TAEKWONDO PATTERNS E-Book

Jim Hogan

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

The martial art of Taekwon-Do was initially developed by the Korean military in the 1950s and spread internationally with the formation of the International Taekwon-Do Federation [ITF] in 1966. Taekwon-Do has continued to develop and it is now one of the most popular martial arts, with some eight million students worldwide and perhaps best known for its spectacular kicking and power demonstrations. However, Taekwon-Do is first and foremost a modern, scientifically based martial art with a vast array of techniques. Core Taekwon-Do techniques are grouped together in twenty-four patterns (tul), each of which is a progressively more complex series of self-defence moves against one or more imaginary opponents, and which must be mastered by students as they advance through the Taekwon-Do grading system. This unique book is specifically designed to help guide Taekwon-Do students through the first nine patterns that take them up to 1st degree black belt grade.

Leseprobe

TAEKWON-DO PATTERNS

From Beginner to Black Belt

Master Jim Hogan

Foreword by Master Trevor Nicholls

Copyright

First published in 2006 by The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book edition first published in 2012

© Jim Hogan 2006

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

ISBN 978 1 84797 435 8

To my beautiful wife Patricia whose endless love and support have made my life so special and to my darling daughter Scarlett Mae who has made my life complete. And to the memory of my student Robert Godfrey, who provided the initial inspiration for this book.

I would like to thank my student James Home (III Degree) for all of his time, effort and support in helping me produce this first book of its kind on ITF patterns and their applications. I would also like to thank my students Steven Walsh (III Degree) and Dean Reason (I Degree) for appearing in the applications photographs and all of the students of Hogan’s Institute for their continuing support over the years. Finally I would like to thank Tim Rumble of Britannia Photographic for his artistry with the camera.

How to use this e-book

The original printed copy of this book shows the progression of each pattern across the top of pages with relevant applications and teaching tips in the lower half of pages. For this e-book edition we have kept the patterns uninterrupted but included links to applications and teaching tips which now appear at the end of each chapter. This enables you to move to these applications and teaching tips from within each pattern and use the back button to return to where you left off.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Foreword

Preface

1 Introduction

2 Fundamental Movements

Saju Jirugi

Saju Makgi

3 Chon-Ji Tul

4 Dan-Gun Tul

5 Do-San Tul

6 Won-Hyo Tul

7 Yul-Gok Tul

8 Joong-Gun Tul

9 Toi-Gye Tul

10 Hwa-Rang Tul

11 Choong-Moo Tul

Index

Foreword

by Master Trevor Nicholls, VIII Degree Secretary General, International Taekwon-Do Federation

The importance of patterns within Taekwon-Do cannot be overstated: not only do they embody core technical and aesthetic elements of Tae-Kwon-Do but they also impose a unity of purpose across the global Taekwon-Do community as they are practised and perfected by students all over the world striving to improve their understanding of this great martial art.

In writing this book, Master Hogan has made a significant contribution towards this goal by helping students to dig beneath the surface of their patterns training and to think more deeply about the self-defence applications of the movements that they are performing. Drawing on his extensive experience as a highly successful international competitor, as a renowned instructor and as a self-defence specialist, Master Hogan has produced a clear, comprehensive and, above all, practical manual that serves both as an excellent source of reference and as a thought provoking commentary on the patterns and their application.

I congratulate Master Hogan for producing this much needed work that I believe will prove invaluable to all students of Taekwon-Do, both beginners and more senior students alike.

Master Trevor Nicholls, VIII Degree

Preface

This book has been written in response to many requests from my students over the last twenty years for a manual that ‘really explains’ how to perform the ITF Taekwon-Do patterns (tul) that form the backbone of the syllabus from beginner through to black belt.

