ITF Taekwondo Terminology

Basic Kicks

Ap cha olligi - Front Rising Kick

Ap cha busigi - Front Snap Kick

Yop cha jirugi - Side Piercing Kick

Dollyo chagi - Turning Kick

Dwit chagi - Back Kick

Advanced Kicks

Bandae dollyo chagi - Reverse Turning Kick

Bandae dollyo goro chagi - Reverse Turning Hooking Kick

Najunde Yopapcha busigi - Low Side Front Snap Kick

Nopunde dollyo chagi - High Turning Kick

Moorup ollyo chagi - Knee Upward Kick

Flying & Jumping Kicks

Twimyo chagi - Flying Kick

Twimyo yopcha jirugi - Flying Side Piercing Kick

Twimyo npi chagi - Flying High Kick

Twigi nopi chagi - Jumping High Kick

Twio nomo chagi - Overhead Kick

Specialised Kicks

Yonsok Chagi - Consecutive Kick

Dwitcha jirugi - Back Piercing Kick

Guburyo so Yop cha jirugi - Bending Ready Stance Side Kick

Bandal chagi (반달 차기) - Crescent Kick

Bituro chagi (비틀어 차기) - Twisting Kick (Uses ball of foot - Ap kumchi)

Miro chagi (밀어 차기) - Pressing Kick

Gongseung chagi (공승 차기) - Mid-Air Kick

Naeryo chagi (내려 차기) - Downward (Axe) Kick

Striking Surfaces

Ap kumchi - Ball of foot

Balkal - Foot sword

Balkal Dung - Reverse Footsword

Baldung - Instep

Dwit chook - Back heel

Basic Blocks

Gunnun so An palmok makgi - Walking stance inner Forearm Block

Gunnun so Bakat palmok makgi - Walking stance outer Forearm Block

Gunnun so Najunde Sonkal makgi - Walking stance knife hand block

Gunnun so palmok chookyo makgi - Walking stance forearm rising block

L-Stance Blocks

Niunja so kaunde sonkal daebi makgi - L-stance knife hand middle guarding block

Niunja so sang-palmok makgi - L-stance twin-forearm block

Niunja so palmok daebi makgi - L-stance forearm guarding block

Niunja so sang sonkal makgi - L-stance twin knife hand block

Niunja so sonkal dung bakuro makgi - L-stance reverse knife hand block

High-Level Blocks

Gunnun So Nopunde bakat palmok makgi - Walking Stance outer forearm high block

Gunnun so bakat palmok hechyo makgi - Walking stance outer forearm wedging block

Gunnun so nopunde doo palmok makgi - Walking stance double forearm block

Gunnun so nopunde golcho makgi - Walking stance high hooking block

Special Blocks

Gunnun so palmok dollymio makgi - Walking stance circular block

Hori makgi - Waist block

Kyocha joomuk chookyo makgi - X-fist rising block

Digutja makgi - U-shaped block

Palm & Hand Blocks

Sonbadak ollyo makgi - Palm upward block

Sonbadak noollo makgi - Palm pressing block

Sonbadak miro makgi - Palm pushing block

Sang sonbadak ollyo makgi - Twin palm upward block

Advanced Blocks

Kyocha sonkal momchau makgi - X-Knifehand Checking Block

Kaunde ap makgi - Middle Front Block

San makgi - W-shaped block

Kyocha so kyocha joomuk noollo makgi - X stance low X fist pressing block

Najunde doo palmok miro makgi - Low double forearm pushing block

Najunde sonkal daebi makgi - Low knife hand guarding block

An palmok yopap makgi - Inner forearm side front block

Basic Punches (Jirugi)

Kaunde ap jirugi - Middle punch

Nopunde ap jirugi - High punch

Baro jirugi - Obverse punch

Bandae jirugi - Reverse punch

Gunnun so kaunde baro ap joomuk jirugi - Walking stance obverse punch

Advanced Punches

Ap joomuk ollyo jirugi - Fore fist upward punch

Sang sewo jirugi - Twin vertical punch

Sang dwijibo jirugi - Twin upset punch

Giokja jirugi - Angle punch

Niunja So baro jirugi - L-Stance obverse punch

Hand Strikes (Taerigi)

Gunnun so dung-joomuk yop taerigi - Walking stance back-fist side strike

Annan so kaunde sonkal yop taerigi - Sitting stance knife hand outwards side strike

Niunja so sonkal bakuro taerigi - L-stance outward knife hand strike

Niunja so nopunde anuro sonkal taerigi - L-stance high inward knife-hand strike

Soojik so sonkal naeryo taerigi - Vertical stance downward knife hand strike

Elbow Strikes (Palkup)

