?

It's important to note that the sequences in TKD forms are not merely karate sequences reordered around. While sequences from karate kata are sampled, they are often altered, and most TKD sequences in the higher patterns are original. The creators of TKD patterns did think about the movements and what they might be used for, and some of the revisions reflect logical changes. To give a simple example, in 1965 Tong-Il's opening two moves you step back once. In modern Tong-Il you step back twice. This it to make the underlying application (escaping a double grab) more effective.

However, not all the the revisions were application focused. Two roundhouse kicks were added to Choong-Moo, but in my opinion they were not required to make the underlying applications work. It seems there was a desire to add roundhouse kicks to more patterns since it's a staple of sparring but not in any karate kata.

There was also some movement simplification going on. The combined knifehand rising block and palm strike in Sam-Il became a double arc-hand block, as did a combined rising block and middle block in Bassai. Similar-looking movements were merged together. This is part of the standard karate and TKD training method of practicing basic movements with many underlying applications, but it does remove some of the nuance inside patterns.

72: Se-Jong right horizontal fist to double arc-hand block

This set from Se-Jong has baffled me for a long time. I'm still not sure this is what's intended, but it is a use for all the movements.

The instruction to "extend the right fist horizontally" only appears in one other ITF form, Yul-Gok. Many schools perform this like a slow motion punch, but that's not the instruction. To "extend horizontally" is more like a hammerfist strike than a punch.

Given this, what if we use it to push out the opponent's head while grasping their left arm. From here, we can wrap around their head with the supporting arm of the front backfist strike, similar to the gif below.

Source: Kata for Self Defense Shotoryu Goshinjutsu

 

From here the "front backfist" actually becomes a downward elbow strike to the opponent's ribcage.

Walking back-and-left then becomes simply throwing the opponent by pushing down their head. But there is some head-twisting going on. After the downward elbow strike, reach under the opponent's head with your left palm. Then push their left face with your right palm. As you move from here to the twin palm pressing block position, you crank the opponent's head clockwise as you push down, throwing them to the floor.

This head-crank throw may fail if the opponent turns their body clockwise, so instead of falling they end up in front of you.

Therefore, I believe the application of the middle double-arc hand block [1] is simply pushing away the opponent's head to prevent them from tackling you. The key here is the weird orientation: your front stance is facing 45-degrees left, but your "block" actually faces forward, where your opponent's head is.

Taekwondo Time applying a middle double arc-hand block as a tackle defense

In fact, the 45-degree front stance might indicate that you are supposed to get 45-degrees off-line relative to your opponent to push them away from you.

Having your right palm on the opponent's head like this sets up an application for the next three movements of Se-Jong, which I have covered previously.

[1] Note that this is the only use of a middle double arc-hand block in the original 20 patterns. Gae-Baek and Sam-Il utilize high section blocks. So-San tul also uses middle double arc-hand blocks, and follows with an inward knifehand strike, suggesting you may also be pushing the opponent's head. However, the pictures in the Encyclopedia are sometimes confusing because "middle" movements look like high section ones.