Addlestone & Chertsey Taekwondo

ITF Black Belt Patterns

What are patterns?

A pattern is a logical sequence of fundamental movements which represent either attack or defence against one or more imaginary opponents.

There are a total of twenty-four patterns in Taekwon-do. The name of the pattern, the number of movements, and the diagrammatic symbol of each pattern symbolize either heroic figures in Korean history or instances relating to historical events.

When a pattern is completed the practioner should shout its name. The meaning and interpretation of each pattern will be found on its specific page.

Benefits of Practicing Patterns

1. To practice many fundamental movements.
2. To develop sparring techniques.
3. To improve the flexibility of movements.
4. To master body shifting.
5. To build muscles (with slow motion techniques for example) and improve breathing techniques.
6. To develop fluid and smooth motions.
7. To gain rhythmical movements (through practice).

Things to remember while performing patterns:

1. The pattern 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 exercise.
4. The exercise should be performed in a rhythmic movement with an absence of stiffness.
5. Movement 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 defence techniques should be equally distributed among right and left hands and feet.

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 travelers who pass by the eternal years of an eon in a day. It is evident that no one can live more than a limited amount of time.

Nevertheless, most people foolishly enslave themselves to materialism as if they could live for thousands 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 lives.

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. The name of the pattern, the number of movements, and the diagrammatic symbol of each pattern symbolizes either heroic figures in Korean history or instances relating to historical events.

General Choi, Hong Hi