MEANING OF HYUNGS OR FORMS

CHON-JI (19 Movements) means literally "Heaven and Earth", and is in the Orient interpreted as the creation of the world and the beginning of human history. Therefore, it is the initial pattern learned by the beginner. The pattern consists of two parts: one part to represent heaven, the other the earth.

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DAN-GUN (21 Movements) is named after the holy Dan-Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year of 2333BC.

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DO-SAN (24 Movements) was the pseudonym of the patriot An Chang Ho (1876-1938) who devoted his life to furthering the education of Koreans and their independence movement.

 

WON-HYO (28 Movements) was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year of 686AD

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YUL-GUK (38 Movements) is the pseudonym of the great philosopher Yi I (1536-1584) nicknamed the Confucius of Korea. The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on the 38th parallel and the diagram (+) represents scholar.

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CHUNG-GUN (32 Movements) is named after the patriot An-Chung Gun who assassinated Hiro Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea-Japan merger. The thirty two movements in this pattern represent Mr. An's age when he was executed at Lui-Shung prison in 1910.

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TOI-GYE (37 Movements) is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century AD) an authority on Neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements of this pattern refer to his birth place on the 37th parallel and the diagram (+) means scholar.

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HWA-RANG (29 movements) is named after the Hwarangdo youth group which originated in the Silla Dynasty around 620 AD This group eventually became the driving force in the unification of the three kingdoms of Korea.(Silla, Koguryo and Baek Je)

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CHUNG-MU (30 Movements) was the name given to the great Admiral Yi Sun Sin of the Yi dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored battleship (kobukson) which was the precursor of the present day submarine in 1592 AD. The reason this pattern finishes with a left hand attack is to symbolize his regrettable death, having no chance to show his loyalty to the king.

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PALGWE is descriptive of a world made up of elements which are both conflicting and harmonious, i.e. sky and earth, light and dark, man and woman, and good and evil. These elements meet and depart from one another according to the rules of nature, always growing and developing.