*** There are exceptions to some of these rules but for the most part all recognized poomsae adhere to these fundamentals ***

The General Overview section is a very cursory look at how modern sport poomsae should be performed. A more in depth guide to each section follows.

Foreword:

This is by no means meant to be a definitive explanation but rather it reflects my current understanding of how competitive poomsae should be performed, and I do my best to keep as current as possible. While the emphasis here is on WT sport poomsae performance a lot of it does apply to the modern Kukkiwon standard as well.

Please note that if your dojang trains and performs Kwan lineage / non-competitive poomsae there will be things here that do not apply to your performance. Please check with your own instructor and defer to them in your training and execution of poomsae.

While preserving the nuances of each Kwan’s poomsae technique is important for the history of TKD it is crucial to understand that should this be your sole method of training you have zero chance of success in sport poomsae under modern WT rules if the referees are competent and current.

Taekwondo is a living and modern martial art that respects its past while innovating for the future and thus for an instructor or coach to approach it with dogmatic adherence to past standards, whether in poomsae or kyorugi, is to do a disservice to their students, in my opinion.

Considerations For Training Poomsae
Poomsae Sulyeonsang Yuuijeom
품새 수련상 유의점

• Eye Sight
  시선
  Siseon

• Movement Of The Body’s Center Of Gravity
  몸의 중심이동
  Mom-Ui Jungsim-Idong

• Fast And Slow Speed Control
  속도의 완급
  Sogdoui Wangeub

• Tension & Relaxation In Power
  힘의 강유
  Him-Ui Kangyu

• Flow Of Movement
  동작의 옌결
  Dongjag-ui Yengyeol

• Breathing
  호흡
  Hoheub

General Overview

• When moving from one technique to the next: Look & Aim/Prep → Step → Pivot & Execute

• I usually abbreviate this to “Look, Aim, Step, Pivot”

• Don’t finish the “Look” before you start the “Aim”

• Don’t finish the “Aim” before you start the “Step”

• Don’t finish the “Step” before you start the “Pivot”

• Each movement should cascade into the next

• The arm technique’s finish should coincide with the completion of the stance

• The stepping / shifting foot should glide along the floor in a direct line to its finish

• Arm techniques must have a gradient of speed and power

• Stances & arm techniques finish at the same time

• Arm techniques are performed as 1st Position → Path → 2nd Position

• Aiming/First Position should not be tense

• Arm techniques use both arms when there is one move per count

• The Pulling Hand 1st Position begins palm down

• The Assisting Hand 1st Position begins palm down

• The Pulling or Assisting Hand should begin its motion as the primary action is about to complete

• Arm techniques do not have an aim past the first one when performing multiple moves per count in the same stance

• Arm techniques do have an aim past the first one when performing multiple moves per count while changing stances

• When there are two or more arm techniques per count the front arm goes first

• Kicking techniques must be at least collar bone height

• Kicking technique connection is: Cover → Kick → Aim → Tech

• Kicking techniques must cleanly: Chamber → Extend → Re-Chamber

• Movements are immediate, 5 seconds or 8 seconds

• The interval connecting one movement in a line to the next is determined by whether it is offense or defense

• At all times maintain upright neck and body posture

• The eye line should match the technique direction

• Every kihap should be short and loud

• A striking arm moves inside of the aiming arm

• A blocking arm moves outside of the aiming arm

• Small Hinge: The top fist is vertical

• Large Hinge: The top fist is horizontal

• Overlapping arm techniques have the top hand determined by which foot is moving

• Front Kick cover: the hands are placed side by side on the abdomen or chest

• Side Kick cover: the hands are placed side by side on the abdomen or in small hinge (pattern dependent)

Some of these rules have exceptions, though rarely.

Important Terminology

Order of Operations:
Look → Aim → Step → Pivot

Alternately you could say:
Look → Prep → Step → Pivot

Look:
Turn your head in the direction of the next technique.

Aim / Prep:
Prepare for the next movement by bringing your arms into the technique’s 1st Position. The Pulling Hand usually aims in its direction, palm down. Some movements do not have the Pulling Hand aiming in the direction of the technique, such as Geodeureo / Assisted movements, for example.

Step:
Step or Shift directly to the stance of the next technique by gliding your foot over the floor.

Pivot:
Turn on the ball of your foot directly to the end position of the next stance, be sure to pair it with proper torso rotation.

Step:
When not changing from one poomsae line to another, a step is when you are going from a left stance to a right stance or a right stance to a left stance

VS

Shift:
When not changing from one poomsae line to another, a shift is when you are going from a left stance to a different left stance or a right stance to a different right stance

1st Position:
The position of the arms prior to completing a technique

2nd Position:
The position of the arms after completing a technique

Path:
The movement of the arms when proceeding from 1st Position to 2nd Position

Aiming Arm:
The arm which will not be performing the primary technique, called the Pulling Hand / Danggi Son / 당기 손
Also refers to the arm which performs the assisting motion on Geodeureo class techniques

Action Arm:
The arm which will be performing the primary technique

Each section of the order of operations will overlap into the next, meaning that you should not have every movement broken into robotic pieces but rather should flow from one to the next with a gradient of speed and power.

Cover:
The arms should adopt the necessary position to be taken during the kick, which is dependent upon the kick being performed and the pattern it is in.

Kick:
The leg should cleanly Chamber → Extend → Re-Chamber.

Aim:
During the Re-Chamber phase, the arms should adopt the 1st Position of the technique which follows the kick.

Tech:
The arms should complete the technique as the kicking foot is placed back onto the floor and completing its stance.

Competition Flow

• Charyeot - Stand tall in a Closed Stance with fists held at sides

• Gyeonglye - Bow at 45°, approximately 5 seconds total, neck stays neutral and the hands should stay in place on the legs — different from the more brief kyorugi bow

• Junbi - