Books that stayed with the student
Choi wanted to reach people he could not teach every day. An instructor returned home after a seminar, but a book remained close at hand when preparing the next class. His first manual of 1959 was followed by the English-language edition of 1965 and a substantial textbook in 1972. Each work explained technique, teaching and moral culture in greater detail.
The books were a collaborative effort. Instructors demonstrated movements for photographs, checked sequences and helped prepare explanations. Choi directed the work, organised the material and brought individual exercises together into a coherent teaching programme.
The fifteen-volume encyclopedia
In 1983, Choi completed work on the fifteen-volume “Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do”. The 1985 edition and later reprints brought it to instructors in many countries. Its extensive explanations and photographs helped them study body positions, directions of movement and exercise sequences.
The encyclopedia covered the theory of power, hand and foot techniques, sparring and patterns. A condensed single-volume version appeared in 1988, making the material easier to use every day. The full set and the compact manual gave teachers a shared foundation for preparing classes.
Books and personal teaching complemented each other. A page showed the position of a hand or foot; a seminar allowed students to feel the rhythm, test distance and ask their teacher for an explanation. Choi continued to refine the techniques, and his publications developed with them.
Patterns as technique and historical memory
The Chang Hon system takes its name from Choi’s pen name. Its 24 patterns became one of the most recognisable features of his art. He linked them to the 24 hours of a day: a human life is brief, yet a person can leave behind work that continues beyond it.
Each pattern combines a set sequence of movements with a name and historical meaning. Through them, students encounter figures from Korean history and ideas of independence and reunification. Tong-Il held particular meaning for Choi: it was dedicated to the unity of Korea, a hope he carried throughout his life.
Choi and his fellow masters refined the movements, rhythm and standards of execution. Ko-Dang was later replaced by Juche, and greater emphasis was placed on the body movement known as sine wave. Schools responded differently to these changes. The story of this shared technical heritage continued after the organisational divisions.
The moral demands of practice
Do, the “way”, gives training an ethical dimension. The ITF tradition associates it with courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. These principles become meaningful through conduct: how a partner is treated, whether a mistake is acknowledged and how responsibility for physical power is exercised. The ITF’s contemporary account of its philosophy continues this educational emphasis.
Books, patterns and ethical teaching formed Choi’s enduring legacy. It continues through the training of new generations: precise movement, respect for partners and a teacher’s responsibility towards students.