Foundations of Traditional Taekwondo - Poomsae/Patterns

This is the third entry of five on my thoughts on the foundations of Taekwondo training. I listed them as basic techniques, poomsae, sparring, self-defence and breaking. These are what I believe are part of traditional Taekwondo training. This entry focuses on poomsae or patterns.

Let’s start this looking at some definitions of what poomsae are

“Poomsae is a combination of basic actions and movements exercised with an imaginary opponent”

“Poomsae is the Korean equivalent of Kata in Japanese karate.”

“Poomsae are practised to improve Taekwondo techniques”

“Poomsae (patterns) are a pre-arranged set of movements gradually becoming more complex the more you learn.”

“Poomsae is a series of movements with both offensive and defensive techniques, which can be practised and trained even without the presence of an instructor.”

So according to the vast majority poomsae are basic techniques both offensive and defensive that gradually increases in complexity that are practised to improve Taekwondo. The training of Poomsae in main stream is all about performance. You practice poomsae to get to the next belt, for demonstrations, or for competition.

One thing I want to say outright is that I don’t believe Taekwondo is exclusively a patterns based martial art. I believe it is a technique based martial art, the same way BJJ, boxing, Judo etc are. Poomsae are a vital part of our training, but it is just a part, not the whole. Most people look at poomsae as a string of basics thrown together that are often practised to drill basic techniques but poomsae is more than that. It doesn't contain any deep strategy or principles and they do not contain any secrets. It isn't even a means to hand down the techniques as there are just so many techniques missing from poomsae that it makes poomsae a very poor way to transfer the knowledge of the martial art of Taekwondo.

Let’s look at Taegeuk il Jang first two moves: Turn 90 degrees to the left and perform an arae makki (low block) in ap seogi (short front stance) then step forward with right foot to ap seogi (short front stance) and perform a momtong jirruegi (middle section punch). Two simple techniques, that in the view of the common Taekwondo student are done like this to drill basics. But look at them. Why on earth do we turn and why to the left? Why exactly these two techniques? Why is the hand on your hip on both techniques? Why this stance as opposed to another stance? The questions are endless.
In a form based martial art this would all be obvious. There would be maybe two applications for the move (one basic and one advanced) or just the one definitive one. This application would show some important principles that could be used very different contexts during combat.

But Taekwondo poomsae goes beyond that. That turn to the left could be done in different stances, with different blocks and with difference counter attacks. The low block and punch are not the definitive moves. Rather the practice of poomsae is to remember principles of Taekwondo. It is a practice of focus and putting moves together. It is a practice of movement and concentration and being in the moment. You practice the form to remember the principle. But when you are fighting or defending yourself you do not need to use those specified techniques. You could use different strikes and punches and still use the principles mentioned above. It is not so much the techniques contained in the form that are important, but the message they are conveying.
Taekwondo is a wonderful martial art as it gives its practitioners so much more than just poomsae to practice. Yet there is an importance in poomsae that must not be forgotten. We are lucky with Taekwondo to have so many forms to practice. We have 17 official poomsae (Taegeuk 1 – 8 and 9 black belt patterns) as well as 8 Palgwae forms that are considered supplemental forms by many. Choose wisely and study diligently, or simply memorise the sequences and drill those basics as never before!


Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia.

Foundations of Traditional Taekwondo - Sparring

This is the second entry in my post series on what I beleive are the foundations of Taekwondo training. I listed them as basic techniques, poomsae, sparring, self-defence and breaking. These are what I believe are part of traditional Taekwondo training. I thought I should go into some more detail on each of them. This entry focuses on sparring.

Sparring is often viewed as the most important part of training in the mainstream Taekwondo community. Once basics can be performed at a reasonably level of competence the students start sparring. Traditionally though, Taekwondo students would not spar until they been training for some time but these days students often start sparring at yellow belt or even white belt.

To most clubs around the world today the word sparring means "competition sparring" but to a traditionalist it can be any number of things. It could mean one/two/three step sparring, throwing even self-defence sparring. These are more fixed and formal types of sparring. They all serve different purposes and each can be seen as limited if you only focus on one part, but together they are good to have in your training regimen.

