Taekwon-do has 24 patterns in total
here are the first 12

Click on the pattern name below to jump down the page and view the patterns meaning.

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| CHON-JI | DAN-GUN | DO-SAN | WON-HYO | YUL-GOK | JOONG-GUN |

| TOI-GYE | HWA-RANG | CHOONG-MOO | KWANG-GAE | PO-EUN | GAE-BAEK |


Chon-Ji

NO. Movements = 19

Starting Position - PARALLEL READY STANCE

Meaning Of Pattern

Chon-Ji means literaly The Heaven, The Earth and is in the orient interpreted as the beginning of the world and the creation of human history therefore it is pattern played by the beginning student. The pattern has two parts, one to represent heaven the other for earth.

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Dan-Gun

No. Movements = 21

Starting Position - PARALLEL READY STANCE

Meaning Of Pattern

Dan-Gun is named after the Holy Dan-Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C.

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Do-San

No. Movements = 24

Starting Position - PARALLEL READY STANCE

Meaning Of Pattern

Do-San is the pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang Ho (1876 - 1938). The 24 movements of the pattern represent is entire life which he devoted to furthering the education of Korea and it's independance movement.

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Won-Hyo

No. Movements = 28

Starting Position - CLOSED READY STANCE A

Meaning Of Pattern

Won-Hyo was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 A.D.

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Yul-Gok

No. Movements = 38

Starting Position - PARALLEL READY STANCE

Meaning Of Pattern

Yul-Gok is the pseudonym of the great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536 - 1584 A.D), nicknamed the "Confucius of Korea". The 38 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on the 38th degree latitude line and the diagram of the pattern represents "scholar".

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Joong-Gun

No. Movements = 32

Starting Position - CLOSED READY STANCE B

Meaning Of Pattern

Joon-Gun is named after the patriot An Joong Gun who assassinated Hiro Bumo-Ito, the first Governor-General of Korea, known as the man who played a leading part of the Korea - Japan merger. There are 32 movements in the pattern to represent Mr An's age when he was executed at Lui Shung Prison in 1910.

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Toi-Gye

No. Movements = 37

Starting Postion - CLOSED READY STANCE B

Meaning Of Pattern

Toi-Gye is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi-Hwang (16th century), an authority on neo-confucianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on the 37th degree latitude line and the diagram of the pattern represents "scholar".

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Hwa-Rang

No. Movements = 29

Starting Position - CLOSED READY STANCE C

Meaning Of Pattern

Hwa-Rang is named after the Hwa Rang youth group which originated in the Silla Dynasty in the early 7th century. The 29 movements refer to the 29th infantry Division, where Tae Kwon-Do developed into maturity.

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Choong-Moo

No. Movements = 30

Starting Position - PARALLEL READY STANCE

Meaning Of Pattern

Choong-Moo was the name given to the great Admiral Yi Sun-Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have inveted the first armoured battleship ( Kobukson ) in 1592, which was the precursor of the present day submarine. The reason why this pattern ends in a left hand attack is to symbolise his regrettable death, having no chance to show his unrestrained potentiality checked by his forced reservation of his loyalty to the King.

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Kwang-Gae

No. Movements - 39

Starting Position- PARALLEL STANCE WITH A HEAVEN HAND

Meaning Of Pattern

KWANG-GAE is named after the famous Kwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, the 19th King of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost territories including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram represents the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 movements refer to the first two figures of 391 A. D., the year he came to the throne.

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PO-EUN

No. Movements - 36

Starting Position - PARALLEL STANCE WITH A HEAVEN HAND

Meaning Of Pattern


PO-EUN is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong Mong-Chu (1400) who was a famous poet and whose poem "I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred times" is known to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of physics. The diagram represents his unerring loyalty to the king and country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.

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GAE-BAEK

No. Movements - 44

Meaning Of Pattern


Starting Position - Ready Posture - PARALLEL READY STANCE
GE-BAEK is named after Ge-Baek, a great general in the Baek Je Dynasty (660 AD). The diagram represents his severe and strict military discipline.

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