BLACK BELT COURSE

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✏ Here are some videos from our Black Belt Course to help you on your journey from white belt to Black Belt martial artist. These videos are an excellent way to review for your Taekwondo classes or upcoming graduations. We hope that you find them useful. These videos are provided to help you reach your goal of Black Belt and beyond. If you have a deep desire to someday become a Black Belt we recommend that you talk with your instructor today about how they can help you achieve your dream.

✏ Here is your required form to officially advance to 9th Guep Yellow Belt, Poomse Kicho Ilbo. Daily forms practice helps to develop your mind, body and spirit. Train with focus and intensity and you will become better each time that you practice.

🔔 Ki-Cho Il-Bo (Basic Form 1) 🔔

White belts must learn this form in order to advance to a Yellow belt. The Basic forms (called Ki-Cho) are executed in an I pattern, to give the student practice in performing the fundamental techniques of walking, turning, blocking and punching, in continuous sequence in all four directions.

Ready Position

1. Turn left 90° into walking stance, left foot forward, left hand down block.
2. Step through into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand middle punch.
3. Turning to the right 180° into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand down block.
4. Step through into walking stance, left foot forward, left hand middle punch.
5. Turn left 90° into walking stance, left foot forward, left hand down block
6. Step through into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand middle punch.
7. Step through into walking stance, left foot forward, left hand middle punch.
8. Step through into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand middle punch, YELL!.
9. Turn left 270° into a walking stance, left foot forward, left hand down block.
10. Step through into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand middle punch.
11. Turning to the right 180° into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand down block.
12. Step through into walking stance, left foot forward, left hand middle punch.
13. Turn left 90° into walking stance, left foot forward, left hand down block
14. Step through into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand middle punch.
15. Step through into walking stance, left foot forward, left hand middle punch.
16. Step through into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand middle punch, YELL!.
17. Turn left 270° into a walking stance, left foot forward, left hand down block.
18. Step through into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand middle punch.
19. Turning to the right 180° into walking stance, right foot forward, right hand down block.
20. Step through into walking stance, left foot forward, left hand middle punch.

Return to ready position.

🛎 Here is your required form to successfully advance to 8th Guep Orange Belt, Poomse Taeguk Il Jang. Learn to practice the application of your movements as well. This will help you master Taekwondo with each passing lesson.

🛎 In the Korean language they say that the form TaeGuk Il Jang represents “Keon” which means Heaven. So the first TaeGuk Poomse is the Heaven/Universe form. It is associated with the ancient Trigram symbol that represents Yang, or male/positive energy. The philosophical concept behind the form is that the universe gives birth to the cycle of life. That is why the Taekwondo student starts his or her journey as a White Belt, and the first part of the journey – the end of the first cycle – comes with the attainment of a Black Belt.

🛎 As the ancient Chinese Tao teaches us, with an end comes a brand new beginning. Just as night becomes day, the Taekwondo student begins anew as a Black Belt. This means that the learning cycle of the student who some day may become a master martial artist reflects the cycle of life itself.

🔔 Taegeuk 2 (ee) Jang: Tae – Symbolizes joyfulness and has 18 movements. The Second poomse in the Taegeuk series is composed for the training of students of 7th Gup Student. In addition to the actions presented in the previous poomse, this poomse introduces the front punch, which is directed toward the head of the imagined adversary as a new technique.

🔵 Philosophically, this poomse correlates to the concept of Tae, which means joy. Tae is of a spiritually uplifting nature, but it is not aggressive. It is serene and gentle instead. In compliance with these characteristics then, the actions of this poomse should be performed with ease and fluidity; without the sense of struggling against your limitations, but nevertheless, living fully within them. Tae is symbolized by the image of a lake. It is the state in which one’s mind is kept firms and ostensibly appears gentle so that smile and virtue prevail.

🔔 Taegeuk 3 (Sam) Jang: Ri – Symbolizes fire and sun and has 20 movements. As with the previous poomse, proficiency in performing Taegeuk Sam Jang is required of students of 6th Gup rank and higher. The three moves incorporated here, however, are more varied, and demand variety in quickness and strength on the part of the person performing as well. Ri is the philosophical correlative of this form; and Ri means fire and the sun. The sun causes fire. Man knows how to use the fire that gives light, warmth, enthusiasm and hope.

🔵 So, the movements of this poomse must emulate the qualities of fire – that of flickering energy, of unpredictable pace and styling, and of quiet followed by great excitement or great passion – but continually moving, burning. In this poomse, many moves are combined in quick succession, such as front kicks followed instantly by double front punches. This poomse also introduces the outward middle block with a knife hand and the knife hand strike as new techniques.

