"Educate the young to create heroic
leaders" -General Choi, Hong Hi, Founder of TKD |
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PATTERNS (Tul) |
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Video Page Showing ITF Patterns
and Fundamental Exercises by Rank |
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The ancient law
in the Orient was similar to the law of Hamurabi, "an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth." and was rigorously enforced even if death was caused
accidentally. In this type
of environment, and since the present system of free sparring had not yet
been developed, it was impossible for a student of the martial arts to
practice or test his individual skill of attack or defense against actual
moving opponents. Individual
advancement was certainly hindered until an imaginative practitioner created
the first pattern. Patterns are
various fundamental movements, most of which represent either attack or
defense techniques, set to a fixed and logical sequence. The student
systematically deals with several imaginary opponents under various
assumptions, using every available attacking and blocking tool from different
directions. Thus pattern practice enables the student to go through many
fundamental movements in a series, to develop sparring techniques improve
flexibility of movement, master body shifting, build muscles and breath
control, develop fluid and smooth motions, and gain rhythmical movements. It is also
enables a student to acquire a certain special technique which cannot be
obtained from either fundamental exercises or sparring. In short, a pattern
can be compared to unit tactics or a word, if fundamental movement is an
individual soldier's training or alphabet. Accordingly, pattern, the ledger
of every movement, is a series of sparring, power tests, feats and
characteristic beauty. Though
sparring may merely indicate that an opponent is more or less advanced,
patterns are a more critical barometer in evaluating an individual's
technique. The following
points should be considered while performing patterns: 1. Patterns should
begin and end at exactly the same spot. This will indicate the performer's
accuracy. 2. Correct
posture and facing must be maintained at all times. 3. Muscles of
the body should be either tensed or relaxed at the proper critical moments in
the excercise. 4. The
exercise should be performed in a rhythmic movement with an absence of
stiffness. 5. Movements
should be accelerated or decelerated according to the instructions in this
book. 6. Each
pattern should be perfected before moving to the next. 7. Students
should know the purpose of each movement. 8. Students
should perform each movement with realism. 9. Attack and
defense techniques should be equally distributed among right and left hands
and feet. All patterns
in this book are performed under the assumption the student is facing
"D" (see diagrams). There are a total of twenty-four patterns in
Taekwon-Do. The reason
for 24 Patterns: The life of a
human being, perhaps 100 years, can be considered as a day when compared with
eternity. Therefore, we mortals are no more than simple travellers who pass
by the eternal years of an aeon in a day. It is evident
that no one can live more than a limited amout of time. Nevertheless, most
people foolishly enslave themselves to materialism as if they could live for
thousand of years. And some people strive to bequeath a good spiritual legacy
for coming generations, in this way, gaining immortality. Obviously,
the spirit is perpetual while material is not. Therefore, what we can do to
leave behind something for the welfare of mankind is, perhaps, the most
important thing in our lifes. Here I leave
Taekwon-Do for mankind as a trace of man of the late 20th century. The 24
patterns represent 24 hours, one day, or all my life. Click here
for a printable version of "The Interpretation of Patterns." |
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30 Willand Drive | Somersworth, NH 03878 Phone: (603) 534-3868 | [email protected] |
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