The need for this book and its approach are summed up by the phrase ‘explain’ as opposed to ‘show’. Whilst there are many volumes that detail the moves contained in the patterns, this book seeks to go beyond mere description and to help you, the student, to better understand them and to thereby improve your performance of them. How? As well as providing move-by-move descriptions of the patterns, this book offers two additional perspectives:

Firstly and most importantly, it encourages you to consider the patterns within the core traditions of Taekwon-Do, that is, as a part of a truly practical and highly effective self-defence art. Each pattern description contains examples of possible self-defence applications for moves within the pattern. As you think more about the practical applications of the patterns, you will be able to perform them with greater realism and in turn with greater power and accuracy.

Secondly, I have drawn on decades of teaching experience to highlight common areas of difficulty as you progress through the patterns on the way to gaining your black belt. Alongside the descriptions of self-defence applications are detailed teaching tips that will help you to avoid and correct the most common mistakes made by students as you start to perform each pattern.

There is, of course, no substitute for practice and this is particularly true of learning patterns. Use this book to help you focus on the details of the patterns, practise hard to improve and become the best black belt that you can.

Master Jim Hogan, VII Degree

1 Introduction

Taekwon-Do and its Patterns

Taekwon-Do: a Modern Martial Art

Unlike many martial arts, the origins of Taekwon-Do are well documented since it was created relatively recently by General Choi Hong Hi in 1955 and spread around the world with the formation of the ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) in 1966. In just fifty years ITF Taekwon-Do, as defined and developed by General Choi, has grown into one of the world’s most popular martial arts with an estimated eight million students including some 150,000 in the UK.

Why has Taekwon-Do become so popular? What is the major difference between Taekwon-Do and other martial arts? At a fundamental level, the answer to both questions is the same: Taekwon-Do is a truly modern martial art, specifically designed to meet the self-defence needs of all people, young or old, across diverse religions and cultures. The success of Taekwon-Do in its stated goal and the reasons why it will continue to be a developing martial art for the twenty-first century are largely explained by its core foundations.

Taekwon-Do is Based on Experience and Research

As a teenager General Choi studied Taek Kyon, a traditional Korean martial art, before travelling to Japan as a young man where he took up the study of Shotokan Karate, achieved his II Degree black belt and then returned to Korea. Although a strong and proud patriot, General Choi always acknowledged his willingness to incorporate martial arts techniques and concepts from outside Korea if he felt they could contribute. This open-minded approach continued as he developed Taekwon-Do, researching martial arts and drawing heavily on scientific principles (particularly Newtonian physics) to develop techniques that were both practical and powerful. This spirit of research and improvement continues to this day with refinements to techniques and their application being incorporated regularly into the body of Taekwon-Do knowledge.

Taekwon-Do was InitiallyDeveloped as a Military Art

Upon his return to Korea from Japan, General Choi was commissioned as an officer in the Republic of Korea army where he began teaching karate to his troops and then went on to formulate the fundamental theories and principles of Taekwon-Do. This military background not only allowed modern military tactics of attack and defence to be incorporated but also provided a uniquely realistic and experienced proving ground for the strength and effectiveness of Taekwon-Do techniques.

Taekwon-Do is Firmly Rooted in Korean Culture

Taekwon-Do was developed as a new national martial art and, on a spiritual level, draws heavily on the traditional ethical and moral principles of Korea and the wider Orient. This spiritual dimension is not religious in nature but rather focuses on traditional values such as respect for others, correct behaviour and perseverance that are shared universally, regardless of religion or culture. The Korean origin of the art is emphasized in the adoption of Korean as the lingua franca of Taekwon-Do and, of particular importance in the present context, all of the patterns represent heroic figures or events in Korean history.

It is this fusion of scientifically based research, proven effectiveness and Korean cultural background that has made Taekwon-Do the unique martial art that it is today and which the patterns embody.

