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Taekwondo: Poom Se

Forms or Poom Se, are a series of attack and defense actions against one or more imaginary adversaries. It's a sort of solitary fight by which the practictioner can learn Tae Kwon Do techniques without training with a companion and improve some fundamental skills as speed, agility, movements, breath control and timing.

Poom Se are 8 as the 8 trigrams on which is based the Chinese oracle the I KING "the Book of Changes".
The 8 trigrams are called "Pal-gwe" (generally translated as Eight Powers of the Universe). Each of them consists of three parallel lines (continuous or broken) representing the 8 elemental forces in nature. The continuous line, called Yang, represents the presence of motion while the broken one, called Yin, represents the absence of motion.

In Taekwondo we have Taegeuk Poomse, whose knowledge is essential in the various grades that lead from the white belt to the black one, and Dan Grade Poomse practiced by black belts and fundamental for the following I Dan grades.
Costancy and will of the practictioner is necessary for learning all Poom Se movements. One could be said that with 1 hour and 1/2 of daily training an apprentice should reach the black belt in no more than 2 years.

General rules in practicing Poom Se:

- Begin and end in the same point
- Be always frontally to the imaginary adversary
- Avoid contracted movements, wastes of physical and psychological energy
- Perform simple and rhytmic movements
- Speed up or to slow down movements according to the case remembering that Pooms Se are not a dance
- Respect the sequence forms

Sky trigram

Poomse Taegeug/Palgwe Il Jang Sky
20 techniques

Sky ideogram The first form crosses the diagram of the trigram of KEON that symbolizes Sky.
It gives us light, rain and the sun, source of energy and origin of the life.
Philosophical meaning: the origin.

Lake trigram

Poomse Taegeug/Palgwe Yi Jang Lake
23 techniques


Lake ideogram The second form crosses the diagram of the trigram of TAE that symbolizes Joyfulness.
The inner joy allow to face everything in serene and firmly way.


Fire trigram

Poomse Taegeug/Palgwe Sam Jang Fire
29 techniques

Fire ideogram The third form crosses the diagram of the trigram of RI that symbolizes Fire.
Fire comes from the sun, illuminates our way, gives us light and heat.
Philosophical meaning: in all his variety there will be so much determination.


Thunder trigram

Poomse Taegeug/Palgwe Sa Jang Thunder
34 techniques

Fire ideogram The fourth form crosses the diagram of the trigram of JIN that symbolizes Thunder.
The Thunder scares.
It teaches to act calmly and bravely in whatever situation to increase the self-control.


Wind trigram

Poomse Taegeug/Palgwe Oh Jang Wind
38 techniques

Wind ideogram The fifth form crosses the diagram of the trigram of SEON that symbolizes Wind.
The wind in all his the varieties: breeze, typhoon, tornado...
Philosophical meaning: the delicacy of a breeze or the strength of a tornado.


Water trigram

Poomse Taegeug/Palgwe Youk Jang Water
25 techniques

Water ideogram The sixth form crosses the diagram of the trigram of GAM that symbolizes Water.
It has not shape and it doesn't stop in face of nothing.
Philosophical meaning: the goal can be reached despite the adversities.


Mountain trigram

Poomse Taegeug/Palgwe Tchil Jang Mountain
32 techniques

Mountain ideogram The seventh form crosses the diagram of the trigram of GAN that symbolizes a mountain.
Philosophical meaning: The external calm will be drawn from the immobility of the mountain to feed our internal calm. A mountain never moves. Man must learn this stability like a mountain.


Earth trigram

Poomse Taegeug/Palgwe Pal Jang Earth
32 techniques

Earth ideogram The eighth form crosses the diagram of the trigram of GON.
Gon symbolizes Earth. It is the source of life.

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