Practical application for Keumgang Poomsae Part Four

This is the 4th part of a journey of disovery. Often when you try to discover and uncover the combative meaning of a Poomsae/Hyung/Tul/Kata/Form you jump from technique to technique or sequence to sequence. This is not possible when I have started doing this series the way I started. I explore one part of the form after another just as they appear when we perform Keumgang Poomsae. Before I started this series I wanted to just give some of my favorite applications to a few of the techniques/Sequences but then I decided I should challenge myself into comming up with applications for each and every move, and not only that, I should also come up with different applications to the moves that appear several times in the form.
This time I am going to continue where I left of: The next move in Keumgang Poomsae that is not yet explored from a combative viewpoint is the "large hinge" or "kheun doltzeogi ".

"kheun doltzeogi " is often mistaken as a "hook punch" by the vast majority of Taekwondo people, and though I have spoken out against label disease in the past this time I want to look at the label of the movement. If the originator(s) of Poomsae Keumgang wanted this to be a hook punch why not just call it Dollyeo Jirugi (translated as "round punch") or something simular? There is nothing in the label to imply this being inteded as a punch, allthough that is how it is treated by just about any Dojang in the world. The arm movement can easily be used as a hook punch, and a hook punch is a valid combat technique that should be in any Taekwondoin`s arsenal. BUT in the form we do the technique in a rather strange way, the stance does not really fit in, and if we are to believe that the oponent is at our side then the punching arm is a little to short. It does not cross our body but rather aligns with your oposite side. See the opening picture for the technique in question.

Now if we were to put the opponent directly infront of our center line the hook punch fitts better, and the stance as well. Now we have some weight transfer into the punch. So a close range hook punch is one application to the movement IF we change where the oppoent is normally placed (at our side) to our center line (directly in front of our body). What is the non punching hand doing in this application? It can be used for a great number of things:

• Clearing obstructions to our strike (e.g. an arm)
• Pulling the opponent off balance.
• Create more power by pulling the opponent into the strike.
• Grasping the opponent to get a tactical feel of his movements and wherabouts. (This is more important than you would think in a close range situation)
• Etc (this is just a few examples of the possibilities)

The movement also lends it self great for a choke. You stand behind the opponent and choke him with your "punching arm" by cutting the air supply to the opponent, while sinking down into the stance to become stable and get him into an unbalanced state, and the non striking (choking:-p ) hand is controlling the opponent or the opponents arm. Do not confuse "choke" with "strangle" as the choke puts pressure on the wind pipe to cut off air supply, while strangulation puts pressure on the side of the neck to cut off blood supply. The latter is considered faster and safer to the opponent, while the former is based more on the performers instinct (I find it more natural for once). This is of course a dangorus technique that should not be employed in free sparring.

There are two ways the "large hinge" movement appears in the form. One is done quite static (like in 00:23-00:24 in the video), while the other is done with a spinning motion (00:24-00:25). What on earth is the spinning movement for, and does it change the application of the "large hinge" movement? Here I will go out on a limb and say it is a hip throw.

You do need a little imagination here, and I wish I could find a better video. The throw itself follows the movement in the pattern quite well, but the entry is different than what I picture. In my head I see myself grabbing the opponents arm, stepping in, put my other arm around his body under his arm like in the video and turn, going into horse riding stance, bending at my waist, pulling my one hand to my hip and continuing with the "hook punch motion". This entry to the throw is picture perfect Keumgang Poomsae, the only difference is that we do not bend forward during Poomsae performance. I learned this throw with the entry I described earlier in Hapkido class in Korea.

The reason for not bending forward when we do Keumgang Poomsae if we are doing a throw is also maybe a little unconventional "wisdom".. One reason to do Poomsae is to develop "inner strength". Some are more focused on outer strength and other are more focused on "inner strength". Keumgang Poomsae can safely be put into a the category of inner strength developing form.

Key principles of Ki-training also known as ki-gong or Chi-gong or even Qi-gong is breathing deep abdominal breathing. In Keumgang Poomsae this is developed several times during excecution. Another key principle is to have all three energy centers of the body aligned. We have three centers in the body. Danjun (wich is about 5 cm under the navel and also our center of gravity), we have the solar plexus, and we have "the third eye" (slightly above eye level in the center of the eyes). When all these three are aligned you have a good posture to develop "Ki".

Training "inner strenght" through forms can be traced back a long way. One of the articles in the Okinawan Bubishi is about this very thing. It does not matter wether you believe in "ki" or not, what matters is that it was an integral part of the originator(s) of Keumgang Poomsae culture.

So quick recap: The movement "Large hinge" (often said to be a hook punch) in Keumgang Poomsae can be used as a hook punch, a choke, or a hipthrow. 

Again I would like to emphasise that there are a great number of possibilities for each move, you should explore and try to figure out for yourself. The applications I provide are only to serve as an introduction and should not be thought of as the be all end all of applications.

Click here for the next part where I will look closer on the mountain block (the double block inward outward block done at the same time.