The Role of Patterns in Taekwon-Do

On one level Taekwon-Do patterns (tul) serve a similar purpose to the pre-arranged sequences of moves practised by the student alone in many martial arts: they are a series of defensive and offensive moves against one or more imaginary opponents that are part of the core syllabus of the art. This is certainly true in Taekwon-Do where, in addition to other sparring and power demonstrations, the first nine patterns must be mastered at successive gradings before students can test for their I Degree black belts. But Taekwon-Do patterns have a role beyond being mere components of the grading syllabus and the more that you understand this the better you will be able to perform them.

Firstly, the name, number of moves and path travelled by the pattern represent aspects of Korean history and root Taekwon-Do firmly in Korean culture. Indeed the fact that there are twenty-four Taekwon-Do patterns itself symbolizes the brevity of a human life, there being twenty-four hours in a day and a whole lifetime is like a single day when compared with eternity. Similarly, each pattern is assigned a name that represents a historical figure, movement, idea or event; within a pattern further meaning may be attached to the number of moves, the diagram of the path travelled or the way the pattern starts or finishes. All of this information not only reinforces the Korean nature of Taekwon-Do but also gives you further, more subtle insight into the meaning of the patterns and how they should be performed – two good reasons for you to make sure that you learn all aspects of the meanings of the patterns.

Secondly, the patterns were created as an integral part of Taekwon-Do, a modern scientifically based self-defence art. As such they are specifically designed to introduce students to core Taekwon-Do techniques in a cumulative and progressive manner. Successive patterns not only introduce more difficult techniques in more complex combinations but also re-visit previous moves in different contexts. To get the most out of your patterns training, you should try to look at them as an integrated series of exercises rather than as ‘moving on’ from one pattern to the next. Try to incorporate the lessons learned in earlier patterns in each new one that you study; look out for the re-appearance of particular techniques and understand what is different in each scenario.

Thirdly (and a principle concern of this book), the patterns are designed to teach practical self-defence techniques and each and every move has practical application. Here you need to be inventive: sometimes a move or sequence of moves may have an obvious, initial application – and sometimes not. In either case you need to research the pattern by reading books such as this, talking with your instructor and fellow students, and so on, but you must also apply your own experience and imagination to dig beneath the most obvious application. There is no one application for any technique – even at the most basic level, a properly executed block can be both a defensive move to stop an attack and an offensive move to damage your opponent’s attacking tool, or perhaps it is a block such as knife hand guarding block (sonkal daebi makgi) that can be used as an attack in its own right. Then you must consider the moves in context with each other (how does one move set up another?) and in different scenarios (what attack combinations would this sequence be effective against? How effective would it be if weapons were involved?). The more you search for and assess different applications, the more you will understand the techniques and their interactions and the better you will perform them.

Finally, the patterns pull together many different aspects of Taekwon-Do such as multiple techniques, breath control, sine wave, body shifting and so on, and, when correctly performed, should demonstrate the art in a smooth, flowing and aestheticallypleasing manner. This should be your goal in performing patterns: to understand them and to practise them so that in performing them you can show the qualities of Taekwon-Do to the best of your abilities.

How to Use This Book

The primary function of this book is to serve as a training aid for ITF Taekwon-Do students working towards their black belts. It therefore assumes that you are regularly attending classes under a qualified ITF instructor who will take you through the patterns and the rest of the ITF syllabus as your training progresses. Use this book to complement your regular training by thinking more about the patterns and their applications, better recognising your particular areas for improvement and thereby focusing your training to work on them.

Take some time to study the rest of this Introduction carefully since it will explain the layout of the book (which differs from most martial arts books on similar subjects) and how to get the best out of it.

The Structure of the Book

Chapters

The rest of this book is divided into ten further chapters. Chapter 2 covers the two sets of fundamental movements that must be performed by the beginner before starting on the patterns. Although straightforward in comparison with the more complex patterns, these fundamental movements can be regarded as the bedrock on which the patterns stand. This chapter not only details the performance of the fundamental movements themselves but also extracts from them general principles and teaching tips that apply to all patterns such as the importance of correct stances, and the use of sine wave motion to deliver power.

