Syngman Rhee in 1956
WOO-NAM 우남 雩南 also styled as U-Nam is the name of an ITF/Chang Hon-style taekwondo form that is no longer practiced as part of the official ITF/Chang Hon curriculum.
Woo-Nam is the pseudonym of the first President of the Republic of (South) Korea, Dr. Syngman Rhee 이승만. Designed to develop agility by focusing on advancing and retreating, U-Nam was removed from the syllabus due to a disputed election in April 1960 that sparked nationwide protests against President Rhee’s rule (reference Wikipedia April Revolution). Woo-Nam’s only known published pattern description is in the Tae Kwon Do Teaching Manual (1959).
History[]
In July 2013, senior Taekwondo practitioners discovered that the “lost” form Woo-Nam was contained in the first book ever written on taekwon-do. The book was Choi Hong Hi's Tae Kwon Do Teaching Manual published in 1959. This discovery led to translations and analyses of the previously forgotten pattern, preserving it for future taekwon-do students worldwide.
WOO-NAM 42 movements was created prior to 1959 apparently to honor and gain favor with the former President Syngman Rhee (whose pen name was U-Nam). This pattern was developed around the same time as Sam Il and is therefore among the first six Chang Hon forms from the years 1955-1959. So far, the only known publication of Woo-nam is in the 1959 edition of the Tae Kwon Do Teaching Manual and it was already eliminated in the next edition.
WOO-NAM would still be lost if not for the efforts of Master George Vitale Ph.D. He, along with WTF Master Nathan Doggett, WTF Grandmaster Al Cole, Grandmaster Jung Woo Jin, and Grandmaster C.K. Choi (Chang Keun) made this video possible. Grand Master C.K. Choi later revised this form in 2017
☀https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWsfcd7z2bo
Diagram[]
Please note: the correct name is WOO-NAM TUL, not U-NAM TUL.
WOO-NAM TUL:
Due to the continued interest in Woo-Nam Tul, Grand Master C. K. Choi studied and rehearsed the original copy that General Choi wrote in Korean, which was published in his Tae Kwon Do book in Korean in 1959. Based on his experience in assisting General Choi with creating Gae-Baek Tul in 1961, Grand Master Choi found the original copy to be a draft.
In order to preserve the legacy of Woo-Nam Tul, Grand Master C. K. Choi finished completing the Woo-Nam Tul with minimal changes so as to adhere to General Choi’s Tul creation standards [techniques withstanding], i.e. to stay on the diagram while performing movements, to finish the Tul on the same spot where it started, and to perform the Tul in a natural sequence with grace and beauty.
WOO-NAM TUL: Diagram 42 movements
Close Ready Stance A
1. Move the right foot to A, forming a sitting stance while at the same time, execute a high block to A with the right outer forearm and a low block to D with the left outer forearm.
2. Change the positions of the hands to the opposite side.
3. Bring the right foot to the left foot, forming a close stance toward D while bringing the left fist in front of the right chest horizontally and the right fist to the right waist. Perform in a slow motion.
4. Move the left foot to D, forming a left walking stance while executing a high vertical punch to D with the twin fists.
5. Move the right foot to D, forming a right walking stance while executing a front strike to D with the right back fist and bringing back the left back hand under the right elbow.
6. Execute a high strike to C with the right back fist and low block to D with the left outer forearm. Return to #5 position.
7. Move the left foot to D, forming a left walking stance while executing a rising block to D with the left outer forearm.
8. Move the right foot to D, forming a right walking stance while executing a high punch to D with the right fist.
9. Move counterclockwise, turning counterclockwise to form a right L-stance toward D, at the same time, execute a middle guarding block with the forearm.
10. Execute a low front kick to D with the right foot.
11. Lower the right foot to D, forming a right low walking stance, at the same time, execute a middle punch to D with the right fist.
12. Lower the body to touch the ground with both hands using the left knee to support the body, at the same time, execute a high-turning kick to D with the right foot.
13. Lower the right foot to the ground and then execute a high punch to D with the right fist while pressing the ground with the left hand.
14. Stand up and move the left foot to D, forming a left L-stance toward C, at the same time, thrust to D with the left side elbow.
15. Move the left foot to C, turning clockwise to form a left L-stance, at the same time, execute a middle strike to D with the right knife-hand.
16. Move the right foot to C, forming a right L-stance, at the same time, execute a scooping block to D with the left palm.
