BLACK BELT POOMSE PHILOSOPHY

KORYO (Korea) is the name of an ancient dynasty (AD 918-1392) in Korea from which the English word "Korea" originated. Koryo poomsae symbolizes "seonbae" which means a learned man who is characterized by a strong martial spirit as well as a righteous learned man's spirit. The spirit had been inherited through the ages of Koguryo, Pahae and down to Koryo, which is the background of organizing the Koryo poomsae. The line of the poomsae represents the Chinese letter which means "seonbae" or "seonbi," a learned man or a man of virtue in the Korean language.

KEUMGANG (meaning diamond) signifies "hardness" and "ponderousness." The mountain Keumgang on the Korean Peninsula is regarded as the center of national spirit. "Keungang yoksa" (Keumgang warrior) named by Buddha represents the mightiest of warriors. The poomsae line symbolizes the Chines letter for mountain. The movements should be powerful, well-balanced and dignified.

TAEBAEK is the name of a mountain with the meaning "bright mountain" where Tangun, the founder of the nation of Korean people, ruled the country. The bright mountain symbolizes sacredness of soul and Tangun's thought of "honik ingan" (humanitarian ideal). There are many sites known as Taebaek, but Mt. Paektu, which is known as the cradle of the Korean people, is the reference here.

PYONGWAN means a plain which is a vast, stretched-out land. It is the source of life for all creatures and the fields where human beings live their lives. The poomsae Pyongwan was based on the idea of peace and struggle. The joon-be is an overlapping of hands which requires concentration of force in the lower abdomen, the source of body strength, as the land is the source of human life. The line of the poomsae means the origin and transformation of the plain.

The word SIPJIN was derived from the concept of 10 longevity which states that there are 10 creatures of long life: sun, moon, mountain, water, stone, pine tree, herb of eternal youth, tortoise, deer and crane. There are 2 heavenly bodies, 3 natural objects, 2 plants, and 3 animals, all giving to human beings faith, hope and love. The poomsae Sipjin symbolizes these things. The Chinese letter meaning ten is the form of the poomsae line, which signifies an infinite numbering of the decimal system and ceaseless development.

The word JITAE means a man with both feet on the ground who is looking at the sky. A man on the earth represents the ways of struggling for human life, such as kicking, walking and jumping on the ground. Therefore, the poomsae symbolizes various aspects occurring in the course of a human being's struggle for existence. The poomsae line signifies a man standing on the earth to spring up toward the heavens.

The word CHONKWON means the Heaven's Great Mighty, which is the origin of all creatures and the cosmos itself. Its infinite competence signifies creation, change and completion. Human beings have used the name of Heaven for all principal earthly shapes and meanings because they felt afraid of the Heaven's Mighty. Over 9,000 years ago, the founder of the Korean people, "Hwanin" (Tangun) was created by the heavenly king. He settled down in the "heavenly" town, the capitol, near the heavenly sea and the heavenly mountain where the Han people, the heavenly race, gave birth to the proper thought and actions from which Taekwondo originated. The poomsae Chonkwon is based on such sublime history and thoughts. The characteristics of movements are large actions and arm actions forming gentle curves, thus symbolizing the greatness of chonkwon thought. The poomsae line "T" symbolizes a man coming down from heaven, submitting to the will of heaven, being endowed with power by heaven and worshipping heaven, which means the oneness between Heaven and a human being.

Source: Kuk-ki Taekwondo Text Book by Un Yong Kim (1996 English translation)

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