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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.

Yudanja Meanings

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.

Hansoo 3D


Written Instructions[]

FIRST GOING FORWARD (the Ga direction, call it "North")[]

Hansoo1 RidgehandBlock

Ridgehand Block

Hansoo2 DoubleHammerfist

Double Hammerfist

THEN STEPPING BACKWARD[]

Hansoo3 SingleMountainBlock

Single Mountain Block

THEN GOING FORWARD AGAIN[]

THE GA-DA CORNER (i.e., the Northwest corner)[]

Hansoo10 ArcHandStrike

Supported Arc-hand Strike

Hansoo11 DoubleUppercut

Double Uppercut in an Assisting Stance

Hansoo12 LowTargetBlock

Low Target Block

Hansoo13 KnifehandDiamondBlock

Knifehand Diamond Block

THE NA-DA CORNER (i.e., the Southwest corner)[]

  • 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...

THE NA-RA CORNER (i.e., the Southeast corner)[]

Hansoo26 KnifehandSideStrike

Knifehand Side Strike

  • 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...
  • 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[]

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