Choong-Jang

Quick Facts

About the kata

Choong-Jang is an ITF tul with 52 movements. Torbay Taekwondo places it at 2nd dan, tkdcoaching.com as the second of three tuls at that grade, and Germany's ITF-D includes it in the 2nd-to-3rd dan syllabus. Per Brendan Doogan (kidokwan.org), the diagram looks like an upward-pointing thumbtack: one horizontal line with a vertical line rising from its middle. Doogan notes its resemblance to the Chinese character 丄 (above, highest), though how that relates to the tul's meaning is unclear to him. The tul begins in the closed stance Moa Sogi A; the first two movements block with the inner forearm in Annun Sogi. Per dotaekwondo.net and ITF-D, movements 3 and 28 are slow, and 46-47 quick in succession. Movement 12 is unusual: a high arcing kick with the right leg from the floor, the practitioner supported on both palms and the left knee. Per dotaekwondo.net the last movement is a high strike with the open left fist; ITF-D calls it a high thrust with the left palm heel. The tul, by its own interpretation, deliberately ends with this left-hand attack. The Chang Hon Origins Project adds that some practitioners call it the tul "with the eye jab".

The kata in different styles

Meaning of the name

Choong-Jang (충장), according to an interpretation given consistently by dotaekwondo.net, kidokwan.org and Torbay Taekwondo, is the pseudonym of General Kim Duk Ryang of the Yi dynasty. The final left-hand attack is meant to symbolize the tragedy of his death in prison at 27, before he could reach full maturity. The ITF's interpretation places the general in the 14th century, the German ITF-D in the 15th century; historical sources place him at the end of the 16th century. The Korean Wikipedia states that 충장 (忠壯) is a posthumous name granted to him by King Jeongjo in 1788. Tkdcoaching.com writes that the tul's name is sometimes translated as "loyalty" or "integrity".

Creator and history

According to the English Wikipedia, Kim Deok-ryeong (김덕령, 金德齡) raised an army against the Japanese invasion in 1592, defended southwestern Korea as commander of the Chungyong army, and defeated Japanese forces near Geoje Island in 1595. He was arrested on a false charge of joining Yi Monghak's rebellion and, by tradition, died in prison after six rounds of torture in twenty days. The English Wikipedia gives 1567-1596, the Korean Wikipedia 29 December 1568 - 21 August 1596. The tul is one of fifteen that, per the English Wikipedia, Kim Bok-man and Woo Jae-lim helped Choi Hong-hi develop in 1962-1964 in Malaysia. The Chang Hon Origins Project, however, sees the tul U-Nam from a 1959 Korean manual as an early version, already with the kick from the floor; a 1965 English-language book lists Choong-Jang as the 14th tul. The same project says it draws mainly on the karate kata Chinte, practises the double pushing palm block in a stance like Hangetsu, and its opening blocks recall a section Po-Eun took from Tekki Sandan.

Technique Sequence — ITF Taekwondo

Breakdown source: dotaekwondo.net

1. #1
   Annun SogiAn Palmok Yop Ap Makgi(R)
2. #2
   Annun SogiAn Palmok Yop Ap Makgi(L)
3. #3
   Moa SogiGiokja Jirugi(L)
   Slow
4. #4
   Gunnun SogiDoo Songarak Nopunde Tulgi(R)
5. #5
   Gunnun SogiDoo Songarak Nopunde Tulgi(L)
6. #6
   Gunnun SogiDung Joomuk Ap Taerigi(R)
7. #7
   Gunnun SogiPalmok Chookyo Makgi(L)
8. #8
   Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
9. #9
   Niunja SogiKaunde Palmok Daebi Makgi
10. #10
    Ap Cha Busigi(R)
11. #11
    Nachuo SogiOpun Sonkut Tulgi(R)
12. #12
    Dollyo Chagi(R)
13. #13
    Nopunde Ap Joomuk Jirugi(R)
14. #14
    Niunja SogiYop Palkup Tulgi(L)
15. #15
    Niunja SogiKaunde Palmok Daebi Makgi
16. #16
    Niunja SogiSonbadak Duro Makgi(L)
17. #17
    Niunja SogiSonkal Bakuro Taerigi(R)
18. #18
    Gunnun SogiKyocha Joomok Najunde Noollo Makgi(both)
19. #19
    Moorup Ap Cha Busigi(R)
20. #20
    Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi(R)
21. #21
    Niunja SogiYop Palkup Tulgi(R)
22. #22
    Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi
23. #23
    Yop Cha Jirugi(R)
24. #24
    Dwitbal SogiSang Sonbadak Noollo Makgi(R)
25. #25
    Gunnun SogiBakat Palmok Nopunde Bara Ap Makgi(R)Dung Joomuk Yop Taerigi(R)
26. #26
    Niunja SogiOpun Sonkut Tulgi(L)
27. #27
    Ap Cha Busigi(R)
28. #28
    Gunnun SogiDwit Palkup Tulgi(L)
    Slow
29. #29
    Niunja SogiSondung Naeryo Taerigi(L)
30. #30
    Niunja SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
31. #31
    Niunja SogiSondung Naeryo Taerigi(R)
32. #32
    Niunja SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
33. #33
    Niunja SogiSonkal Bakuro Taerigi(L)
34. #34
    Gunnun SogiDung Joomuk Nopunde Yobap Taerigi(R)
35. #35
    Niunja SogiSonkal Bakuro Taerigi(R)
36. #36
    Gunnun SogiDung Joomuk Nopunde Yobap Taerigi(L)
37. #37
    Niunja SogiSonkal Dung Najunde Daebi Makgi
38. #38
    Gunnun SogiGutja Makgi(R)
39. #39
    Niunja SogiSonkal Dung Najunde Daebi Makgi(R)
40. #40
    Gunnun SogiGutja Makgi(L)
41. #41
    Gunnun SogiSang Sonkal Soopyong Taerigi(both)
42. #42
    Gunnun SogiBandalson Nopunde Taerigi(R)
43. #43
    Ap Cha Busigi(R)
44. #44
    Gunnun SogiBandalson Nopunde Taerigi(L)
45. #45
    Ap Cha Busigi(L)
46. #46
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
    Fast
47. #47
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
    Fast
48. #48
    Moa SogiSang Inji Joomuk Nopunde Bandal Jirugi(L)
49. #49
    Gunnun SogiSonkal Najunde Makgi(L)
50. #50
    Gunnun SogiPyon Joomuk Nopunde Jirugi(R)
51. #51
    Gunnun SogiSonkal Najunde Makgi(R)
52. #52
    Gunnun SogiPyon Joomuk Nopunde Jirugi(L)