Taegeuk Pal Jang

Quick Facts

About the kata

Taegeuk Pal Jang closes the eight forms of the Taegeuk series; per the English Wikipedia its name means "the eighth part of Taegeuk". It carries the Gon trigram (☷) of three broken lines – earth, which Wikipedia sees as the basis for further training. Wikipedia and the Taekwondo Compendium (nbtkda.com) place it at 1st geup, the form for advancing to 1st dan; taekwondopreschool.com already at 2nd geup. Per Wikipedia there are few new techniques: reinforced outward blocks at middle and low height, a crossed stance as the transition on the third line, the half mountain block oesanteul makgi, and a doubled forward knife-hand block. Taekwondopreschool.com adds to these the strike danggyeo jireugi with a pull of the opponent. The form peaks in the double front kick dubal dangseong ap chagi, both feet one after the other. Phoenixtaekwondo.net counts 24 movements out of 39 techniques, taekwondonation.com 20, taekwondopreschool.com about 35 – the difference is in how they count. Per the Taekwondo Compendium this is the only colour-belt form with two kihaps: the first on the double kick's second strike, the second on the jumping kick. Phoenixtaekwondo.net compares the floor pattern to the character 王, "king".

The kata in different styles

Meaning of the name

The Taekwondo Compendium (nbtkda.com) links Gon with earth, in which all creatures take root and live, and with the principle of eum (yin). In the human body it assigns it the belly, which protects the internal organs; according to the source, all human power comes from the belly, and the form is meant to strengthen it. Taekwondonation.com stresses the mild, nurturing nature of earth and respect for all living things, while taekwondopreschool.com assigns the trigram north and the mother. Phoenixtaekwondo.net, by contrast, calls Gon pure yang; we believe this is a mistake, since according to Wikipedia the trigram consists of three broken lines, that is, purely yin elements.

Bunkai – applications

Taekwondopreschool.com describes the strike danggyeo jireugi as pulling the opponent by the collar with one hand and striking with the other fist, turned upward, at the chin or solar plexus; according to the same source, a strike to the face is forbidden in competitive sparring. The Taekwondo Compendium reads the double front kick as two hits at two heights: the first aimed at the solar plexus, the second at the face.

The hardest part

Sources disagree on how the double front kick should be performed. The English Wikipedia describes it as the form's most advanced kick: a single jump, in which the practitioner kicks twice in the air, once with each leg. The Taekwondo Compendium, by contrast, classes it with the alternating-leg kick narae chagi and explicitly warns the practitioner not to jump; yet it also places the kihap on the kick in the jump and states the form's goal as an attack with the whole body, both legs in the air.

In grading syllabi

• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 1st poom
• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 2nd poom
• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 3rd poom
• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 4th poom
• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 1st dan
• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 2nd dan
• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 3rd dan
• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 4th dan
• Kukkiwon system (poom and dan): 5th dan

Technique Sequence — WT Taekwondo

Breakdown source: phoenixtaekwondo.net

1. #1
   Dwit KubiGeodeureo Bakkat Makgi
2. #2
   Ap KubiBaro Jireugi
3. #3
   Ap SeogiDubal Dangseong Chagi
4. #4
   Ap KubiDubal Dangseong Chagi
5. #5
   Ap KubiAn Makgi
6. #6
   Ap KubiBaro Jireugi
7. #7
   Ap KubiMomtong Jireugi
8. #8
   Ap KubiMomtong Jireugi
9. #9
   Mo Ap GubiOesanteul Makgi
10. #10
    Ap KubiDanggyeo Jireugi
11. #11
    Ap Kkoa Seogi
12. #12
    Mo Ap GubiOesanteul Makgi
13. #13
    Ap KubiDanggyeo Jireugi
14. #14
    Dwit KubiSonnal Geodeureo Bakkat Makgi
15. #15
    Ap KubiBaro Jireugi
16. #16
    Ap SeogiAp Chagi
17. #17
    Ap Seogi
18. #18
    Beom SeogiBatangson An Makgi
19. #19
    Beom SeogiSonnal Geodeureo Bakkat Makgi
20. #20
    Beom SeogiApbal Ap Chagi
21. #21
    Ap KubiBaro Jireugi
22. #22
    Beom SeogiBatangson An Makgi
23. #23
    Beom SeogiSonnal Geodeureo Bakkat Makgi
24. #24
    Beom SeogiApbal Ap Chagi
25. #25
    Ap KubiBaro Jireugi
26. #26
    Beom SeogiBatangson An Makgi
27. #27
    Dwit KubiGeodeureo Naeryeo Makgi
28. #28
    Dwit KubiAp Chagi
29. #29
    Ttwieo Ap Chagi
30. #30
    Ap KubiAn Makgi
31. #31
    Ap KubiBaro Jireugi
32. #32
    Ap KubiMomtong Jireugi
33. #33
    Dwit KubiSonnal Makgi
34. #34
    Ap KubiPalgup Dollyeo Chigi
35. #35
    Ap KubiDeungjumeok Ap Chigi
36. #36
    Ap KubiMomtong Jireugi
37. #37
    Dwit KubiSonnal Makgi
38. #38
    Ap KubiPalgup Dollyeo Chigi
39. #39
    Ap KubiDeungjumeok Ap Chigi
40. #40
    Ap KubiMomtong Jireugi