Pattern Order & Meanings

Belt	Rank	Grade	Pattern	Moves	Meaning
	White Belt	10th Kup	4 Directional	15	4 Directional is the first exercise given to all Tae Kwon-Do students to help develop co-ordination, direction change and breathing control. It is NOT a pattern.
	White Belt, Yellow Tag	9th Kup	Chon Ji	19	Chon Ji means literally the “Heaven and Earth”. In the orient, it is interpreted as the creation of the world or the beginning of human history and therefore it is the initial pattern practised by the beginner. This pattern consists of two similar parts, one to represent Heaven and the other Earth. The cross shaped diagram represents the four elements of the universe: fire, water, air and earth.
	Yellow Belt	8th Kup	Dan Gun	21	Dan Gun is named after the Holy Dan Gun, the Legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C. All the punches in Dan Gun are high section (at eye level), symbolizing Dan Gun scaling a mountain.
	Yellow Belt, Green Tag	7th Kup	Do San	24	Do San is the pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Ch’ang Ho (1876 – 1938). The 24 movements of the pattern represent his entire life which he devoted to furthering the education of Korean and its independence movement.
	Green Belt	6th Kup	Won Hyo	28	Won Hyo was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism in the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 A.D.
	Green Belt, Blue Tag	5th Kup	Yol Guk	38	Yul Guk is the pseudonym of the great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536 – 1584) nicknamed the “Confucius of Korea”. The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birth place on the 38 degrees latitude and the diagram represents “scholar”.
	Blue Belt	4th Kup	Joong Gun	32	Joong Gun is named after the patriot Ahn Joong Gun who assassinated Hiro Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea. known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea – Japan merger. The 32 movements of this pattern represent Mr Ahn’s age when he was executed in the Lui Shung prison in 1910.
	Blue Belt, Red Tag	3rd Kup	Toi Gye	37	Toi Gye is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th Century), an authority on neo-confucianism. The 37 movements of this pattern refer to his birth place on the 37 degrees latitude and the diagram represents “scholar”.
	Red Belt	2nd Kup	Hwa Rang	29	Hwa Rang is named after the Hwa Rang youth group which originated in the Silla Dynasty in the early 7th Century. The group became the initial driving force of the unification of the three Kingdoms of Korea. The 29 movements of the pattern refer to the 29th Infantry division, where Tae Kwon-Do developed into maturity.
	Red Belt, Black Tag	1st Kup	Choong Moo	30	Choong Moo was the name given to the great Admiral Yi Soon Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armoured battleship (Kobukson) in 1592, which is said to be the precursor of the present day submarine. The reason the pattern ends in a left hand attack is to symbolise his regrettable death, having no chance to show his unrestrained potentiality checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the King.
	Black Belt	1st Dan	Kwang Gae	39	Kwang Gae is picked after the famous Gwang Gae T’o Wang, the 19th King of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost territories including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram represents the expansion and recovery of the lost territory. And the 39 movements refer to his 39 year reign.
	Black Belt	1st Dan	Po Eun	36	Po Eun is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong Mong-Chu (1400 A.D) who was a famous poet and whose poem “I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred times” is known to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of physics. The pattern diagram represents his unerring loyalty to the king and country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.
	Black Belt	1st Dan	Gye Baek	44	Gye Baek is named after Gye Baek, a great General in the Baek Je Dynasty (660 A.D) the diagram represents his serve and strict military discipline.
	Black Belt	2nd Dan	Eui Am	45	Eui Am is the pseudonym of Son Byong Hi, the leader of the Korean independence movement on March 19th 1919. The 45 movements of this pattern relate to his age when he changed the name Dong Hak (Oriental Culture) to Chondo Kyo (Heavenly Way Religion) in 1905. The diagram represents his indomitable spirit displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity of his nation.
	Black Belt	2nd Dan	Choong Jang	52	Choong Jang is the pseudonym given to the General Kim Duk Ryang who lived during the Yi Dynasty, 15th Century. This pattern ends with a left hand attack to symbolise the tragedy of his death aged 27, in prison, before he was able to reach full maturity.