Competition or Olympic style sparring is what most people in the Taekwondo world today would label as just "sparring". That might seem strange when you think of just how limiting the rules are. Many critics label this as "leg fencing" and while in some respects it is very limiting, it also teaches a great deal of value and is relatively safe to participate in. You have full contact and you can really use those kicks that you have been training, but you can forget about hand techniques though. It is extremely good for conditioning and stamina as well as developing other attributes like distancing and timing.

Traditional style sparring is not seen as much in modern Taekwondo but was quite prevalent before the race to the Olympics began. Here you have kicks delivered at all heights, punches to the face, strikes and lots of other techniques are used at all the heights of the body. It is much less limiting then the Olympic style but can be more dangerous and this is often why it is not being taught.

Some clubs do a version of traditional sparring called free sparring. In this version you can do all manner of techniques however the focus is on safety and not full contact. It is a good aspect of self-defense practice and it encourages more diverse techniques like throws etc. Rules are not entirely ignored with this style as safety is important but you if your opponent kicks high, you kick low, if the opponent grabs your dobok, follow up with a throw? You don’t need to elbow the opponent in the face for them to know you did it so simulation is key. The partner must then acknowledge and respond as if he were elbowed in the face.

These last two sparring kinds are not done frequently by many clubs, but a Dojang that says it practices Traditional Taekwondo should spar in other formats than just competition style sport sparring. The most important part of all of this is that the instructor clearly identifies the training goal of each form of sparring so there is no confusion in the students mind. It would be catastrophic if the student tried using sports oriented sparring in a real life self-defence scenario.



Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia

Foundations of Traditional Taekwondo - Breaking

In my last post I mentioned the foundations of Taekwondo training. I listed them as basic techniques, poomsae, sparring, self-defence and breaking. These are what I believe are part of traditional Taekwondo training. I thought I should go into some more detail on each of them. This first entry focuses on breaking.

The breaking portion of our training has many roles to play. It is often featured at demonstrations and is usually the audience`s favourite thing to watch. Breaking at demonstrations is a wonderful thing for the audience. Martial artists can watch a demonstration of patterns or techniques and we can appreciate the power and technique involved in the motions. The typical audience member however cannot see this. They may appreciate the technique but to them a punch looks like a punch. Breaking though is a way for the audience to appreciate the power of a technique. Like I said, to them a punch is a punch, but a punch that breaks a roof tile in two is something spectacular.

There is a practical combat reason for breaking, it goes beyond merely a show at competitions, demonstrations and gradings. For a martial artist though, the importance of breaking isn't in the display of power or how tough your knuckles are, it’s more an internal thing. If we hit something hard like a wooden board, roof tile etc, we will feel pain. I see it a lot with breaking, people are afraid to feel the pain and they stop there punch or strike, just before or on the board they are trying to break (usually resulting in more pain than if they just punched through it). This mental block is what we train breaking for. If you are afraid to hurt your hand you are going to pull that punch or strike when you try and break. More importantly though, if you pull that punch or strike when you need it, in a self-defence scenario it could have even worse consequences.

We get past that mental blockage by trying to break hard things with your kicks, strikes and punches. We learn to use all our potential in our attacks and not hold back. We learn that although a little pain might happen when we break a board, we know that its manageable, that we can continue on and that pain fades away. It develops confidence, and also it is a way to test yourself to see if your attacks truly are powerful. You can look powerful hitting air as much as you want, you can hide your flaws under the disguise of speed, but you cannot hide anything during breaking. Either your go through the target (breaking it) or you don`t (it breaks you).