Chapters 3 to 11 cover each of the nine patterns learned from beginner to I Degree black belt and all share a common structure:

• An introduction to the pattern describing its main characteristics, its meaning, number of moves and diagram of the path travelled

• A move-by-move description of the pattern comprising photographs with captions for each move and certain transitions between moves running across the top half of the page

• Underneath the pattern description and on the bottom half of the page, a mixture of self-defence applications and teaching tips relating to the pattern moves shown on that page using text, photographs with captions and diagrams as appropriate.

Throughout the book, photographs are the primary method of explanation of techniques and they are divided into two distinct groups: Pattern photographs and Other photographs.

Pattern Photographs

Pattern photographs run across the top half of the page from left to right and all show the author at full height executing an individual move or at some point between moves as shown in these photographs and notes taken from pattern Chon-Ji.

Prepare to block attack from left: bring left foot parallel to right without raising body, raise hands, look left …

5 … turn 90 degrees to the left pivoting on ball of right foot, step with left leg and execute left walking stance outer forearm low section block (gunnun so bakat palmok najunde makgi).

6 Step forward with right walking stance middle section punch (gunnun so kaunde ap jirugi).

Note that photographs of distinct moves in the pattern have the number of that move in bold at the start of the caption underneath the photograph – those showing an intermediate stage have no number. Distinct moves are given their full name in English according to the following convention:

• description of the stance, e.g. ‘left walking stance’ (the use of ‘left’ and ‘right’ is specific to a particular stance: as a general rule, if the stance has most body weight on the back foot then that foot determines whether it is ‘left’ or ‘right’, otherwise it is determined by the front foot, e.g. ‘left l-stance’ means that right leg is forward but ‘left walking stance’ means that the left leg is forward)

• description of the attacking or blocking tool (where appropriate), e.g. ‘inner forearm’

• description of the section of the body that the technique is applied to, i.e. high, middle or low

• description of the technique, e.g. ‘block’.

The Korean names (in italic) follow the English and they conform to the same convention although ‘left’ and ‘right’ are not included.

All pattern photographs are shot full body length, three to a page, against a light background and include an orientation icon in the top left-hand corner. The orientation icon is an innovation for this book that serves a number of functions:

• all patterns start from a single point, progress in various directions and end by returning to the starting point. The path travelled is called the pattern diagram and this is the shape of the orientation icon for a given pattern.

• the performer of the pattern is represented by a solid black triangle; at the start and end of the pattern the base of the triangle is placed horizontally across the start and end point of the pattern and the apex denotes the direction that the performer is facing, i.e. towards the instructor, judges or examiners. As the pattern progresses, the triangle representing the performer in the orientation icon is adjusted in two ways:

— by degrees of rotation to represent changes to the direction which the performer is facing

— by moving along the lines of the diagram to represent movement of the performer relative to the previous picture (note that in certain patterns where the performer must execute moves outside the path shown by the formal pattern diagram, additional dotted lines have been provided to show the actual path taken).

Not only does this simple device allow you to see instantly where a given move fits in the pattern and which direction the performer is facing, but it also allows more flexibility in the camera angle of the photograph. Rather than, for instance, always taking photographs from the perspective of the judge (opposite the performer’s start position), since you know the direction the performer is facing the photograph can be taken from a different angle to give a better view of the technique.

Other Photographs

The remaining photographs are used to illustrate the general principles described in Chapter 2, pattern applications and teaching tips. All of these photographs are shot against a darker background and may vary in size and in detail depending on the context; applications and teaching tips are also clearly titled.

Study Tips

As you will have gathered, learning a new pattern involves a lot more than merely remembering the sequence of moves yet this is a necessary starting point that many students find difficult. By far the most effective approach to this exercise is to break the pattern down into sequences of moves (typically three or four) that fit together as combinations, and to work your way through these sequences in the way described.

