Taekwondo Poomsae: The Fighting Scrolls

influences of Daoism and Buddhist thought. The number nine is considered to be a celestial number and the supreme spiritual power. It can be broken down into a component set of three as the basic unit, and the triple levels of the Palgwe trigrams have been derived from this.

Thus at any point of the circle of the Taegeuk, irrespective of which way it is turned, the opposing pair of forces add up to nine. Therefore, the different Taegeuk and Palgwe poomsae may be regarded as separate chapters of a single long poomsae. The philosophy of the Taegeuk is the highest manifestation of training in Taekwondo and is derived from

The Taegeuk is the manifestation of the principles of the cosmic creation and everything concerning human existence. Infinity is the unending nature of the Taegeuk contained within the circle, and Yin and Yang as negative and positive are separated from each other by the wave-like line of ki flow. These opposite but complementary poles symbolize the two forms of energy within the universe and are the embodiment of the inherent duality of human life.

There are three principles of Sam Jae, or the three elements forming the different levels of the trigrams. The first bar (which is really the lowest bar as you look from the periphery toward the center of the circle) represents Cheon or Heaven, the middle bar is In or Humanity, and the bottom bar, which is closest to the circle, is Ji or Earth.

Classical Taoist theory explains that the three levels are made up of the Heavens above and the Earth below, with Man in the middle as the conductor of life energy between both levels.

Joo-Yeok or Book of Changes plays a very central role in the understanding of the Palgwe and Taegeuk poomsae.

Mother seeks for the first time the power of the male in the trigram of “The Arousing” and receives the Eldest Son “Thunder.” The change from Yin to Yang occurs at the lowest bar. Next the Middle Son “Water” is created in the trigram of “The Abysmal,” when Yin changes to Yang in the middle bar. Keon passes on the linear attack trait to its offspring Water trigram in Taegeuk Yuk Jang. Similarly, this is not a strong Yang trait and the poomsae remains unchanged with Yin energy.

According to the Book of Changes, the creators of the Kwae are the two main forces, the Creative or Father and the Receptive or Mother. Father is “Keon” and “Heaven,” while Mother is “Kon” and “Earth.” A deeper examination of the Palgwe explain the creative roles of Keon as the Father and Heaven, and Kon as the Mother or Earth.

The eighth poomsae manifesting as “Earth” embraces the opposite and complimentary values of defensive, slowness, speed, softness, retreating, re‍

The first poomsae is represented by “Heaven,” implying only Yang qualities (offense, fast, powerful, hard, attacking, challenge, direct, strike, releasing energy, unyielding, linear, to separate, advancing, originating in the pores of the skin) or forces represented in the four extremities.

qualities of Yin and Yang are abundantly exemplified throughout the different Taegeuk and Palgwe patterns.