Pattern Development

Ancient Beginnings

Taekwondo patterns (hyungs, tuls, poomses, forms) reflect the evolution of Taekwondo from its beginnings to the present. In ancient Korean times (for more information see Ancient Beginnings), military conflicts and competition between rival Korean kingdoms led to the development of indigenous fighting styles, which culminated in the success of the Hwarangdo in unifying the three kingdoms in 676 A.D. It seems that even ancient Korean martial arts had an aesthetic component, as evidenced by the idealized fighting stances and gestures on stone temple figures and cave paintings. The development of such idealized and refined movements, or "patterns," helped distinguish these martial arts from other military training or athletic activities. Due to the relative peace that came after the unification, martial arts training grew into displeasure as the martial culture was replaced by a bureaucratic culture.