17. Move the left foot to C, forming a left L-stance, at the same time, execute a middle block to D with the knife hand.
18. Move the left foot to D, forming a left walking stance, at the same time, execute a pressing block with the x-fist.
19. Execute a front kick to D with the right knee while pulling both hands in the opposite direction as if grabbing the opponent.
20. Move the right foot to C, forming a right L-stance while executing a left middle knife-hand strike to D.
21. Move the right foot to D, forming a right L-stance toward C in a sliding motion while executing a right elbow strike to D.
22. Bring the left foot to the right knee joint toward D, forming a right one-leg stance, at the same time, bringing both fists to the right waist.
23. Execute a sidekick to B.
24. Lower the left foot to D, forming a right L-stance while executing a pressing block to D with the twin palms.
25. Move the right foot to D, forming a right walking stance while executing a high front block to D with the outer forearm followed by a high side strike to D with the right back fist.
26. Move the right foot to C, forming a right L-stance while executing a high thrust to D with a left-hand flat fingertip thrust.
27. Execute a front kick to D with the right foot while bringing the right-hand palm on top of the left back hand.
28. Lower the right foot to D, forming a left walking stance toward C, pivoting counterclockwise with the left foot while bringing both fists to the right waist.
29. Move the right foot to C in a stomping motion, turning counter-clockwise to form a sitting stance toward A while executing a W-shape block with the outer forearm.
30. Move the left foot to C, forming a left walking stance while executing a rising block with the left forearm.
31. Move the right foot to D in a sliding motion, forming a right L-stance toward C while executing an x-fist block.
32. Move the right foot to C, forming a right walking stance while executing a rising block with the right forearm.
33. Move the left foot to C, forming a left walking stance while executing a rising block with the left forearm.
34. Move the right foot to C, forming a right walking stance while executing a rising block with the right forearm.
35. Execute a side kick to C with the left foot and then lower the foot to C forming a left walking stance.
36. Execute a middle punch to C with the right fist.
37. Execute a middle punch to C with the left fist.
38. Move the right foot to C, forming a right L-stance toward D while executing a thrust to C with the right elbow.
39. Move the left foot to B, turning counter-clockwise to form a fixed stance toward B while executing a U-shape grasp block.
40. Move the right foot to B, forming a right walking stance while executing a high block to B with the left inner forearm and low block with the right outer forearm at the same time.
41. Move the right foot to A, turning clockwise to form a left L-stance while executing a middle guarding block with the knife-hand.
42. Move the left foot to A, forming a left walking stance while executing a middle thrust with the left straight fingertip and blocking downwards with the right palm under the left elbow.
End: Bring the left foot back to a close ready stance A.
Watch Grand Master C. K. Choi perform the Woo-Nam Tul ☀https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWsfcd7z2bo
Information and photos have been taken from Grand Master Chang Keun [C.K.] Choi's website[2][3][4]
Video[]
Why was this video chosen for use on this wiki? Do you have a better video? Please see Video Guidelines before replacing this video with a better one.
Written Instructions[]
Needs to be converted to wiki markup: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B70iCRYwLtk4Yl9mSE1sZkFTTDg/view
Black Belt Forms[]
The ITF-style Black Belt forms are:
- Kwang-Gae (39 movements) - 1st dan
- Po-Eun (36 movements) - 1st dan
- Ge-Baek (44 movements) - 1st dan
- Eui-Am (45 movements) - 2nd dan
- Choong-Jang (52 movements) - 2nd dan
- Juche (45 movements) - 2nd dan / Ko-Dang* (39 movements) - 2nd dan
- Sam-Il (33 movements) - 3rd dan
- Yoo-Sin (68 movements) - 3rd dan
- Choi-Yong (46 movements) - 3rd dan
- Yon-Gae (49 movements) - 4th dan
- Ul-Ji (42 movements) - 4th dan
- Moon-Moo (61 movements) - 4th dan
- So-San (72 movements) - 5th dan
- Se-Jong (24 movements) - 5th dan
- Tong-Il (56 movements) - 6th dan
Forms no longer used:
* Ko-Dang is an older form, replaced with Juche. Ko-Dang is still taught in some schools however.
U-Nam is an ITF/Chang Hon-style form that appears only in the 1959 edition of Choi Hong Hi's Tae Kwon Do Teaching Manual.