Learn by practice

The best way to remember the moves is to fix them in your ‘physical memory’, by actually performing them rather than merely trying to memorize them. Even if you are running through the patterns at home or where space is limited, try to ‘walk through’ the moves without necessarily taking full strides or executing techniques at full range and power.

Always start from the beginning

Once you have memorized a sequence and are ready to tackle the next, always start the new sequence by running through all of the previous sequences – this will help you both to keep the previous sequences fresh in your mind as well as to appreciate the overall shape and feel of the pattern.

Learn the Korean terminology as you go

As new techniques occur in a sequence, do not progress to the next one until you have memorized the correct Korean terminology for the techniques – learning as you go will create a stronger association between the Korean terms and the techniques and make it much easier to remember them in the longer term.

Once you have memorized the moves then you can start to focus on improving your performance of the pattern. Clearly the input of your instructor and the amount that you practise are crucial here but there are a number of other factors that can help you.

Practise with realism

This is the purpose of this book – to help you to view and practise the patterns as self-defence applications. Use this book and your own imagination to construct practical applications for the moves and truly practise the patterns in the way that they were intended to be: as a series of defensive and offensive moves against imaginary opponents. Make each and every technique count: full speed, full power and right on target.

Listen to others

In addition to your instructor, try and get as much feedback as you can from your seniors and fellow students. Whilst a mirror can be a useful training aid, you can never truly ‘catch yourself’ – other people can spot things that you may not even be aware that you are doing. Get into the habit of asking others to watch you performing your patterns; listen to their comments and try to work on any shortcomings that they may raise.

Watch others

In the same way as you should value the feedback of others, always make a point of studying the pattern performances of other students, both senior and junior to you. Not only are you extending the same courtesy to them for watching your performance but you can learn a lot from studying others: if you spot mistakes, ask yourself if you make them too; if you see a pattern performed well, consider what made it special and how you might emulate it.

Compete

Whilst grading examinations provide a focus for your patterns practice, they will only come along at a minimum interval of three months whereas there are many competitions that you can enter. Not only do competitions give an additional focus to your training but they also provide a different kind of challenge as well as providing an opportunity to see others’ performances, often of a very high standard.

The final and most important point to be made is, of course, about practice. Your progress in patterns will be directly related to the amount and quality of the practice that you undertake. As a typical student, you will almost certainly not be able to practise enough by attending classes a couple of times a week where your instructor will have to spend time on all the other aspects of Taekwon-Do as well as patterns. You must practise your patterns outside of your regular classes.

How much is enough practice? There is no correct answer – it depends on your desire to improve and the amount of time that you can devote outside of your other commitments, but you should find time to work on any new pattern that you are learning and, equally importantly, run through all of the patterns that you know on a regular basis. Whether it is once a day, once a week or once a month, set time aside to practise and improve your patterns; remember this is one of the prime purposes of patterns: to allow you to practise and develop your Taekwon-Do skills on your own. The more you practise, the more you will improve and the more you will want to improve further – a truly virtuous circle.

2 Fundamental Movements

Before starting on the patterns, the beginner must be able to perform two sets of fundamental movements, Four Direction Punch (Saju Jirugi) and Four Direction Block (Saju Makgi), as part of their first grading for 9th Gup. Although these two exercises contain few techniques and are simple for the beginner to remember, they should not be regarded as trivial since their correct execution requires knowledge of core technical aspects of Taekwon-Do that apply to all of the patterns.

Whilst this book is primarily concerned with the patterns and is not a detailed manual of how to execute Taekwon-Do techniques, there is nonetheless a key feature of Taekwon-Do that deserves special consideration before tackling the fundamental movements and patterns: that is the way you move when executing techniques and when transitioning between them. This chapter is therefore divided into three sections: an explanation of the theory and application of sine wave (hwaldung pahdo) motion and the performance of the two sets of fundamental movements which are used to illustrate other common features of patterns.

