Kukkiwon/WT Taekwondo uses the following series of forms (called the Yudanja series) for Black Belt forms:
- Koryo (고려) - first dan, also spelled Goryeo and Koryeo ("learned man", symbolizing a wise person)
- An older, deprecated form called Original Koryo also exists, but it isn't considered so by the Kukkiwon (for gradings or the Master Instructor Course) or by WT (for the World Poomsae Championships).
- Keumgang (금강)) - second dan ("diamond", symbolizing hardness, unbreakable)
- Taebaek (태백)) - third dan ("sacred mountain", symbolizing spirituality)
- Pyongwon (평원)- fourth dan, also spelled Pyeong-won ("open plain", symbolizing peacefulness)
- Sipjin (싶진)) - fifth dan, also spelled Shipjin ("eternal 10", symbolizing health and longevity)
- Jitae (지태) - sixth dan (symbolizes mankind as the connection between heaven and earth)
- Cheonkwon (천권) - seventh dan, also spelled Cheon-gwon ("sky", symbolizing piety)
- Hansoo (한수) - eighth dan, also spelled Hansu ("water", symbolizing adaptability)
- Ilyeo (일여) - ninth dan (symbolizing the Buddhist concept of oneness of the mind and body)
Each of the yudanja forms has a floor pattern that traces out a Chinese character or other symbol. Each character is said to represent a characteristic that should be exhibited by a taekwondo master: wise, unbreakable, spiritual, peaceful, long-lived, pious, adaptable, etc.
한수 (hansu) symbolizes water. Like water, which is the source of life, the strength of taekwondo stems not from stubbornness and the refusal to yield but rather from fluidity and adaptability. This form epitomizes these qualities. Therefore, its forcefulness must originate from its fluidity.
Official Video[]
The Kukkiwon official video for this form.
GM Kyu Hyung Lee Video[]
The following video is a step-by-step demonstration of Hansoo, with notes.
Diagram[]
To print the diagram, click on the image and select "See full size image," or right-click and open the image in a new tab.
Written Instructions[]
FIRST GOING FORWARD (the Ga direction, call it "North")[]
- Begin from the Overlapping Hands ready position.
- 1. Step forward with the left foot into Left Front Stance. Ridgehand Opening Block.
- 2. Step forward with the right foot into Right Front Stance. Bring the fists outward and then in, into Double Hammerfist Strike.
THEN STEPPING BACKWARD[]
- 3. Step back with the right foot into Left Front Stance. Single Mountain Block.
- 4. Without stepping, turn the torso into Left Front Stance. Right Punch.
- 5. Step back with the left foot into Right Front Stance. Single Mountain Block.
- 6. Without stepping, turn the torso into Right Front Stance. Left Punch
- 7. Step back with the right foot into Left Front Stance. Single Mountain Block.
- 8. Without stepping, turn the torso into Left Front Stance. Right Punch.
THEN GOING FORWARD AGAIN[]
- 9. Step forward with the right foot into Right Front Stance. Ridgehand Opening Block.
THE GA-DA CORNER (i.e., the Northwest corner)[]
- First move outward from the center...
- 10. Step with the left foot to turn 45 counterclockwise into the Left Front Stance so that you’re facing the Ga-Da corner (i.e., facing northwest). Left Supported Arc-hand Strike.
- 11. Step forward with the right foot then bring the left foot forward into a Right Assisting Stance (i.e., right foot forward). Double Uppercut.
- Then move back to the center...
- 12. Slide the left foot back to turn 90 counterclockwise into Horse-riding Stance so that you’re facing the Na-Da corner (i.e., facing southwest). Low Target Block.
- 13. Step back and around with the right foot to turn into a Right Back Stance (i.e, left foot forward) now facing the Ga-Direction direction again (northwest). Knifehand Diamond Block (right arm high).
THE NA-DA CORNER (i.e., the Southwest corner)[]
- First move outward from the center...
- 14. Lift the left foot and pivot on the right foot into Crane Stance with your torso now facing the Ga-Da direction (i.e., facing northwest). Look to your left. Small Hinge Block.
