The 20th hyong is not practiced out of respect for the division of North and South Korea.

The names and description of the 19 Hyongs.

1. Cheon-Ji
천지 / 天地

19 movements

Literally, Cheon-Ji (or Chon-Ji) means “heaven and earth” and refers to the creation of the world or the beginning of human history, so it is the initial pattern that the beginner learns. It consists of low forearm locks and punches in the first part to represent the earth, and medium forearm locks and punches in the second part to denote the sky. It does not use kicks. The cross diagram represents the four elements of the universe: fire, water, air and earth.

2. Dan-Gun
단군 / 檀君

21 movements

The Dan-Gun is named after the saint Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea in 2333 B.C. Unusually for a teul (Hyong), all Dan-Gun strokes are of high section (at eye level), symbolizing Dangun climbing a mountain.

3. Do-San
도산 / 島山

24 movements

Do-San is a pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang-ho (1878-1938). The 24 movements represent his entire life, which he devoted to promoting education in Korea and the Korean independence movement.

4. Won-Hyo
원효 / 元曉

28 movements

This model owes its name to the famous monk Wonhyo, who introduced Buddhism to the Silla dynasty in 686 AD.

5. Yul-Gok
율곡 / 栗谷

38 movements

Yul-Gok is a pseudonym for the great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536-1584), nicknamed the “Confucius of Korea”. The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace at 38 degrees latitude, and the diagram of the pattern represents the scholar.

6. Jung-Geun
중근 / 重根

32 movements

Jung-Geun (or Joong-Gun) is named after the patriot Ahn Joong-Gun, who assassinated Itō Hirobumi, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as the man who played a leading role in the Korea-Japan merger. There are 32 moves in this pattern to represent Mr. Ahn’s age when he was executed in Lui-Shung Prison in 1910.

7. Toi-Gye
퇴계 / 退溪

37 movements

Toi-Gye is the pseudonym of the celebrated scholar Yi Hwang (16th century), an authority on Neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace, at 37 degrees latitude, and the diagram represents “scholar,” as in the Yul-Gok hyeong.

8. Hwa-Rang
화랑 / 花郎

29 movements

Hwa-Rang owes its name to the Hwarang youth group, which emerged under the Silla dynasty some 1350 years ago. The group eventually became the driving force behind the unification of the three Korean Kingdoms. The 29 movements refer to the 29th Infantry Division, where taekwondo reached its maturity.

9. Chung-Mu
충무 / 忠武

30 movements

Chung-Mu (or Choong-Moo) was the name given to the great admiral Yi Sun-sin of the Yi dynasty. He is credited with inventing the first battleship (kobukson) in 1592, which is considered the forerunner of today’s submarine. The reason this pattern ends with a left-handed attack is to symbolize his unfortunate death by not having the opportunity to show his boundless potential restrained by the enforced reservation of his loyalty to the King.

10. Gwang-Gae
광개 / 廣開

39 movements

Gwang-Gae (or Kwang-Gae) is named after the famous Kwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, 19th king of the Goguryeo Dynasty, who achieved the greatest territorial expansion including most of Manchuria. The shape diagram represents the expansion and the recovery of the lost territory. The 39 movements refer to the first two digits of 391 AD, the year he ascended the throne.

11. Po-Eun
포은 / 圃隱

36 movements

Po Eun is the pen name of a loyal subject Jeong Mongju who was a distinguished scholar of Neo-Confucianism during the Goryeo Dynasty. His poem “I would not serve a second master even if I were crucified a hundred times” is known to all Koreans. The diagram, which is simply a straight line, represents his unfailing loyalty to the king and his country.

12. Gye-Baek
계백 / 階伯

44 movements

The Gyeong Gye-Baek (or Gae-Baek) hyeong has 44 movements. Gae-Baek is named after Gyebaek, a great general of the Baekje dynasty. The diagram represents his severe and strict military discipline.

13. Yu-Sin
유신 / 庾信

68 movements

Yu-Sin (or Yoo-Sin) is named after General Kim Yu-Sin, a commanding general during the Silla dynasty who played an important role in the merger of Goguryeo and Baekje by Silla. The 68 movements refer to the last two digits of 668 AD, the year the three kingdoms were unified. The prepared stance signifies a sword drawn to the right instead of to the left, symbolizing Yoo Sin’s mistake in following his king’s orders to fight with foreign forces (the Tang Dynasty of China) against his own people (Goguryeo and Baik-je).

14. Chung-Jang
충장 / 忠壯

52 movements

Chung-Jang (or Choong-Jang) is the pseudonym given to General Kim Duk Ryang, who lived during the Yi dynasty in the 14th century. This pattern ends with an attack with the left hand to symbolize the tragedy of his death at the age of 27 in prison before he could reach full maturity.

15. Eul-Ji
을지 / 乙支

42 movements

Eul-Ji (or Ul-Ji) is named after General Eulji Mundeok, who successfully defended Goguryeo against an invading Sui force of over a million soldiers led by Yang Je in 612 AD. Employing hit-and-run guerrilla tactics, he was able to destroy most of the force. The hyeong diagram represents his family name. The 42 moves represent the age of the author when he designed the pattern.

16. Sam-Il
삼일 / 三一

33 movements

The name Sam-Il refers to the historic March 1 Movement, the largest Korean independence movement against Imperial Japan in 1919. The 33 movements in the design represent the 33 patriots who planned the movement.

17. Go-Dang
고당/古堂

39 movements

The Go-Dang (or Ko-Dang) was one of the original 24 patterns created by General Choi. However, in the early 1980s, General Choi removed the Kodang from the official program and replaced it with a new pattern he called Juche. Go-Dang was a famous South Korean anti-communist, and when Choi began to spread his art around the world, and in North Korea in particular, he removed this pattern so as not to offend anyone. Although no longer part of official ITF Taekwondo, Kodang is still included in the programs of many Taekwondo organizations. In the organizations where it is still taught, it is usually taught to students at the second dan black belt level. It consists of a sequence of 39 individual techniques. Although some sources lead to the inference that Kodang is exactly the same pattern as Juche, in reality they are two completely different patterns. The confusion arose when one of the ITF taekwondo groups changed the name of the Juche pattern to Kodang in 2008, because the word “Juche” is associated with North Korea’s communist ideology.

18. Choe-Yeong
최영 / 崔榮

45 movements

Choe-Yeong (or Choi-Yong) is named after General Choe Yong, prime minister and commander-in-chief of the armed forces during the Goryeo dynasty in the 14th century. Choi Yong was highly respected for his loyalty, patriotism and humility. He was executed by subordinate commanders led by General Yi Seonggye, who later became the first king of the Joseon Dynasty.

19. Se-Jong
세종 / 世宗

24 movements

This model is named after Se-Jong, the fourth king of the Yi dynasty. He was known for his great achievements in domestic and foreign affairs, diplomacy, scientific advances, defense and culture. His most notable achievement was the invention of the “Hangeul”, the Korean alphabet. The 24 movements of this pattern represent the 24 letters of the “Hangeul”.