Accuracy, timing and ability to hit a non-cooperating target (another human being) while he/she is trying to do the same to you, is trained in sparring, while the destruction of the target was trained in breaking. It all worked together to create the big picture and the students were allowed to aim their techniques toward illegal but practical targets as there was little to no contact (eyes, groin, temple etc).
Today the vast majority practice competition sparring with sport techniques aimed to score points. This means the power of a lot of the techniques are pulled back with some techniques not being trained at all if they don’t score. This has diminished the training of breaking at some schools. The importance and need for self-defence though have, in my opinion, increased the need for training in breaking. It is hard to re-create violence in a safe way yet breaking allows us to do this. We can use more devastating attacks and see the outcome. We can push through mental barriers that might arise in real life scenarios.

The primary objective of breaking is to remove the mental barrier that stops people from using their full potential in attacks. Breaking should be tough, not easy. Just stack them up and smash through them. Taekwondo techniques should be so effective that it can destroy just about anything if practised to a sufficient level!

Keep that in mind the next time you have to break



Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia.

What is traditional Taekwondo?

One of the most compelling statements to make about traditional Taekwondo is that it has a tradition of change. Over the years, Taekwondo has changed and developed based on social and political environments from the original Kwan’s that opened after Japanese occupation ended and before and after the Korean War. Even today, the Kukkiwon changes the methods of techniques based on changes to the sport or the refinement of technique from a new persons point of view.

The art in these original Kwan’s was extremely close to hard style Karate, although they did have some unique training methods. They did have their own variations in their forms, but the techniques and much of the art was the same as hard style Karate. They had the same uniform, same rank system, same forms etc. The techniques favoured straight linear power strikes, and the art was very "simple" compared to today’s focus on high kicks, intricate footwork and acrobatics. The modern mainstream WTF Taekwondo is indeed something entirely different from the Taekwondo from the original Kwan’s from the 40s to 50s. In the journey from "self-defence combat art" to "martial sport" many traditional training methods have fallen out of favour or disappeared all together.

One of the traditional training methods from the old Kwan’s was a device called “Dallyon Joo”. It used to be an important part of training but has disappeared with the change of focus for Taekwondo globally. Dallyon Joo means “forging post” and is the Korean equivalent of Karate’s Makkiwara. It is a post that you strike continuously to develop power in your strikes, blocks and kicks. A lot of early books on Taekwondo mention this type of training and it’s important in developing powerful techniques. Today it is mostly forgotten.

Most mainstream Dojang’s today teach the basic techniques of Taekwondo, Poomsae (patterns) and sparring although the sparring is most likely to be competition style. If you are lucky, your club may also teach self-defence and breaking although breaking is becoming less of a focus for power and more focused around flashier demonstrations. The five main foundations of traditional Taekwondo though in my view are Basic Techniques, Poomsae, Sparring, Self Defence and Breaking. That is not to say that people who only teach two or three of the above are not teaching “traditional” Taekwondo. The whole phrase traditional Taekwondo is open for interpretation. These are merely my beliefs on traditional Taekwondo.

Maybe there is no "Traditional Taekwondo" left. Personally I think the tradition in Taekwondo is change. Maybe for the better or maybe not. I guess it all depends on what you want out of your journey. That being said, the label "Traditional Taekwondo" should be used only by those who at least as a minimum practice all the "foundations of Taekwondo" and whose practice methods are in line with the art as taught in the old Kwan’s.

Over the next few weeks, I will go into the foundations in more detail from my viewpoint.


Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia

What’s my motivation?

I first became interested in martial arts in my early teens. After watching some fantastic martial arts movies I decided that this was for me. This added to the fact that my parents were getting annoyed with me breaking broom handles against the clothes line in my imaginary martial arts fights in the back yard.

I started in Karate back then and although the school didn't fit me (or me it) and I left after about 6 months, it didn't dampen my enthusiasm for martial arts.

I picked up martial arts years later when I started doing Taekwondo. The desire and motivation to learn martial arts had stuck with me and I am glad it did.

Means, Motive and Opportunity.
“In crime fiction a character needs means, motive and opportunity to be considered a suspect.”

These criteria also apply to taking up any new activity, such as learning a martial art. Here's how:

Means: You need enough time and money. For some, money may be a barrier; for others with significant work and family commitments, finding the time is the limiting factor. In both cases, when starting out, taking one class a week has the advantages of easing you in gradually, and should be affordable and possible to schedule.

