Hopkins Taekwondo Forms

Chon-Ji

19 moves

Chon-Ji literally translates to "heaven and earth." According to legend, Chon-Ji was a lake where Dan-Gun founded the nation of Korea.

Dan-Gun

21 moves

Dan-Gun was the legendary founder and first king of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom. He is said to have founded the kingdom in 2,333 BCE.

Suh-Kang Il

32 moves

This form is named after Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang, a central figure in the establishment of Taekwondo in the United States. He is also the father of Grandmaster Tae Sun Kang who founded the Hopkins Taekwondo Club and continues to teach Hopkins students who achieve black belt.

The word "il" means "first" in Korean. Thus "Suh Kang Il Hyung" means "the first form of (Grandmaster) Suh Kang."

Do-San

24 moves

Do-San is the pen name of Ahn Chang-Ho (1878 - 1938), a Korean independence activist and one of the early leaders of the Korean-American immigrant community in the United States. In 1907, he returned to Korea to organize and fight for Korean independence from Japan.

"An educator and patriot of the Korean independence movement."

Won-Hyo

28 moves

Won-Hyo (617 - 686 CE) was a noted monk who introduced Buddhism to Korea during the Silla Dynasty.

Yul-Gok

38 moves

Yul-Gok is the pseudonym of the philosopher Yi I (1536 - 1584 CE) who was nicknamed the "Confucius of Korea."

Joong-Gun

32 moves

Ahn Joong-Gun was a patriot who assassinated Ito Hirobumi, the four-time prime minister of Japan and first Governor-General of Korea. The 32 moves of the form represent Joong-Gun's age when he died in prison in 1910.

Hwa-Rang

29 moves

The Hwa-Rang were an elite youth grou of scholars and martial artists during the Silla Dynasty (7th century). The 29 moves represent the 29th Infantry Division of the Korean Military where Taekwondo developed to maturity.

Toi-Gye

37 moves

Toi-Gye is the pen name of the scholar Yi Hwang, a neo-Confucian scholar in the 16th century. The 37 movements refer to his birthplace on the 37th latitude.

Suh-Kang Ei

42 moves

Like Suh-Kang Il before it, this form is named after Grandmaster Suh Chong Kang. The word "ei" means "second" and thus the form translates to "the second form of Grandmaster Suh Kang."

Choong-Moo

30 moves

Choong-Moo was the honorary title given to Admiral Yi Soon-Sin (April 28, 1545 - December 16, 1598). Admiral Yi is considered one of the greatest naval commanders in history and was reputed to have invented the turtle ship.

He is acknowledged to have fought at least 23 naval battles against the Japanese and won all of them, even though he was sometimes outnumbered and poorly supplied (even Japanese historical records acknowledge this).