Sine Wave Motion in Taekwon-Do

Probably the major difference that anyone watching Taekwon-Do patterns notices when comparing them with similar exercises from other martial arts is that the Taekwon-Do practitioner moves in a different way to the others. At first glance, this difference is shown in two ways: in Taekwon-Do there is more upward and downward movement of the body and less use of hip twisting motion than in more traditional martial arts. In fact this neatly summarizes the role of sine wave (hwaldung pahdo) motion in Taekwon-Do: an evolving use of a downward motion of the whole body to generate maximum power and dynamic stability.

In common with many Asian martial arts (and Shotokan Karate in particular), Taekwon-Do, in its early days, emphasized the use of twisting the hip when executing techniques in order to increase the momentum of the attacking tool and thereby the power of the technique. As one of the few martial arts to include destruction testing (breaking of boards, bricks, etc with various techniques) within its core syllabus, the provable generation of maximum power has always been a key concern of Taekwon-Do and the subject of research which showed that greater power could be developed by dipping the whole body downwards at the point of impact and getting more of the body mass behind the technique than from trunk rotation alone. By combining this use of body mass with other elements of the Taekwon-Do Theory of Power and refinements such as rotating the fist in a slight backwards motion at the start of a punch to increase the momentum of the attacking tool (Taekwon-Do movements, with very few exceptions, should start with a slight backward motion), it proved possible to significantly increase the power of Taekwon-Do techniques.

However, increased power through better use of body mass is only one aspect of sine wave motion. Indeed, delivering the maximum range of up and down motion when executing a technique can be achieved by straightening the legs before dropping down into a technique; such an approach results in a saw tooth wave (topnal pahdo) motion as shown opposite.

Ready to step forward and punch …

… as right leg moves towards centre point, left leg straightens out raising the body to maximum height …

… before dropping down to deliver right fore fist punch in walking stance.

Whilst this motion undoubtedly delivers power, it has two major disadvantages:

• At the start of the motion the body must tense in order to begin to rise and move forward; since the body is capable of moving faster when relaxed, this initial tension slows the movement down

• The straightening out of the supporting leg in the middle of the movement produces a jerky motion that puts the body off balance which makes is harder to change direction or react to the opponent.

In order to overcome these failings and deliver the maximum power whilst keeping the body as relaxed and in balance as possible, Taekwon-Do emphasizes a sine wave motion as shown on the following page.

Ready to step forward and punch …

… dip body slightly and start to rotate fist …

… step forward, raising body but not locking left leg at highest point …

… as right foot slips forward, body starts to dip down but not lean forward …

… body dips further as punch completes and right hip is thrust forward.

Here the ‘spikes’ are smoothed out and the motion is performed in a much more relaxed and balanced manner due to the use of two important techniques: sine wave rhythm and knee spring.

Sine Wave Rhythm

When executing a full sine wave motion as in the stepping obverse punch above, the body must move upwards and downwards according to the following rhythm:

• down – from a relaxed body posture, slightly dip the body down as you start to move forward

• up – as the feet draw parallel to each, raise the body to its highest point

• down – dip the body down and into the correct stance to complete the technique.

Knee Spring

This refers to maintaining the correct degree of flexion/extension in the knee of the supporting leg as you step forward and lower, raise and lower the body between techniques. Correct, smooth bending of the knee will ensure that the body remains balanced (that is, not leaning in any direction). At no time should either knee be locked out except when required as the stance is completed; indeed, both arms and legs should always be kept slightly bent whilst the body is in motion.

Correctly executed, sine wave motion not only adds power to patterns but also helps them to ‘flow’, linking techniques together in a smooth, graceful rhythm. However, not all movements and transitions in the patterns are performed with a full sine wave motion (e.g. double punches) although almost all hand techniques involve raising and lowering the body to some degree – such exceptions will be highlighted in the patterns chapters.

Saju Jirugi

Meaning

Saju Jirugi means Four Direction Punch.

Description

This is the first set of fundamental movements learned by the beginner and introduces the concept of turning 90 degrees to block an attack and then stepping forwards to deliver a strong counter attack.