Opportunity: You need to find an instructor whose class you want to attend and who is prepared to take you on.

Motive: This is the big one: Motive (motivation) is incredibly important, because not only will it get you started on new activities and expose you to new experiences; it is the main thing that will keep you going long term.


What's my motivation?
When I went to my first Taekwondo class, I was impressed by the abilities of the instructor and senior students and how they taught. I wasn't graceful or powerful like them, but my instructor reminded me that it was my best they were looking for and if I focused on technique, the rest would come. Soon I was making progress, and within six months I was hooked.


As a beginner, I appreciated that:

• The instruction was impressive, and different to what I was used to from school and University
• It was challenging, but I was able to make fairly steady progress

Over the next few years, as I started to attain some degree of proficiency, I began to appreciate the gains that I was making in technique and fitness, and my motivation changed. I had progressed from being a naive beginner to a slightly less naive student. By now I had some idea of what Taekwondo was about. Having scratched the surface, I was keen to dig deeper.

As a committed student, I enjoyed:

• The opportunity to keep refining and extending my skills
• The friendships that I was making through martial arts
• Learning realistic self-defence
• Improving my concentration, coordination and fitness
• The rush of competing in tournaments
• The challenge of trying to apply my martial arts training to non-martial arts situations

Now, as a more seasoned student of the martial arts, and also as an instructor, my motivation continues to evolve. In addition to the points listed above, I want to:

• Teach my students well, and learn through teaching
• Help popularize the benefits of martial arts, and promote quality teaching
• Learn something every time I train
• To find connections between different aspects of my training, between the various martial arts, and between my training and my life.

No matter where you are on your journey in martial arts, its important to find your motivation and also to keep reminding yourself of it, of the things you have achieved and what you have learnt. It will keep you moving forward on your journey.


Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia

7 Reasons Why Your Child Should Practice Martial Arts

One of the things I see as crucial in today's society, is for children to learn martial arts. There are a lot of different reasons but I did come across this blog entry from a martial artist in the U.S.A. that really resonated with me and I wanted to share it with you as well.

7 Reasons Why Your Child Should Practice Martial Arts

“The martial arts are ultimately self-knowledge. A punch or a kick is not to knock the hell out of the guy in front, but to knock the hell out of your ego, your fear, or your hang-ups.”

- Bruce Lee

Martial Arts provides kids with a healthy dose of self esteem and self respect. That's just two of the many benefits one gains with participation in things like Taekwondo or Haidong Gumdo.
Whether your kid is too bossy, too shy, or perhaps just a little hyper, the martial arts can help your child learn many important life lessons. (And, of course, those same lessons apply for all of us, not just kids.)

Reason #1: They (and You) Will Get More Active

This is the obvious reason kids should do martial arts in this day and age - to get active and moving. In case you haven’t noticed, we have an epidemic when it comes to our nation’s obesity problem. We’re also increasingly unfit in addition to being overweight. The problem is particularly alarming as it relates to our kids.

Youth sports and physical education programs are great, but not every kid is an athlete and many schools no longer offer PE. The martial arts offer many benefits, but when it comes to fitness, becoming a true martial artist means becoming a supremely fit person. Martial arts can help your child get fit and healthy.

Reason #2: They’ll Learn to Find Focus and Stillness

Of the many challenges that parents face today is that we are constantly plugged in. While there are a great many benefits to the Internet, there are many more benefits in stillness and silence. Unfortunately stillness and silence seem to be rare to find. At some juncture in life, every one of us comes to learn that the greatest obstacle we face in this lifetime is ourselves. That battle is fought in the stillness of our hearts and the willingness to confront ourselves. As Bruce Lee pointed out, behind the punches, kicks, and knees, a true martial artist learns to sit with himself and see where his weaknesses are.
In years of martial arts classes, I remember many challenges, breakthroughs, and setbacks. What I do not remember are distractions or gimmicks like you often see at your local health club. At the martial arts studios and boxing gyms where I trained, there was just hard work and sweat equity. As a martial artist, your child will learn what it is to be still, challenged, and focused.

