Formal patterns — TKD Ukraine

A tul: technique, meaning and memory

A tul is a set sequence of stances, blocks, attacks and steps in an encounter with imaginary opponents. Each movement has a defined order, direction and rhythm. Practising patterns develops coordination, balance, breathing and control of power.

The Chang Hon system takes its name from Choi Hong Hi’s pen name. Its 24 patterns symbolise the 24 hours of a day. Their names recall Korean rulers, scholars, commanders, independence activists and ideas important to the founder. Meaning can also be expressed through the number of movements, the floor diagram or the final technique.

This guide covers the ITF / Chang Hon syllabus: nine patterns for colour belts and fifteen for black belts. The grade beside each name is the level at which the pattern is studied. See the belts and degrees table for the corresponding belt colours.

In competition, patterns are performed individually and in teams. Judges assess technical accuracy, power, balance, breathing control and rhythm.

Preparatory exercises: moving in four directions

These exercises introduce work in four directions. They are not counted among the 24 patterns.

Saju Jirugi — four-direction punching combined with a low block. One of the first exercises learned at white belt.
Saju Makgi — four-direction blocking. Together with Saju Jirugi, it prepares beginners for Chon-Ji.
Saju Tulgi / Saju Teulgi — elbow thrusts in four directions. This is a separate preparatory exercise taught later in training.

Colour belts: 9th–1st gup

01. Chon-Ji

9th gup · 19 movements

The name means “Heaven and Earth” and evokes the beginning of the world. Its two similar sections represent these two elements. Chon-Ji introduces the student to patterns, bringing basic movements together into a first complete sequence.

02. Dan-Gun

8th gup · 21 movements

This pattern honours Dangun, the legendary founder of the first Korean state. Korean tradition dates its foundation to 2333 BCE. The name introduces students to the mythological origins of Korean culture.

03. Do-San

7th gup · 24 movements

Do-San was the pen name of Ahn Chang-Ho, an educator and Korean independence activist. Its twenty-four movements represent a life devoted to education and national freedom. The pattern connects civic courage with respect for learning.

04. Won-Hyo

6th gup · 28 movements

The name honours Wonhyo, a seventh-century Buddhist thinker who helped spread and interpret Buddhism in Silla. He sought to make its teachings accessible to more people. The pattern preserves a connection with Korea’s spiritual and intellectual heritage.

05. Yul-Gok

5th gup · 38 movements

Yul-Gok was the pen name of the philosopher and scholar Yi I. In the pattern’s symbolism, 38 movements connect his birthplace with the 38th parallel, while its diagram represents a scholar. The name recalls dedication to learning and education.

06. Joong-Gun

4th gup · 32 movements

The pattern honours Ahn Joong-Gun, a Korean independence activist executed in 1910. Its 32 movements represent his age under traditional Korean age reckoning. The name commemorates the struggle for independence and personal sacrifice.

07. Toi-Gye

3rd gup · 37 movements

Toi-Gye was the pen name of Yi Hwang, a leading sixteenth-century Neo-Confucian thinker. The symbolism of its 37 movements connects his birthplace with the 37th parallel. Like Yul-Gok, the pattern’s diagram represents a scholar.

08. Hwa-Rang

2nd gup · 29 movements

The name comes from the Hwarang, a youth institution of Silla associated with military and moral education. Its twenty-nine movements recall the 29th Infantry Division, where Choi Hong Hi and his colleagues developed Taekwon-Do.

09. Choong-Moo

1st gup · 30 movements

Choong-Moo was the posthumous honorary name of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, a leading defender of Korea during the sixteenth-century Japanese invasions. The final left-hand attack symbolises his tragic death and the potential he did not live to fulfil.

Black belt: I dan

10. Kwang-Gae

I dan · 39 movements

The pattern honours Gwanggaeto, the ruler under whom Goguryeo greatly expanded its territory. Its thirty-nine movements recall the first two digits of 391, the year he became king. The diagram symbolises territorial expansion.

11. Po-Eun

I dan · 36 movements

Po-Eun was the pen name of Jeong Mong-Ju, a scholar, poet and statesman of late Goryeo. In the pattern tradition, he embodies unwavering loyalty to his convictions, ruler and country. Its straight-line diagram expresses that constancy.

