BLACK BELT PATTERNS & MEANINGS

Requirements To Learn As 1st Black

KWANG-GAE

Named after the famous Kwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, the 19th King of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost territories including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram represents the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 movements refer to the first two figures of 391 A. D., the year he came to the throne.

KORYO

</p> <p style="font-size: 10pt;">NKoryo is the name of an ancient Korean dynasty (AD918 – 1392). The English word Korea is derived from the name Koryo. Koryo’s legacy to the Korean people is very significant, as they successfully defeated and thus defended Korea from the attacking aggression of the Mongolian Empire, who were sweeping the known world at the time.</p> <h3><strong>PO-EUN (Optional)</strong></h3> <p style="font-size: 10pt;">The pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong Mong-Chu (1400) who was a famous poet and whose poem “I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred times” is known to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of physics. The diagram represents his unerring loyalty to the king and country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.</p> <hr> <h3 align="center"><strong>Requirements To Learn As 2nd Black</strong></h3> <h3><strong>GE-BAEK (Optional)</strong></h3> <p style="font-size: 10pt;">Named after Ge-Baek, a great general in the Baek Je Dynasty (660 AD). The diagram represents his severe and strict military discipline.</p> <h3><strong>KEUMGANG</strong></h3> <p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CRGVSOmaQaY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">

Keumgang [meaning diamond] has the significance of “hardness” and “ponder”, The Keumgang Mountain on the Korean peninsula, which is regarded as the center of national spirit, and the “Keumgang Yeoksa”[Keumgang warrior] as named by Buddha, who represents the mightiest warrior, are the background of denominating this poomsae.

Requirements To Learn As 3rd Black

YOO-SIN (Optional)

named after General Kim Yoo Sin, a commanding general during the Silla Dynasty. The 68 movements refer to the last two figures of 668 A.D., the year Korea was united. The ready posture signifies a sword drawn on the right rather than left side, symbolizing Yoo Sin’s mistake of following his king’s orders to fight with foreign forces against his own nation.

TAEBAEK

Taebaek is the name of a mountain with the meaning of “bright mountain”, where Dangun, the founder of the nation of Korean people, reigned the country, and the bright mountain symbolizes sacredness of soul and Dangun’s thought of “hongik ingan”[humanitarian ideal]. There are numerous sites known as Taebaek, but Mt. Paektu, which has been typically known as the cradle of Korean people, is the background naming the Taebaek poomsae

Requirements To Learn As 4th Black

PYONGWON

Pyongwon means a plain that is a vast stretched-out land. It is the source of life for all the creatures and the field where human beings live their life. The poomsae Pyongwon was based on the idea of peace and struggle resulting from the principles of origin and use.

Requirements To Learn As 5th Black

SIPJIN

The word “Sipjin” derived from the thought of 10 longevity, which advocates there are ten creatures of long life, namely, sun, moon, mountain, water, stone, pine-tree, herb of eternal youth, tortoise, deer, and crane. They are 2 heavenly bodies, 3 natural resources, 2 plants and 3 animals, all giving human beings faith, hope and love. The poomsae Sipjin symbolizes those things.

Requirements To Learn As 6th Black

TONG-IL (Optional)

denotes the resolution of the unification of Korea which has been divided since 1945. The diagram symbolizes the homogenous race.

JITAE

The “word “Jitae” means a man standing on the ground with two feet, looking over the sky. A man on the earth represents the way of struggling for human life, such as kicking, trading and jumping on the ground. Therefore, the poomsae symbolizes various aspects occurring in the course of human being’s struggle for existence

Requirements To Learn As 7th Black

CHONKWON

The word “Chonkwon” means the Heaven’s Great Mighty, which is the origin of all the creature and itself the cosmos. Its infinite competence signifies the 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 4,000 years ago, the founder of the Korean people, “Hwanin” meant the heavenly King. He settled down in the “heavenly” town as the capital near the heavenly sea and heavenly mountain, where the Han people as the heavenly race gave birth to the proper through and action from which Taekwondo was originated. The poomsae Chunkwon is based on such sublime history and thoughts.

Requirements To Learn As 8th Black

HANSU

The word “Hansu” means water is the source of substance preserving the life and growing all the creatures. Hansu symbolizes birth of a life and growth, strength & weakness, magnanimity & harmony, and adaptability. Especially, “han” has the various meanings, namely, the name of a country, numerousness, largeness, evenness, length and even the heaven and the root of evening, among others.

Requirements To Learn As 9th Black

ILYEO

Ilyeo means the thought of a great Buddhist priest of Silla Dynasty, Saint Wonhyo, which is characterized by the philosophy of oneness of mind [spirit] and body [material]. It teaches that a point, a line or a circle ends up all in one. Therefore, the poomsae Ilyeo represents the harmonization of spirit and body, which is the essence of martial art, after a long training of various types of techniques and spiritual cultivation for completion of Taekwondo practice.