The exercise comprises fourteen moves in total: seven moves performed rotating in a counter-clockwise direction pivoting on the left foot and starting with a right handed punch and then repeating the moves rotating in a clockwise direction pivoting on the right foot and starting with a left handed punch.

The diagram for the pattern is:

Grading Syllabus

Beginners in Taekwon-Do wear a white belt to represent the grade of 10th Gup; white signifies innocence as that of a beginning student who has no previous knowledge of Taekwon-Do.

Saju Jirugi forms part of the grading examination for 9th Gup that is represented by a white belt with a yellow stripe.

Techniques Introduced

Stances

• parallel stance (narani sogi)

• walking stance (gunnun sogi)

Defensive

• outer forearm low section block (bakat palmok najunde makgi)

Offensive

• middle section obverse punch (kaunde baro ap jirugi)

Ready posture: parallel ready stance (narani junbi sogi).

Prepare to punch …Teaching Tip: Obverse Punch from Parallel Stance

1 … step forward with right leg and execute right walking stance middle section punch (gunnun so kaunde ap jirugi).

Bring right foot back half way to left foot whilst turning 90 degrees to the left pivoting on ball of left foot, preparing to block …

2 … step back with right leg and block with left walking stance outer forearm low section block (gunnun so bakat palmok najunde makgi).Teaching Tip: Outer Forearm Low Section Block

Prepare to punch …

3 … step forward with right walking stance middle section punch (gunnun so kaunde ap jirugi).

4 Bring right leg back, turn 90 degrees to the left pivoting on ball of left foot and block with left walking stance outer forearm low section block (gunnun so bakat palmok najunde makgi).Application for Outer Forearm Low Section Block: Blocking a Front Snap Kick

5 Step forward with right walking stance middle section punch (gunnun so kaunde ap jirugi).

6 Bring right leg back, turn 90 degrees to the left pivoting on ball of left foot and block with left walking stance outer forearm low section block (gunnun so bakat palmok najunde makgi).

7 Step forward with right walking stance middle section punch (gunnun so kaunde ap jirugi).Application for Stepping Obverse Punch

Step with right leg to return to ready posture.

Now movements 1–7 are repeated but this time pivoting on the right foot and turning in the opposite direction (i.e. to the right).

Only the left leg steps forward and backwards, punches are performed with the left arm and blocks with the right.

14 on the last movement – left walking stance middle section obverse punch (gunnun so kaunde ap jirugi) – shout ‘kihap’ strongly and then ‘Saju Jirugi’.

Step back with left leg to return to ready posture: parallel ready stance (narani junbi sogi).

Teaching Tip: Obverse Punch from Parallel Stance

Ready Start as you mean to go on. Make sure that you are standing properly in the correct posture: in this case with the feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders back and relaxed, head up, looking ahead and focusing your mind on the sequence of moves that you are about to perform. All fundamental movements and patterns must start and finish at the same point.

Sine Wave Note that the sine wave motion starts in ready stance by flexing the left knee to dip the body down as the reaction (left) hand comes up and the body starts to move forward; as the left knee extends (but does not lock out) the body rises before dipping down into the right obverse punch.

Rotation To increase momentum of the attacking tool, the right fist comes slightly away and forward from the right hip as the knees start to bend at the start of the technique. As the body moves forward, the right fist is pulled back beyond the hip in a circular motion before starting to extend into the punch at the top of the sine wave motion.

Co-ordination It is essential that all of the elements of the technique finish at the same time, i.e. hands, feet and hips all stop moving and a sharp exhaling of breath takes place at the moment of impact.

Teaching Tip: Outer Forearm Low Section Block

Turning Although turns should be performed as a single, flowing motion, it is helpful to think of them (regardless of degree of rotation) as two linked stages:

Preparation: where the feet, body and hands are brought into a position and the head is looking in the direction in which the technique can be executed. Note that the body height is held at that of the previous technique, in this case dipped to the level of the obverse punch. It is critical that correct balance is maintained to avoid ‘falling’ into the next technique – a good way to train for this is to make sure that you can stop for a second in this position before completing the turn and technique.Execution: completing the turn and the next technique with a sine wave motion from the preparation position above.