- 15a. Without stepping, still looking left, Left Side Kick.
- 15b. Set the left foot down into Left Front Stance, but as you put the foot down pivot on the right foot so that you’re facing the Na-Da (southwest) direction. Swallowform Knifehand Strike (left arm high).
- 16a. Right Front Kick.
- 16b. Step down with the right foot into Left Rear Cross Stance (i.e., the left foot is behind the right foot). Right Backfist Strike to the right side of your body. Kihap.
- Then move back to the center...
- 17. Slide the left foot to the left into Horse-riding Stance. Turn the head to that you’re looking to your left. Left Knifehand Side Strike.
- 18a. Pivot counterclockwise on the left foot and execute a Right Target Kick. When you step back down with your right foot your torso should be turned 180 counterclockwise. Before your torso was facing the Na-Ra (southest) direction, but now your torso is facing the Ga-Da (northwest) direction. Your head should be turned to look to the right.
- 18b. After the Right Target Strike, step back down with your right foot (as mentioned) into a Horse-riding Stance. Right Elbow Target Strike.
THE GA-RA CORNER (i.e., the Northeast corner)[]
- In steps 17-18b you started moving northeast. Now in this corner you continue that northeastward movement. This corner (the northeast corner) is a mirror-image of what you previously did in the Ga-Da (northwest) corner. In other words, steps 19b-22 are the mirror-image of steps 10-13.
- 19a. Bring the left foot to the right foot into a Closed Stance facing the Ga-Ra (northeast) direction. Chamber your hands for an Arc-hand Strike: the left fist is brought to the left-side waist, the right fist is brought to a position near the left fist.
- 19b. Without pausing, step forward with the right foot into Right Front Stance. Right Supported Arc-hand Strike.
- 20. Step forward with the left foot then bring the right foot forward into Left Assisting Stance. Double Uppercut.
- Then move back to the center...
- 21. Slide the right book back to turn to face Na-Ra (southeast) into a Horse-riding Stance. Low Target Block.
- 22. Step back with the left foot so that your body is once again facing Ga-Ra (northeast) into a Left Back Stance (i.e., right foot forward). Knifehand Diamond Block.
THE NA-RA CORNER (i.e., the Southeast corner)[]
- The Na-Ra (southeast) corner is a mirror-image of the Na-Da (southwest) corner. In other words, steps 23-27b are a mirror-image of steps 14-18b.
- First move outward from the center...
- 23. Lift the right foot and pivot on the left foot into Crane Stance with our torso now facing the Ga-Ra direction (i.e., facing northeast). Look to your right. Small Hinge Block.
- 24a. Without stepping, still looking right, Right Side Kick.
- 24b. Set the right foot down into Right Front Stance, but as you put the foot down pivot on the left foot so that you’re facing the Na-Ra (southeast) direction. Swallowform Knifehand Strike (left arm high).
- 25a. Left Front Kick.
- 25b. Step down with the left foot into Right Rear Cross Stance (i.e., the right foot is behind the left foot), look to your left. Left Backfist Strike to the left side of your body. Kihap.
- Then move back to the center...
- 26. Slide the right foot to the right into Horse-riding Stance. Turn the head to that you’re looking to your right. Right Knifehand Side Strike.
- 27a. Pivot clockwise on the right foot and execute a Left Target Kick. When you step back down with your left foot your torso should be turned 180 counterclockwise. Before your torso was facing the Na-Da (southwest) direction, but now your torso is facing the Ga-Ra (northeast) direction. Your head should be turned to look to the left.
- 27b. After the Right Target Strike, step back down with your left foot (as mentioned) into a Horse-riding Stance. Left Elbow Target Strike.
- Finish: step with the right foot to return to the Overlapping Hands position facing Ga (north).
References[]
- Black Belt forms at the Kukkiwon website
- Black Belt forms at the World Taekwondo Federation website
- Black Belt forms at TheSchoolofMartialArts.com