Yoo-Sin

Quick Facts

About the kata

Yoo-Sin is an ITF tul with 68 movements; per tkd.cz it is practiced by holders of 3rd dan and higher. Tkdcoaching.com ranks it among the longest tuls of the Chang Hon system, estimating its performance at roughly a minute and a half. A tkd.cz analysis counted 31 attacks in it, 27 with the hands and 4 with the feet, and 36 blocks, 32 with the hands and 4 with the feet. The tul begins in the Warrior Ready Stance B. In the first movement the practitioner, per dotaekwondo.net, moves into Annun Sogi with the elbows drawn up; tkd.cz describes this movement as releasing from the Annun So Baegi hold. Among the techniques the tul introduces for the first time, per tkd.cz, are the kick Doro Chagi, the crescent kick Kaunde Bandal Chagi, the U-shaped strike Digutja Jirugi in Gojung Sogi, and the crossed knife-hand block Kyocha Sonkal Chukyo Makgi in Gunnun Sogi. Tkdcoaching.com flags two spots: the front block in movement 53, unlike the usual rule, is not directed to the center but at a 45-degree angle, and in the crescent kick in movement 55 the standing leg should turn naturally. The ending, per dotaekwondo.net, consists of high vertical strikes with both fists to both sides and two middle blocks Daebi Makgi in Niunja Sogi.

The kata in different styles

Meaning of the name

The tul bears the name of the Silla general Kim Yu-sin, whom ITF sources spell Kim Yoo Sin; the English Wikipedia gives the form 유신 (庾信) and the variant Yu-Sin. Per the interpretation as adopted by ITF Taekwon-Do Australia, the 68 movements refer to the last two digits of the year 668, when Korea was unified. The starting stance Warrior Ready Stance B, per the same interpretation, depicts a sword drawn on the right, not the left side: a symbol of Yu-sin's mistake of fighting, on the king's order, alongside foreign forces against his own people. The English Wikipedia clarifies the interpretation-the foreign forces were the Chinese Tang dynasty and his own people were the kingdoms of Goguryeo and Baekje.

Creator and history

Kim Yu-sin (김유신, 金庾信), per the English Wikipedia, lived 595-673 and, under kings Muyeol and Munmu, led the unification of the Korean peninsula under Silla rule. In 660 he attacked Sabi, the capital of Baekje, with 50,000 Silla troops and roughly 130,000 troops of the Tang dynasty. Campaigns against Goguryeo in 661 and 668 finally destroyed that kingdom.

Differences between styles

The International TaeKwon-Do Association (ITA) lists Yoo-Sin as a hyung and the 17th form of its series; per itatkd.com it is the first of three forms for advancing from 3rd to 4th dan. In ITA, a shout (YAH) marks the first and last movement. We have not been able to establish in ITF sources whether the same applies there.

Technique Sequence — ITF Taekwondo

Breakdown source: dotaekwondo.net

1. #1
   Annun Sogi
2. #2
   Annun SogiGiokja Jirugi(L)
   Fast
3. #3
   Annun SogiGiokja Jirugi(R)
   Fast
4. #4
   Sonbadak Golcha Makgi(R)
5. #5
   Annun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
6. #6
   Sonbadak Golcha Makgi(L)
7. #7
   Annun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
8. #8
   Gunnun SogiNopunde Bakat Palmok Yop Makgi(L)
9. #9
   Gunnun SogiAn Palmok Dollimyo Makgi(R)
10. #10
    Annun SogiSonbadak Duro Makgi(L)
11. #11
    Annun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
12. #12
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Bakat Palmok Yop Makgi(R)
13. #13
    Gunnun SogiAn Palmok Dollimyo Makgi(L)
14. #14
    Annun SogiSonbadak Duro Makgi(R)
15. #15
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
16. #16
    Gunnun SogiSonbadak Nopunde Golcha Makgi(R)
17. #17
    Annun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
18. #18
    Gunnun SogiSonbadak Nopunde Golcha Makgi(L)
19. #19
    Annun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
20. #20
    Gunnun SogiKyocha Joomok Najunde Noollo Makgi(both)
    Continuous
21. #21
    Gunnun SogiKyocha Sonkal Chookyo Makgi(both)
    Continuous
22. #22
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
23. #23
    Ap Cha Busigi(R)
24. #24
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
25. #25
    Gunnun SogiKyocha Joomok Najunde Noollo Makgi(both)
    Continuous
26. #26
    Gunnun SogiKyocha Sonkal Chookyo Makgi(both)
    Continuous
27. #27
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
28. #28
    Ap Cha Busigi(L)
29. #29
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
30. #30
    Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi(R)
31. #31
    Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi(L)
32. #32
    Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi(L)
33. #33
    Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi(R)
34. #34
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Doo Palmok Makgi(R)
    Fast
35. #35
    Gunnun SogiNajunde Bakat Palmok Makgi(L)
    Fast
36. #36
    Gunnun SogiNopunde Doo Palmok Makgi(L)
    Fast
37. #37
    Gunnun SogiNajunde Bakat Palmok Makgi(R)
    Fast
38. #38
    Gunnun SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
39. #39
    Niunja SogiSonkal Dung Yop Makgi(L)
40. #40
    Moa Junbi Sogi C
41. #41
    Gunnun SogiSang Joomuk Dwijibo Jirugi(both)
42. #42
    Gunnun SogiSang Joomuk Dwijibo Jirugi(both)
43. #43
    Niunja SogiKaunde An Palmok Makgi(R)
44. #44
    Niunja SogiKaunde Jirugi(L)
45. #45
    Moa SogiGiokja Jirugi(R)
    Slow
46. #46
    Niunja SogiKaunde An Palmok Makgi(L)
47. #47
    Niunja SogiKaunde Jirugi(R)
48. #48
    Moa SogiGiokja Jirugi(L)
    Slow
49. #49
    Gojung SogiDigutja Jirugi(L)
50. #50
    Gojung SogiDigutja Jirugi
51. #51
    Annun SogiDung Joomuk Ap Taerigi(R)
52. #52
    Annun SogiDoro Chagi(R)Bakat Palmok Nopunde Bakuro Makgi(R)
53. #53
    Annun SogiDoro Chagi(L)
54. #54
    Annun SogiSondung Soopyong Taerigi(R)
55. #55
    Bandal Chagi(L)
56. #56
    Yop Cha Jirugi(L)Palmok Daebi Makgi(L)
57. #57
    Annun SogiSondung Soopyong Taerigi(L)
58. #58
    Bandal Chagi(R)
59. #59
    Yop Cha Jirugi(R)Palmok Daebi Makgi(R)
60. #60
    Annun SogiGutja Makgi(R)
61. #61
    Annun Sogi
62. #62
    Annun SogiGutja Makgi(R)
63. #63
    Annun Sogi
64. #64
    Soojik SogiMe Jumeok Naeryeo Chigi(R)
65. #65
    Gunnun SogiSang Joomuk Sewo Jirugi(both)
66. #66
    Gunnun SogiSang Joomuk Sewo Jirugi(both)
67. #67
    Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi(L)
68. #68
    Niunja SogiSonkal Daebi Makgi(R)