Hands Avoid dropping the hands unnecessarily between techniques. In this case the right arm is already at shoulder height so when preparing to block you only need to bend the right arm and drop it slightly to the correct, solar plexus level and bring the left arm up so the fists are back to back. Similarly, as you prepare to punch after the block, raise the left arm straight up to its reaction position (held out at chest level and slightly bent) – do not drop it further and then raise it.

Application for Outer Forearm Low Section Block: Blocking a Front Snap Kick

As attacker starts to step forward to deliver a kick, defender turns and faces preparing to block …

… as soon as attacker starts to kick, defender steps forward and blocks just above attacker’s ankle joint before kick can fully extend to target.

Application for Stepping Obverse Punch

As well as helping to deliver more power, extending the reaction arm can help frustrate an attack, force the opponent off balance and confuse him before …

… stepping in and executing a strong obverse punch to the middle section.

General Teaching Tips

Stances The importance of correct stances cannot be overstated: correct moves cannot proceed from incorrect stances. At every stage check your stances for correct foot position, weight distribution and body attitude (full facing, half facing, and so on); use your patterns training to ‘iron out’ your bad habits early on.

Speed The effectiveness of techniques is dependent on their speed; the fundamental movements and patterns are designed to allow you to show your understanding of this. At the point of contact with the opponent the attacking tool must be accelerating and you should show this clearly by performing the technique at an appropriate speed (that is, starting slower than in a sparring/self-defence situation), emphasising the acceleration at the end. Exceptions to this are where the pattern dictates a particular speed, e.g. ‘slow’ where you emphasize the accuracy of the movement or ‘fast’ where you execute techniques in rapid succession.

Rhythm Fundamental movements and patterns must be performed in a rhythmic manner and not rushed through. After each technique (or sometimes two or more techniques in the patterns) try to relax your body whilst preparing for the next technique. You should not stop between techniques but there should be about a second between the end of one technique and the marked increase in acceleration of the next one.

Finishing When performing a pattern under the supervision of your instructor or seniors remember to stay in position after shouting ‘kihap’ and the name of the fundamental movement or pattern and only return to the ready posture when told to do so.

Saju Makgi

Meaning

Saju Makgi means Four Direction Block.

Description

This is the second set of fundamental movements learned by the beginner and introduces the concept of blocking two successive attacks to different sections of the body.

The exercise comprises sixteen moves in total: eight moves performed rotating in a counter-clockwise direction pivoting on the left foot and starting with a left handed block, and then repeating the moves rotating in a clockwise direction pivoting on the right foot and starting with a right handed block.

The diagram for the pattern is:

Grading Syllabus

As with Saju Jirugi, Saju Makgi forms part of the grading examination for 9th Gup that is represented by a white belt with a yellow stripe.

Techniques Introduced

Defensive

• knife hand low section block (sonkal najunde makgi)

• inner forearm middle section block (an palmok kaunde makgi)

Ready posture: parallel ready stance (narani junbi sogi).

Prepare to block …Teaching Tip: Hand Positions for Blocks

1 … step back with right leg and block with left walking stance knife hand low section block (gunnun so sonkal najunde makgi).Application for Knife Hand Low Section Block: Blocking a Front Snap Kick

Step forward with right leg preparing to block …

2 … with right walking stance inner forearm middle section block (gunnun so an palmok kaunde makgi).

Bring right foot back half way to left foot whilst turning 90 degrees to the left pivoting on ball of left foot, preparing to block …

3 … step back with right leg and block with left walking stance knife hand low section block (gunnun so sonkal najunde makgi).Application for Knife Hand Low Section Block: Blocking a Knee Kick