🔔 Taegeuk 4 (Sa) Jang: Jin – Symbolize thunder and has 20 movements Taegeuk Sa Jang applies the principles if Jin, which stands for thunder – the element of fear and trembling which occasionally enters our lives. Because Taekwondo is compromised exclusively of virtuous actions, Taegeuk expresses fear and trembling in the only way that virtue can – stoically, as a passing thunderstorm that nourishes the soul. Virtue, therefore, defines fear as courage.

🔵 This form, as a consequence, contains many postures that display composure and strong balance such as blocks in combination with strikes and, front kicks that require the performer to kick with force but immediately recover into back stances. Students of the 5th Gup rank and higher are required to master this poomse.

” Thunder and lightening are the objects of fear and trembling. This principle suggests that we should act calmly and bravely even in the face of danger and fear. Then the blue sky and bright sunlight will appear again. “

🔔 Taegeuk 5 (Oh) Jang: Seon – Symbolizes wind and has 20 movements. This group of Taegeuk actions expresses a concept called seon, the fifth of the eight concepts in the great circle of Jooyeok, the Book of Changes. Seon encompasses the characteristics of wind; gentle and strong; invisible, yet manifesting, in concrete terms, the interplay of the um and yang taking place beyond time. The concept of seon is of subtle nature, but pure, without evil intent; it is a state of being, the state of being like the wind.

🔵 A sweeping hammer fist strike, and a leap forward into the cross-legged stance are introduced for the first time in the Taegeuk series of forms. The powerful elbow strike is also used, as are quick following combinations. Students of the rank of 4th Gup are required to be proficient in this and the preceding forms.

” There are such horrible winds as typhoon, storm, and tornadoes, but the nature of wind is gentle. Spring breeze caresses weeping willow. Wind symbolizes humble state of mind. It expresses repetitive good-natured actions. Actions proceed sometimes gently and monotonously as breeze but sometimes as forcefully as storms.”

🔔 Taegeuk 6 (Yook) Jang: Gam – Symbolizes water and has 23 movements. The dramatic expressions of Taegeuk Yook Jang are defined by the concept of gam – water, flowing, shapeless, always true to its nature, incorporation all obstacles in its path in its own sense of flow. It is important for the practitioner to recognize this as a type of confidence, of always knowing whatever difficulties or hardships he/she may encounter in life, or in the practice of his/her art, there exists no doubt of over coming them as long as he/she retains the qualities of acceptance, flow, and natural integrity. This set of movements must be performed with fluidity, and the feeling that every action is exactly what is called for to overcome the situation at each particular instant. Students of the rank 3rd Gup are required to be proficient in this and the preceding forms.

🔔 Taegeuk 7 (Chil) Jang: Gan – Symbolizes the mountain and 25 movements. The seventh series of Taegeuk actions applies a concept called gan, meaning “top stop,” the seventh of the eight concepts of the Book of Changes. The Taegeuk forms interpret gan, symbolized by the image of a mountain, as the principle of stability. This stability is defined as the structural soundness, which results from having resolved one’s ambition to touch heaven into the limitations of excellent form. This resolution is of a notable and majestic character; thus, the image of the mountain.

🔵 The tiger stance, in which most of your weight is settled on the back leg expresses this peculiar stability which also contains ambition. These actions use the tiger stance repeatedly. “We should stop when we should and we must go forward when we must. Man must learn the stability of mountain. We should not act in a hasty manner.”

🔔 Taegeuk 8 (Pal) Jang: Gon – Symbolizes the earth and has 24 movements. This last group of Taegeuk actions is guided by the principle called gon, which is defined as the quality of being receptive. Its metaphysics is pure yang, and it is symbolized by the earth, providing the substance into which the heavenly light and energy of Keon enters to produce physical forms.

🔵 Taegeuk Pal jang is intended as a summation and a review of all the previous forms for the student on their way to attaining the rank of black belt. Those of the 1st Gup are required to be proficient in this as well as the preceding forms.

“The earth is the source of life. Things take life from it and grow on it, drawing limitless energy from it. The earth is where the creative force of heaven is embodied. The earth is always wordless; it hugs and grows everything.”

🛎 Koryo is the first of the black belt forms practiced by 1st Dan and above. It has 30 movements and is the name of the ancient Korean dynasty (A.D 918 – 1392) in which the English word Korea was derived from. This poomse is significant as it symbolizes the great fortitude displayed by the people who were persistently defeating the aggression of Mongolians who were sweeping Asia at the time. This poomse, therefore, represents the cultivation of a strong conviction, and unyielding spirit.