Gunnun so ap palkup taerigi - Walking stance front elbow strike

Wi palkup taerigi - Upward elbow strike

Yop palkup tulgi - Side elbow strike

Sang yop palkup jase - Twin side elbow thrust posture

Finger Thrusts (Tulgi)

Gunnun so sun-sonkut tulgi - Walking stance straight finger-tip thrust

Gunnun so najunde dwijibun sonkut tulgi - Walking stance low upset fingertip thrust

Gunnun so nopunde opun sonkut tulgi - Walking stance high flat finger tip thrust

High-Level Strikes

Nopunde dung joomuk yop taerigi - High back fist side strike

Nopunde sonkal dung ap taerigi - High reverse knife hand front strike

Nopunde sonkal anuro taerigi - High knife-hand front inward strike

Moa so dung joomuk yopdwi taerigi - Closed stance back fist side back strike

Striking Surfaces

Ap joomuk - Fore fist

Dung joomuk - Back fist

Yop joomuk - Side fist

Sonkal - Knife hand

Sonbadak - Palm

Palkup - Elbow

Sonkut - Fingertips

Basic Ready Stances

Charyot sogi - Attention Stance

Feet together, arms at sides, body erect

Narani junbi sogi - Parallel Ready Stance

Feet one shoulder width apart, parallel, arms in ready position

Closed Ready Stances

Moa junbi sogi A - Closed ready stance A

Feet together with specific hand position A

Moa junbi sogi B - Closed ready stance B

Feet together with overlapped hands positioned in front of the lower abdomen

Moa junbi sogi C - Closed ready stance C

Feet together with specific hand position C

Guburyo junbi sogi - Bending ready stance

Prepared stance for side kicking techniques

Primary Fighting Stances

Gunnun sogi - Walking Stance

Description: One and a half shoulder widths long, one shoulder width wide, 50/50 weight distribution. Can be performed half facing or full facing.

Niunja sogi - L stance

Weight Distribution: 70/30 on the back leg

Body Position: Half facing

Primary Leg: Back leg

Annun sogi - Sitting Stance

Description: Feet two shoulder widths apart, 50/50 weight distribution, knees bent as if sitting

Specialised Stances

Gojung sogi - Fixed stance

Description: Both legs slightly bent with weight distributed 50/50, provides stability for techniques

Kyocha sogi - X stance

Purpose: For balance when changing direction, used in transitional movements

Dwitbal sogi - Rear foot stance

Weight primarily on the rear foot

Nachuo sogi - Low stance

Very low stance for specific techniques and conditioning

Soojik sogi - Vertical stance

Upright stance for specific striking techniques

White Belt (10th Kup)

• Attention Stance (Charyot sogi)
• Parallel Ready Stance (Narani junbi sogi)
• Sitting Stance (Annun sogi)
• Walking Stance (Gunnun sogi)

Yellow Tag (9th Kup)

• L stance (Niunja sogi)
• All previous stances

Higher Grades

• Bending ready stance (Guburyo junbi sogi) - 6th Kup
• Fixed stance (Gojung sogi) - 6th Kup
• Closed ready stance A (Moa junbi sogi A) - 6th Kup
• X stance (Kyocha sogi) - 5th Kup
• Closed ready stance B (Moa junbi sogi B) - 4th Kup
• Rear foot stance (Dwitbal sogi) - 4th Kup
• Low stance (Nachuo sogi) - 4th Kup
• Closed ready stance C (Moa junbi sogi C) - 2nd Kup
• Vertical stance (Soojik sogi) - 2nd Kup

Weight Distribution

Walking Stance: 50/50 distribution

L-Stance: 70/30 on back leg

Sitting Stance: 50/50 distribution

Fixed Stance: 50/50 distribution

Body Facing

Half Facing: L-stance, some walking stance applications

Full Facing: Walking stance, sitting stance, most blocks

Side Facing: Specialised techniques only

Stance Measurements

Walking Stance: One and a half shoulder widths long, one shoulder width wide

Sitting Stance: Two shoulder widths apart

Shoulder Width: Standard measurement for stance dimensions

Walking Stance Technical Details

Length: One and a half shoulder widths long

Width: One shoulder width wide

Weight Distribution: 50/50

Body Position: Can be half facing or full facing

Foot Position: Front foot straight, rear foot inclined 25° inwards

Key Point: The fist should be level with the foot as a guide to stance length

Attack/Defense: When attacking (punching), move forward on right foot. When defending (blocking), move forward on the left.