	Black Belt	2nd Dan	Juche	45	Juche is a philosophical idea that man is the master of everything and decides everything. In other words, the idea that man is the master of the world and his own destiny. It is said that this idea was rooted in Baekdu Mountain which symbolizes the spirit of the Korean people. The diagram represents Baekdu mountain.
	Black Belt	2nd Dan	Ko Dang	39	Ko Dang is the pseudonym of the patriot Cho Man Silk who dedicated his life to the independence movement and education of his people. The 39 movements signify his times of imprisonment and his birth place on the 39th parallel. *Ko Dang was replaced by pattern Juche in the early 1980s.
	Black Belt	3rd Dan	Sam Il	33	Sam Il denotes the historical date of the independence movement of Korea, which began throughout the country on March 1st, 1919. The 33 movements in the pattern stand for the 33 patriots who planned the movement.
	Black Belt	3rd Dan	Yoo Sin	68	Yoo Sin is named after General Kim Yoo Sin, commanding General during the Silla Dynasty, who unified the three separate kingdoms of Korea. The 68 movements represent the last two figures of 668 A.D, the year in which Korea was united.
	Black Belt	3rd Dan	Choi Yong	46	Choi Yong is named after General Choi-Yong, Premier and Commander in Chief in the Armed Forces during the 14th Century Koryo Dynasty. Choi-Yong was greatly respected for his loyalty, patriotism and humility. He was executed by his subordinate commanders, headed by General Yi Sung Gae, who later became the first King of the Yi Dynasty.
	Black Belt	4th Dan	Yong Gae	42	Yong Gae is named a famous General during the Koguryo Dynasty, Yon Gae Somun. The 49 movements refer to the last two figures of 649 A.D, the year he forced the Dang Dynasty to quit Korea after destroying nearly 300,000 Chinese troops at Ansi Sung.
	Black Belt	4th Dan	Ul Ji	36	Ul Ji is named after General Ul-Ji Mun Duk who successfully defended Korea against a Chinese invasion force of nearly one million soldiers led by Yang Je in 612 A.D. Ul-Ji employing hit and run guerrilla tactics was able to decimate a large percentage of the invading force. The diagram represents his surname, the 42 moves represent the author’s age when he designed the pattern.
	Black Belt	4th Dan	Moon Moo	61	Moon Moo honours the 13th King of the Silla Dynasty. His body is buried near Dae Wang Am (Great King’s rock). According to his will, the body was placed in the sea “where my soul shall forever defend against the Japanese”. It is said that the Sok Gol Am (Stone cave) was built to guard his tomb, and is a fine example of culture of the Silla Dynasty. The 61 movements in this pattern symbolise the last tow figures of 661 A.D when Moon Moo came to the throne.
	Black Belt	5th Dan	So San	72	So San is the pseudonym of the great monk Choi Hung Ung (1520 – 1604) during the Yi Dynasty. The 72 movements in this pattern refer to his age when he organised a corps of monks soldiers with assistance of his pupil Samung Dang. The monk soldiers helped repulse the Japanese pirates who overran most of the Korean peninsula in 1952.
	Black Belt	5th Dan	Se Jong	24	Se Jong is named after the greatest Korean King, Se-Jong, who invented the Korean alphabet in 1443 A.D, and was also a noted meteorologist. The pattern diagram represents the King while the 24 movements refer to the 24 letters in the Korean alphabet.
	Black Belt	6th Dan	Tong Il	56	Tong Il denotes the resolution of the unification of Korea, which has been divided since 1945. The diagram of this pattern symbolises the homogenous race.
	Black Belt	—	Woo Nam	42	Woo Nam is the pseudonym for the First President of the Republic of (South) Korea, Dr. Syngman Rhee (1948 – 1960), who approved Tae Kwon-Do as a Korean Martial Art. Designed to develop agility by focusing on advancing and retreating, General Choi created Woo Nam to honor President Rhee’s contribution to Tae Kwon-Do.