📣 Assistant Instructor Poomse Guide 📣

👉 Taekwondo Students in the official Leadership Program are expected to have a deeper understanding of the Poomse and martial arts in general. Here are some facts about the Taeguk Poomse that you may study for personal development.

🎯 USNTA POOMSE GUIDE 🎯

🎲 Taeguk Poomse: in the US National Taekwondo Association, refers to a set of Poomse used to create a foundation for the skill development of students below the level of black belt, YuGupJa, or color belt students. A Poomse, or form, is a detailed pattern of defense-and-attack motions and techniques used in traditional martial arts. The word Taeguk (the Korean pronunciation of Taiji/T’ai Chi) refers to the important principle in east Asian Taoist thought of the union of yin and yang.

💠 All students studying a recognized style of Taekwondo must learn these forms, or Taeguks, to advance to a higher belt level. There are eight Taeguks, each one similar to the previous one, but each time with more complicated techniques to display the students’ proficiency of the techniques learned during lessons as well as the ability to interconnect these techniques.

🎲 Each Taeguk symbolizes a specific state thought to be indicative of the belt the student currently holds before gaining a new belt, and is represented in Taekwondo by trigrams similar to those found in the four corners of the South Korean flag.

💠 In order to receive a Black Belt, the student must perform all Taeguks consecutively.

🎲 Each Dan (degree of Black Belt) also has its own associated form, required for belt testing. The first degree form for the US National Taekwondo Association is called Koryo Poomse.

💠 The Palgwe forms are a slightly older, somewhat similar supplemental group of Poomse. There are eight Palgwe forms that also represent eight trigrams from I-Ching. Under the authority of our World Governing Body, the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association, we also recognize the Palgwe forms in place of the Taeguks for promotion exams.

🎲 Various schools sometimes insert one of a variety of other forms before Taeguk Il-jang

💠 Poomse of Taekwondo. The USNTA recognizes Kicho forms as additional fundamental training at the lowest belt level.

🎲 The Taegeuk and Palgwe forms of Taekwondo are paradigms of the martial art. They contain the basic physical movements and also the philosophical thoughts from which the art was derived.

💠 The words Taegeuk and Palgwe essentially represent the same thing, the universe. They are derived from the Jooyeok, the Book of Changes. In the Book of Changes the universe is divided into eight subsequent combinations derived from the major forces, um and yang (Korean for yin and yang). Each combination is represented by a symbol called a trigram, because it contains three lines. The lines of the trigram can be broken (um or negative principle) or solid (yang or positive principle). The number of possible combinations of a trigram consisting of three lines, broken or solid is (2^3=8) eight, thus the eight universal principles the Taegeuk and Palgwe represent.

🎲 The eight trigrams are arranged in a circle, around the symbol for um and yang, so that opposite pairs are across from one another. This represents the relationship that the trigrams have for one another, not opposites but, rather “interdependant polarities” that compose the universe.

💠 Keon is the first trigram and it represents the creative forces, heaven and light. Tae represents the concept of joy, often associated with a lake. Ri is the symbol of fire and clarity. Jin is symbolized by the arousing thunder. Seon, the gentle but powerful wind. Gam, flowing water. Gan means stubborn and mountain. Finally, Gon the receptive earth. All together these concepts and symbols represent the balance of all nature. In the training of Taekwondo as well as in life we all hope to find the balance. The poomse carry with them not only the physical movements but also the meaning of Taekwondo.

🎲 In executing the poomse, there are four elements that are considered; direction, pattern, stance and technique.

💠 The first element is direction and is simply the direction the student faces. Using the time on a clock as a guide the student is in the center of a clock.

🎲 To the front of the student is 12 o’clock, back is 6 o’clock, right is 3 o’clock and left is 9 o’clock. This clock method is used on the form descriptions to convey direction.

💠 The second element is the pattern of the form. The pattern is the area the practitioner follows on the floor while executing the poomse. In Figure 2 the student stands at the beginning of the basic Taeguek pattern. At the end of the form the student will have moved along the black lines and returned to the starting position.

🎲 The third and fourth elements are related in that they are the movements, which make up the form. Stance refers to the positioning of the feet and body. [ie. Front Stance, Defensive Stance] Technique is the blocking, striking or kicking method used.

💠 Not only is the student required to memorize the proper direction, pattern, stance and technique but also to display them with the proper balance and power in a consistent rhythm This takes hours of practice and can be a lifetime challenge of Taekwondo.