Reason #3: They’ll Learn to Take Hits

In the martial arts, your child will learn what it is to take a hit,whether that hit is a literal blow or a disappointment like failing a test. Part of life is learning that we all take hits. The key is in learning how best to take that hit and get back up. Unfortunately, this lesson seems to be lost on many in our every-kid-gets-a-trophy culture. In the martial arts, your kid will learn to fail - a lot. Half of martial arts is hitting, but half is also getting hit. Ironically, learning how to take a hit is perhaps the best way for your kid to learn how to avoid it.

Reason #4: They’ll Gain Self Confidence and Self Respect


Teaching martial arts, I have been able to witness first hand the confidence students have gained by participating in the martial arts. Learning martial arts gives kids a tremendous amount of confidence.
The right martial arts school will teach your child that there are no tough guys. Every martial artist ultimately learns this sense of respect and true confidence. Your child will learn that confidence and respect for others comes from a deep sense of self-knowledge.

Reason #5: They’ll Connect Their Mind and Body

What they don’t teach you at your local health club is how to really listen to your body. To listen to your body is to also see your thoughts and have heightened awareness of your emotional construct.
A martial artist is taught to see, feel, and listen - both internally and externally. Tapping into intuition, fear, and courage are examples of being able to put the physical together with the mental. How often have we heard the phrase “being paralyzed with fear”? Being able to combat such a thing is what you learn in the martial arts.

Reason #6: They’ll Learn Conflict Resolution

People often ask me whether I have ever used my martial arts and boxing training in a fight. Indeed I have used the skills learned from martial arts many times to resolve conflict, but thankfully, never in a physical altercation outside the ring.
One of the first lessons was that words were never grounds for a fight. That advice right there has saved me many times. In the martial arts, you learn that there is no such thing as “fighting” words. Instead, you learn to respond without reacting in the martial arts.

Reason #7: They’ll Learn to Breathe

Of the many things I have learned in the martial arts, breathing is near the top. Indeed, nothing is more essential to the success of how we move our body than tapping into the life force of our essence - our breath. Ask a professional athlete, or an actor, dancer, or signer, and they will tell you that to succeed in any physical craft is to access your breath correctly.
I am shocked at times working with adults who never learned to breathe properly when under physical exertion. This skill can literally save your life. In the martial arts your kid will learn the essence of how to breathe and even relax under pressure.

The Take Home - How to Proceed

The bottom line is that almost any child can and will benefit from participation in the martial arts. For a typical six or eight year old the point is to just get them moving and focused. The key in choosing a teacher or school is to do your due diligence when it comes to evaluating the integrity of the program. As a starting place, I would choose a prospective instructor or coach who talks more about the needs of your child than his or her program.


Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia.

Celebrate the Wins!!!

Sometimes in our martial arts practices we can focus on the things we have difficulty with or that we are unable to do as well as we want. Although it’s good to always realize there is room for improvement and that we should never believe that we are “good enough”, it’s also important to not be too hard on ourselves.

This is where celebrating the little wins is so important. At Zone Martial Arts we work with the students to set goals for their martial arts journey to help them realize that martial arts is about more than just the next belt. These goals are important as these are an example of the smaller wins we have while training.

Other examples of small wins are getting that kick out the way you wanted, nailing that section of a pattern that has been troubling us or getting that woosh sound with a good cut in Haidong Gumdo. Maybe you broke a board for the first time, maybe your partner or instructor pointed out a particularly good technique in class. Whatever it is, celebrate that small win. Those small wins add up and keep us focused on the bigger picture.

Then if you start doing it in class, maybe you can start finding the small wins in other areas of your life, at work, school or maybe resisting the donuts at the shops. No matter what it is, if you start to celebrate the wins you have in your life and at martial arts, maybe you might find something that’s missing.



Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia