Practical Application from Poomsae Jitae

I highly doubt that many who knows this Poomsae will ever read this post as it is one of the higher black belt Poomsae in the Kukkiwon system, but there might be some use to read it either way. We will look at something unique in Kukkiwon terms but which also appears in Karate "Kata", older

Taekwondo "Hyung" as well as in alternative forms sets (my teacher uses the same sequence of moves in his soak am ryu forms). It is a sequence consisting of a simple kick-punch combination but if you look a little closer at it you will notice something strange about it. If I have your attention now please read on:-)


First here is the Poomsae in question:

The sequence is subtle and happens around 47-48 seconds into the clip. A right front kick is thrown with the back leg, put back to where it was and as it lands a two punch combo is done to the midsection. The right foot kicks and the right hand strikes first.

Many interpret this as it seems to be on the surface, you kick your opponent and punch him twice for good measure. In Taekwondo the breaking down of forms (Boonhae) to analyse them (Boonseok) to find practical applications (eungyoung) is not often done. If it was the serious flaw of this sequence as a purely "striking sequence" would stand out at once.

You see there are a few criteria that a "good" strike should have. On the top of my head (there might be more) some of them should be:

1. Suitable striking tool
2. Aimed at a vital point
3. Good balance during excecution
4. Body weight behind it
5. Good structural alignment to maximize the delivering of force into the target.

As I said this is just a short list. On the surface the straight forward application being a front kick followed by two punches seems good. After all you can "check" 1, 2, 3 and possibly 5 (if the performance is good) on the list above but number 4 is so important that you would not generate any power whatsoever in the punches. And to be frank you would be out of range as well if you believe the kick contacts the target at 90% excecution.

A simple test is to kick the wall with a front kick that makes contact at about 90% extension then move the kicking leg back into long front stance and punch with your back arm. If you use the movement as in the Poomsae (the correct length of a long front walking stance, and not leaning into the punches) you should be well out of range for the punches to land. Also the power generation is off. Should you be able to land the punch after the kick Your body weight is traveling backwards in the opposite direction of where you want the power to go (into the target) so what little force you can muster is actually only your arm with no body weight behind it.

Another application to this sequence is more grappling oriented and removes many of the flaws of the surface application. It is a simple sweep/push with a back up punch if the sweep/push does not work. I am not saying this is the only or correct application every move in Poomsae will have a multitude of meanings and how you break down the Poomsae(Boonhae) will have serious consequenses on what you find during your analysis (Boonseok) which again will affect the applications you will find (Eungyoung).

Above you will see the purely grappling orientated version of the application I am thinking of. you can also see below for a more reality based version that is closer to the Poomsae form.

The difference between them is that the Judo version you follow the opponent to the ground, while the millitary version that is closer to the Poomsae form takes into account that the opponent may strike back as well as the fact that you do not want to go to the ground. The same technique used in two very different environments. If you look at the right hand in the millitary clip you will see that he pushes the opponent as he is sweeping or reaping the leg. This is the front kick put it back and first punch. In this application the range is correct and each movement is done logically and follows the form. The second punch in the form is simply a back up if the reap fails or the situation changes making a quick strike favorable. It might be a little unorthodox to view the application of the front kick being in the retreaction of the leg and not the kick itself (extension) but this is how Poomsae works as a mnemonic and viewing them from a movement perspective instead of a technique perspective is the reason why the old masters of the orient could get by with fewer forms (sometimes as little as just one). This contrasts the situation today where a 1st degree black belt "knows" maybe 8-10 forms depending on the system. 1-5 forms is more than enough for self defense if you look at them not as a collection of basic techniques thrown together but as purely movements that can be used any number of ways.

I did hint earlier that the way you break down the form changes the application(s) you will find. What happens if we take the previous movement into the sequence making it a low knife hand block in back stance, front kick putting the leg back into long front walking stance and punch twice? (look at the opening clip 46 seconds to 48 seconds).

Well I have not tried it out yet but a common simple alternative application with historical basis (as in Gichin Funakoshi himself demonstrated it) to a low block is a straight armbar or arm lock. You can say what you want about the forms applications being new and not based in history and that I am making things up (application-wise I am usually making them up) but using a low block as a straight armbar is very much correct historicly speaking. Anyway; you do a straight armbar, kick the opponent at a suitable target (could be to the legs, torso or even the head), putting your foot back to regain a secure base which to deliver the two strikes with might be a good tactic depending on the situation and range to the opponent and the environment (cramped space for instance).

Note how the emphasis has changed between the first application being a much more grappling oriented one to the 2nd one where the emphasis is on striking and the armbar is just to position the opponent for the strikes. Both sequences contain grappling and strikes together (the first one as a back up, the second one as a finisher), and both make use of simple grappling movements to position the opponent for finishing strikes (first one implied as the opponent is lying and you are standing but

you should really flee if possible, the second one is obvious in it use of the armbar to secure and position the opponent for strikes). While grappling is included in both applications they are very simple, they are taught within traditional Taekwondo (seriously if you never encounter these techniques in training you should seak another Dojang if you want the martial art. If you want sport then ok you do not need these techniques, and both are viable ways of practising Taekwondo) and they are very very effective.

Both the alternative applications I have provided in this post solves the problems or flaw of the surface application. Now if you do not practise Jitae Poomsae you might encounter this sequence in other form sets. I do not know if it occurs in Palgwe form set or the Chang Hon Form sets, but I do know that there are older Hyung (forms) that do make use of similar sequences.


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