12. Ge-Baek

I dan · 44 movements

The name honours Gyebaek, a general of Baekje who died defending his state in 660. The straight diagram symbolises strict military discipline. The pattern recalls courage and commitment to duty in the face of defeat.

Black belt: II dan

13. Eui-Am

II dan · 45 movements

Eui-Am was the religious name of Son Byong-Hi, a leader of the independence movement of 1 March 1919. The 45 movements represent his age under traditional Korean age reckoning when Donghak became known as Cheondogyo in 1905. The diagram expresses an indomitable spirit.

14. Choong-Jang

II dan · 52 movements

The name is associated with General Kim Deok-Ryeong, who defended Korea against the Japanese invasion in the late sixteenth century and died in prison. The final left-hand attack expresses the tragedy of a life cut short.

15. Juche

II dan · 45 movements

Juche expresses the idea of self-reliance: a person can shape their own destiny. Its diagram represents Mount Paektu, an important symbol in Korean culture. In our ITF’s current syllabus, this pattern occupies the place of the historical Ko-Dang.

Black belt: III dan

16. Sam-Il

III dan · 33 movements

Sam-Il means “the first of March”. It preserves the date on which Korea’s mass independence movement began: 1 March 1919. Its thirty-three movements honour the 33 representatives who signed the declaration of independence.

17. Yoo-Sin

III dan · 68 movements

The pattern honours Kim Yu-Sin, a general of Silla. Its sixty-eight movements recall 668 and the struggle to unite the Korean kingdoms. The unusual position of an imagined sword in the ready stance symbolises the conflict inherent in his alliance with foreign forces.

18. Choi-Yong

III dan · 46 movements

The name honours Choe Yeong, a fourteenth-century general and statesman of Goryeo. He is remembered for loyalty to his country, humility and military service. He was executed after the political upheaval that preceded the end of Goryeo.

Black belt: IV dan

19. Yon-Gae

IV dan · 49 movements

The pattern is named after Yeon Gaesomun, a seventh-century military and political leader of Goguryeo. His name is associated with resistance to the expansion of China’s Tang dynasty. The pattern carries the theme of national defence and determination.

20. Ul-Ji

IV dan · 42 movements

The name honours Eulji Mundeok, the Goguryeo commander who resisted the Sui invasion in 612. The diagram is associated with his surname. Its forty-two movements symbolise Choi Hong Hi’s age when the pattern was created.

21. Moon-Moo

IV dan · 61 movements

The pattern honours Munmu, a king of Silla. Its sixty-one movements recall his accession in 661. The legend of his burial at sea describes a wish to protect his country even after death; this devotion gives the name its meaning.

Black belt: V–VI dan

22. So-San

V dan · 72 movements

So-San was the name of the Buddhist teacher Choi Hyeong-Ung, also known as Seosan. Its seventy-two movements refer to his age when he organised monks to defend Korea against the Japanese invasion in 1592. It is the longest of the 24 ITF patterns.

23. Se-Jong

V dan · 24 movements

The name honours King Sejong, whose reign saw the creation of Hangul and support for scientific work. Its twenty-four movements are associated with the 24 basic letters of modern Hangul. The diagram symbolises a king.

24. Tong-Il

VI dan · 56 movements

Tong-Il means “unification”. The final pattern expresses the hope of reuniting Korea, divided after 1945. Its straight diagram symbolises the unity of the Korean people. This theme reflects Choi Hong Hi’s wish to overcome the division of his homeland.

Historical patterns: Ko-Dang and U-Nam

Ko-Dang / Go-Dang — 39 movements

Ko-Dang was the pen name of Cho Man-Sik, an independence activist and educator. This pattern belonged to the earlier black-belt syllabus; Juche later took its place. Some Chang Hon schools preserve the original Ko-Dang as a distinct historical pattern. It is not a twenty-fifth pattern in the current syllabus listed above.

U-Nam / Woo-Nam — 42 movements

The name comes from the pen name of Syngman Rhee, the first president of the Republic of Korea. The pattern appeared in Choi Hong Hi’s 1959 manual. It belongs to the early development of the system and is not one of the current 24 ITF patterns.

Read about the development of the syllabus in the history of ITF’s shared technical heritage, and about the founder’s work in Books, patterns and the moral path.