Joong-Gun

Quick Facts

About the kata

Joong-Gun is the sixth tul of the Chang-Hon series; TKD Coaching and Torbay Taekwondo place it at the 4th kup. Per the ITF interpretation cited by Brendan Doogan (kidokwan.org), it bears the name of the patriot Ahn Joong-Gun, who assassinated Hiro-Bumi Ito, the first Japanese Governor-General of Korea. Thirty-two movements are meant to represent Ahn's age on the day of his execution in Lui-Shung prison in 1910. The tul begins in the Moa Junbi Sogi B stance. TKD Coaching discusses in it the vertical double-fist strike, the rising double-fist strike, and the angular strike Giokja Jirugi (movements 11, 12 and 30 by its numbering). Sources differ on tempo: fast, per kidokwan.org and Torbay Taekwondo, are pairs 15–16 and 18–19, per dotaekwondo.net 15–16 and 19–20; slow, per kidokwan.org and dotaekwondo.net, are movements 27, 29 and 30, per Torbay Taekwondo only 27 and 29. Doogan places Joong-Gun among the "hero" tuls with a diagram shaped like the capital letter I, which he says can mean "worker" in Chinese. Per him, Dan-Gun, Won-Hyo, Hwa-Rang, Choong-Moo and Yoo-Sin share the same diagram.

The kata in different styles

Meaning of the name

Ahn Joong-Gun, An Jung-geun (안중근) in the English Wikipedia, was born on 2 September 1879 in Haeju, Hwanghae province; his given name was Thomas. He was appointed lieutenant general of an armed Korean resistance group. In October 1909, on the platform of Harbin railway station, he shot Itō Hirobumi three times. He was executed by hanging on 26 March 1910 in the prison at Lüshun, which the ITF spells Lui-Shung. In prison he wrote A Treatise on Peace in the East (東洋平和論), which he did not finish, and created a number of calligraphies. Wikipedia gives him 30 years of age on the day of his death. We believe that the 32 years the tul is said by the ITF to recall come from the traditional Korean way of counting age, since by it Ahn was exactly 32 in the spring of 1910: the first year is counted at birth, and another is added with each New Year.

Bunkai – applications

TKD Coaching interprets the release from a grip in movements 15 and 18 as a defence against an opponent who grabs the wrist and pulls forward. The arm turns downward, using the opponent's own movement to press against their thumb, freeing the wrist; per the same source, breathing stays normal, without a sine-like motion. For the tul's other movements, we have not found a documented application.

Technique Sequence — ITF Taekwondo

Breakdown source: kildaretaekwondo.com

1. #1
   Niunja SogiSonkal Dung Kaunde Makgi(L)
2. #2
   Yobap Cha Busigi(L)
3. #3
   Dwitbal SogiSonbadak Ollyo Makgi(R)
4. #4
   Niunja SogiSonkal Dung Kaunde Makgi(R)
5. #5
   Yobap Cha Busigi(R)
6. #6
   Dwitbal SogiSonbadak Ollyo Makgi(L)
7. #7
   Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi
8. #8
   Gunnun SogiWi Palkup Taerigi
9. #9
   Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi
10. #10
    Gunnun SogiWi Palkup Taerigi
11. #11
    Gunnun SogiSang Joomuk Sewo Jirugi(both)
12. #12
    Gunnun SogiSang Joomuk Dwijibo Jirugi(both)
13. #13
    Gunnun SogiKyocha Joomuk Chookyo Makgi(both)
14. #14
    Niunja SogiDung Joomuk Yop Taerigi(L)
15. #15
    Gunnun Sogi
    Fast
16. #16
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Ap Joomuk Jirugi(R)
    Fast
17. #17
    Niunja SogiDung Joomuk Yop Taerigi(R)
18. #18
    Gunnun Sogi
    Fast
19. #19
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Ap Joomuk Jirugi(L)
    Fast
20. #20
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Doo Palmok Makgi(both)
21. #21
    Niunja SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
22. #22
    Yop Cha Jirugi(R)
23. #23
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Doo Palmok Makgi(both)
24. #24
    Niunja SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
25. #25
    Yop Cha Jirugi(L)
26. #26
    Niunja SogiKaunde Palmok Daebi Makgi
27. #27
    Nachuo SogiSonbadak Noollo Makgi(R)
    Slow
28. #28
    Niunja SogiKaunde Palmok Daebi Makgi
29. #29
    Nachuo SogiSonbadak Noollo Makgi(L)
    Slow
30. #30
    Moa SogiGiokja Jirugi(R)
    Slow
31. #31
    Gojung SogiDigutja Makgi
32. #32
    Gojung SogiDigutja Makgi