Do-San

Quick Facts

About the kata

Do-San is the pseudonym of patriot Ahn Chang-ho; Dosan (도산, 島山) means "island mountain" per the English Wikipedia. Per the ITF interpretation, given by dotaekwondo.net and clubs, the tul's 24 movements represent his whole life, devoted to educating Korea and to the independence movement. This gives Ahn the years 1876–1938, while Wikipedia and some clubs give 1878; we have not been able to resolve the discrepancy. The tul begins in Narani Junbi Sogi and mostly moves in the walking stance Gunnun Sogi, ending with two knife-hand strikes in Annun Sogi. Per TKD Coaching, it is the first tul with the fingertip thrust Sun Sonkut Tulgi, a back-fist strike, a wedging block, the front kick Ap Cha Busigi, a grip release and a fast movement. Strike pairs 15–16 and 19–20 (dotaekwondo.net numbering) are done quickly; the Derby TKD sheet gives movements 14–15 as its example. The diagram is a vertical line with horizontal strokes lower left and upper right, mirroring the tul Ul-Ji; Brendan Doogan (kidokwan.org) found no Chinese character for it. ITF clubs teach it at 7th kup.

The kata in different styles

Meaning of the name

Ahn Chang-ho (안창호) arrived with his wife in San Francisco in October 1902 and then lived in California for many years before leaving it in 1926. In 1903 he founded there, with eight others, the Korean Friendship Society, according to the English Wikipedia the first organization of Korean Americans, in 1907 the Shinminhoe association, and in 1913 the Young Korean Academy. He was among the founders of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai in 1919 and is one of two men credited with the text of the South Korean anthem Aegukga. Japanese authorities imprisoned him at least five times between 1909 and 1937; he died in March 1938.

Bunkai – applications

TKD Coaching reads the grip-release movement as defense against a hand-grab attempt: the arm moves only forward, and escape should come before the opponent completes the grip. For the tul's other movements, we found no documented interpretation of the applications.

Technique Sequence — ITF Taekwondo

Breakdown source: kildaretaekwondo.com

1. #1
   Gunnun SogiNopunde Bakat Palmok Yop Makgi(L)
2. #2
   Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
3. #3
   Gunnun SogiNopunde Bakat Palmok Yop Makgi(R)
4. #4
   Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
5. #5
   Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi
6. #6
   Gunnun SogiSun Sonkut Tulgi(R)
7. #7
   Gunnun Sogi
8. #8
   Gunnun SogiDung Joomuk Yop Taerigi(R)
9. #9
   Gunnun SogiNopunde Bakat Palmok Yop Makgi(L)
10. #10
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
11. #11
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Bakat Palmok Yop Makgi(R)
12. #12
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
13. #13
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Bakat Palmok Hechyo Makgi
14. #14
    Ap Cha Busigi(R)
15. #15
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
    Fast
16. #16
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
    Fast
17. #17
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Bakat Palmok Hechyo Makgi
18. #18
    Ap Cha Busigi(L)
19. #19
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
    Fast
20. #20
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
    Fast
21. #21
    Gunnun SogiPalmok Chookyo Makgi(L)
22. #22
    Gunnun SogiPalmok Chookyo Makgi(R)
23. #23
    Annun SogiSonkal Yop Taerigi(L)
24. #24
    Annun SogiSonkal Yop Taerigi(R)