Taekwondo

Taekwondo Forms

May 25, 2021

1530

The Korean term for Taekwondo forms is Poomsae. Poomsae is sometimes romanized as pumsae or poomse – poomsae is the term used by Kukkiwon, WTF, and ATA styles of taekwondo in the world.

There are 8 forms in the Taegeuk series.

8 Poomsae Taegeuk

Table of Contents

Advanced forms – Poomsae

Koryo
Kumgang
Taebaek
Pyongwom
Sipchin
Chitae
Chungkwon
Jansu
Ilyo

Evaluating a form in Taekwondo

There are several aspects evaluated by the judges, here are some questions that can help you improve your forms and are exactly what judges are looking form in a form.

Stance

Are the feet the correct distance apart for that stance?
Are the toes pointed in the correct direction or not?
Are the correct parts of the feet (heels, balls, toes, etc.) for that stance touching the ground?
Are the knees bent the correct amount or not?
Is the performer’s weight distributed correctly among the two legs?
And most importantly: did the performer finish the form at the same spot as where he started (within a few inches), thus demonstrating consistent length to his stances

Blocking, Punches, and Strikes

Were the arms chambered correctly prior to the movement?
Did the arms travel along the correct path, and finish in the correct position?
Were the hands shaped properly before, during, and after the movement
Were the wrists held correctly?

Kicks

Did the kicking leg travel along the correct path, strike in the correct position, and then recover along the correct path?
Did the supporting leg have the correct amount of bend and twist before, during, and after the movement?
Did the kicking foot use the correct striking surface (top, toes, ball, heel, etc.)?
Did the supporting foot support the performer’s weight using the correct parts of the foot (usually the flat or the ball of the foot)?
Note that according to some published technical guidelines for some styles, no guidance is provided for arm position during the kick

Kihap or kiai