Taebaek

The Taebaek Mountains in Korea.

The north slope of Baekdusan Mountain.

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.

태백 (Taebaek), meaning “bright mountain”, is the name of a mountain in Korean mythology, from where the legendary founder of Korea, 단군 왕검 (Dan-gun Wanggeom), is thought to have ruled the nation. Numerous places are known as 태백 (Taebaek), one of which is 백두산 (Baekdusan), an iconic mountain on the Korean peninsula. This form venerates this most sacred of mountains. Since this mountain reaches to the sun, Taebaek can be defined as “light” and must be performed with the agility of light.

See also: Taebaek Mountains, the Baekdusan Mountain, and Dan-Gun Wanggeom on Wikipedia.

Official Video

The Kukkiwon official video for this form.

GM Kyu Hyung Lee Video

The following video is a step-by-step demonstration of Taebaek, 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 LINE

Low Knifehand Opening Block

• Start in the Ready position
• First going left...
  • 1. Step left with the left foot into Tiger Stance. Low Knifehand Opening Block.
  • 2a. Right Front Kick.
  • 2b-c. Step down with the right foot into Right Front Stance. Double Punch - right hand then left hand.
• Then going right...
  • 3. Step right with the right foot to turn right 180 degrees into Tiger Stance. Low Knifehand Opening Block.
  • 4a. Left Front Kick.
  • 4b-c. Step down with the left foot into Left Front Stance. Double Punch - left hand then right hand.

TRANSITION TO THE SECOND LINE

Twist and grab the opponent's wrist

• 5. Step left with the left foot into a Left Front Stance. Swallowform Knifehand Strike (left arm high).
• 6a. Without stepping, with the right hand, twist and grab the opponent's wrist.
• 6b. While pulling with the right hand, step forward into Right Front Stance. Left Punch.
• 7a. Without stepping, with the left hand, twist and grab the opponent's wrist.
• 7b. While pulling with the left hand, step forward into Left Front Stance. Right Punch.
• 8a. Without stepping, with the right hand, twist and grab the opponent's wrist.
• 8b. While pulling with the right hand, step forward into Right Front Stance. Left Punch. Kihap.

SECOND LINE

Diamond Block

High Pulling Uppercut

Twist and grab the opponent's wrist

Small hinge block

• First going to the right...
  • 9. Step with the left foot to turn 270 to the left into Right Back Stance (i.e., left foot forward). Diamond Block (right arm high).
  • 10. Without stepping, High Pulling Uppercut (the right hand performs an Uppercut to the opponent's chin; the left hand pulls the opponent toward you).
  • 11. Without stepping, Side Punch with the left hand.
  • 12. Lift the left foot into Right Crane Stance. Left Small Hinge Block.
  • 13a. Pivot clockwise on the right foot to execute a simultaneous Left Side Punch & Left Side Kick.
  • 13b. Step down with the left foot into Left Front Stance. With the right elbow execute an Elbow Target Strike.
• Then going to the left...
  • 14a. Bring the left foot to the right foot, then slide the right foot to turn 180 to the right into a Closed Stance.
  • 14b. Step forward with the right foot to a Left Back Stance. Diamond Block (left arm  high).
  • 15. Without stepping, High Pulling Uppercut (the left hand performs an Uppercut to the opponent's chin; the right hand pulls the opponent toward you).
  • 16. Without stepping, Side Punch with the right hand.
  • 17. Lift the right foot into a Left Crane Stance. Right Small Hinge Block.
  • 18a. Pivot counterclockwise on the left foot to execute a simultaneous Right Side Punch & Right Side Kick.
  • 18b. Step down with the right foot into Right Front Stance. With the left elbow execute an Elbow Target Strike.

BACK TO THE FIRST LINE

Vertical Fingertip Thrust with a Pressing Block

Right hand is placed behind the waist

Outward Backfist Strike

• 19. Bring the right foot to the left, then slide the left foot into a Right Back Stance (ie. left foot forward). Left Double Knifehand Block.
• 20. Step forward with the right foot into a Right Front Stance. With the right arm execute a Vertical Fingertip Thrust. With the left arm execute a Pressing Block.
• 21a. Pivot 180 counterclockwise and bring the right hand behind you to the rear of the right-side waist.
• 21b. Stepping with the left foot turn 180 counterclockwise into Right Back Stance (i.e. left foot forward). Left Outward Backfist Strike.
• 22. Step forward with the right foot into Right Front Stance. Right Punch. Kihap.

FIRST LINE

• First going left...
  • 23. Step left with the left foot into Left Front Stance. Scissors Block (right arm high).
  • 24a. Right Front Kick.
  • 24b-c. Step down with the right foot into Right Front Stance. Double Punch - right hand then left hand.
• Then going right...
  • 25. Step right with the right foot to turn right 180 into Right Front Stance. Scissors Block (left arm high).
  • 26a. Left Front Kick.
  • 26b-c. Step down with the right foot into Left Front Stance. Double Punch - left hand then right hand.
• Return to Ready position.

References

• Black Belt forms at the Kukkiwon website
• Black Belt forms at the World Taekwondo Federation website
• Black Belt forms at TheSchoolofMartialArts.com