Considerations for Training Poomsae

The poomsae is a series of alternate attack and defense actions : therefore, there are frequent changes of actions and connections of techniques. One must pay attention to the movement of body, eyes, respiration, etc.

The steps of paying attention are as follows:
1) A complete understanding of the significance of poomsae and the principles of its composition.
2) A perfect memorization of the poomsae line, movements and direction.
3) During the practice, the following must be taken into consideration:
   (a) The eyes
   (b) Movement of the center of balance
   (c) Low or high speed
   (d) Strong or weak force
   (e) Respiration

Kukkiwon

Significance of Poomsae

The poomsae is a series of movements for offense and defense techniques which can be practiced and trained, even without presence of an instructor, in accordance with the fixed patterns. Therefore, the poomsae has the merits, by its practice, to make the trainee enhance the Kyorugi techniques and applied techniques including special techniques which can hardly be practiced by the training of each separate basic movement alone.
The poomsae can be trained along the imaginary or drawn poomsae line, which marks the position of foot and the line direction to move along.

Kukkiwon

Definition of Poomsae

Each poom of the poomsae has been inherited through a long history of about 5,000 years, finally as a product of scientific technique formulated on the basis of the traditional national spirit and practical experiments. From the technical viewpoint, the poomsae itself is Taekwondo, and the basic movements are no more than the preliminary actions to reach the poomsae. The Kyorugi is a practical application of the poomsae and the Taekwondo spirit is manifested not in an abstract mental philosophy expressed in the documents but in the actions of poomsae. Then, what is the Taekwondo poomsae? The poomsae is the style of conduct which expresses directly or indirectly mental and physical refinements as well as the principles of offense and defense resulting from cultivation of Taekwondo spirit and techniques.

Kukkiwon