L-Stance Technical Details

Distance: 1.5 shoulders from the outside of the feet

Foot Position: Both feet point 15° inwards

Heel Separation: Front heel and rear heel separated by 2.5 cm

Weight Distribution: 70/30 on the back leg

Body Position: Half facing

Primary Leg: Back leg

Movement: Front foot rotates to 15° off AB plane, then back foot arcs to 15° off CD line

Sitting Stance Technical Details

Width: Two shoulder widths apart

Weight Distribution: 50/50

Knee Position: Knees bent as if sitting

Body Position: Full facing

Application: Strong, stable stance for side techniques

Fixed Stance Technical Details

Weight Distribution: 50/50

Foot Position: Both feet inclined to 15°

Body Position: Half facing

Movement: Slip ball of front foot to heel position, then heel to original ball position

Application: Used for fore fist punch - not a side punch

X-Stance Technical Details

Weight Distribution: 90/10

Foot Position: Front toes pointing 45° perpendicular to shoulders

Body Position: Half facing

Application: Transitional stance for balance and direction changes

Rear Foot Stance Technical Details

Foot Position: Back foot on 15°, front foot on 25°

Heel Position: Right heel off floor by 2.5 cm

Weight: Primarily on rear foot

Application: Used for palm upward blocks

L-Stance Inner Forearm Side Block

Blocking Tool Position: On shoulder line at 15°, hand level with shoulder

Pre-action: In front of opposite chest, both palms facing down

Arm Connection: Arms slide from wrist to elbow connecting prior to block

Body Position: Half facing

Arm Angle: Blocking arm bent 45°

High Forearm Block

Thumb Position: At eye level at moment of impact

Block Path: Rises from waist to opposite chest line

Hand Crossing: Back wrist to back wrist crossing

Finish Position: On shoulder line at 15°

Body Position: Half facing

Twin Forearm Block

Arm Position: Same side arm crossed inside as front leg

Pre-action: Both palms facing inwards on front chest

Rising Block: Bent 45°, 7cm from forehead

Front Block: Predominant block on shoulder line

Body Position: Half facing

Knife Hand Guarding Block

Front Hand: On shoulder line, fingertips level with shoulders

Back Hand: On chest line, 3cm away from body

Body Position: Half facing

Block Path: Reaches target in straight line

Tool Position: Half facing

X-Fist Rising Block

Pre-action: At solar plexus level, rising to eye level

Hand Position: Right hand inside if left foot in front

Body Position: Full facing

Arm Angle: 45° from shoulder line, forming block on centre line

Wrist Position: Crossed at centre of forehead, 7cm away

Palm Upward Block

Target Path: Circular motion in front of body on chest line

Finish Position: Solar plexus level on 25° angle (same as front foot)

Arm Angle: Bent at 35°

Body Position: No waist twist

Sine Wave: Used prior to block

Middle Punch

Arm Path: Rise naturally from chest line to shoulder line

Finish Position: In front of and level with shoulder

Movement: Moves slightly outward due to natural body movement

Motion Type: Natural motion with relaxed sine wave

Speed: Not slow - natural timing

Fixed Stance Fore Fist Punch

Arm Position: Just below shoulder level, inside shoulder

Angle: Inclined to 15° (same angle as front foot)

Body Position: Half facing

Important: This is NOT a side punch

Foot Movement: Feet brought together prior to next technique

Twin Vertical Punch

Upper Arms: Horizontal to floor at moment of impact

Elbow Angle: 40° with knuckles higher than elbows

Pre-action: From chest line, palms facing upwards

Fist Position: Slightly inclined to vertical (crescent punch style)

Body Position: Full facing

Angle Punch

Finish Position: In front of opposite side chest line

Height: At shoulder level

Rotation: With rotation

Body Position: Full facing

Upward Punch

Target: Straight to point of chin on centre line

Reaction Hand: Side fist in front of shoulder

Body Position: Half facing

Path: Punch to centre line

Middle Side Piercing Kick

Support Foot: Inclined to 75° angle

Kick Height: Shoulder level

Simultaneous Action: High punch performed with kick

Arm/Leg Position: Arm and leg parallel for cleanliness

Foot Placement After: Kicking foot toes in line with heel at shoulder width

Low Front Snap Kick

Angle: 45° to CD line with sine wave

Support Foot: Does not move

Target: Lower abdomen/umbilicus level

Body Position: Drop body weight slightly, hips full facing

Ball Position: Reaches solar plexus level at 25° angle to CD line

High Turning Kick

Target: Side front at 75°

Support Foot: 45° to 75° angle (natural rotation)

Flexibility Factor: Angle depends on kick height and flexibility

Between Kicks: Natural shoulder width step with ball of foot

Foot Position: Feet not placed together between kicks

Standard Measurements

Shoulder Width: Standard measurement unit

Slide Distance: 1 shoulder width

Shift Distance: 1 foot width

Jump Distance: 1½ shoulder widths

Fist Distance: 7cm (one fist width) from forehead

Heel Separation: 2.5cm between front and rear heels in L-stance

Key Angles

15°: Standard foot inclination for most stances

25°: Front foot angle in rear foot stance, rear foot angle in walking stance

35°: Arm bend for palm upward block

40°: Elbow angle for twin vertical punch

45°: Standard arm bend for many blocks

75°: Support foot angle for side kicks

90°: X-stance weight distribution (90/10)

Sine Wave Motion (Walking Stance)

Starting Point: Departs from position A and lowers to position B (not ascent)

Purpose: Intentional descent to gain speed and compress knee

Energy Accumulation: Muscular energy accumulated in position B with knee compression

Energy Release: Relaxed towards position D, gaining potential energy, transformed to kinetic energy at position E

Pre-action: Starts on upward part of sine wave

Action: Starts at downward part, finishing at E

Sine Wave Applications

Natural Movement: Approximately 1.4 seconds for natural pattern movement

Pre-action Timing: Chamber happens 3/4 way through movement for maximum speed

First Part: Natural relaxation of front knee

Not Used: When moving between stances of varying height without stepping

Not Used: For shifting movements

Connecting vs Continuous Motion

Connecting Motion (Eeojin Dongjak):

• 2 movements in 1 sine wave in 1 breath

• Example: Yul-Gok movements 16-17 and 19-20 (hooking block and obverse punch)

Continuous Motion (Yonsok Dongjak):

• 2 movements in 2 sine waves in 1 breath

• Example: Dan-Gun movements 13-14 (outer forearm low block and rising block)

Speed Variations

Barun Dongjak - Fast Motion

• Two movements on same count with half sine-wave between

• Two breaths used

• Example: Do-San movements 15-16 and 19-20 (two punches after front snap kick)

Neurin Dongjak - Slow Motion

• Deliberate, controlled movement for power and technique refinement

• Used for specific techniques requiring maximum power generation

Movement Techniques

Mikulgi - Sliding

• Move both feet about 5cm

• Effective for covering long distance in smooth motion

Slipping:

• Go from shorter to longer stance

• Gain greater distance than sliding

Key Difference: Slipping changes stance length, sliding moves both feet equally

Special Motions

Goorugi dongjak - Stamping Motion

• Used for twin side elbow thrust posture in Toi-Gye

Gujari Dolgi - Spot Turn

• Turning in place without changing position

Pihagi - Dodging

• Evasive body movement to avoid attacks

Foundation

Founder: General Choi Hong Hi, 9th Degree

Founded: April 11th, 1955 in Korea

Meaning: Tae Kwon-Do means "Foot Fist Art"

Total Patterns: 24 (representing 24 hours in a day)

Current ITF President: Grand Master Paul Weiler, 9th Degree

UK History

Brought to UK: 1967

By: Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha (5th Dan at the time)

First School: RAF Gaydon near Warwick

Background: Brought by RAF personnel trained at RAF Changi (Singapore)

Basic Commands

Charyot - Attention

Kyong-Ye - Bow

Junbi - Ready

Si-jak - Start

Goman - Stop

Barrol - Return to Ready Stance

Swiyo - Relax/at ease

Haesan - Dismiss

Training Terms

Dojang - Training Hall

Dobok - Training Suit

Ti - Belt

Sabum - Instructor

Jeja - Student

Tul - Pattern

Sparring Types

Sambo matsogi - 3 step sparring

Ibo matsogi - 2 step sparring

Ilbo matsogi - 1 step sparring

Ilbo ban jayu matsogi - 1 step semi free sparring

Jayu matsogi - Free sparring

Basic Motion Terms

Barun Dongjak - Fast Motion

Yonsok Dongjak - Continuous Motion

Eeojin Dongjak - Connecting Motion

Neurin Dongjak - Slow Motion

Goorugi dongjak - Stamping motion

Gujari Dolgi - Spot turn

Mikulgi - Sliding

Pihagi - Dodging

Directions & Sections

Ap - Front

Yop - Side

Dwit - Back

An - Inner

Bakat - Outer

Anuro - Inward

Bakuro - Outward

Height Sections

Nopunde - High Section

Kaunde - Middle Section

Najunde - Low Section

Belt Wrapping Significance

Wrapping the belt round the waist once symbolises:

• Pursue one goal whatsoever, once it has been determined
• Serve one master with unshakable loyalty
• Gain a victory in one blow

Black Trim on Dobok

In the Orient, royalty wore clothing that was decorated to distinguish them from the common people. In the same way the trim on the dobok of a black belt student indicates the seniority in grade.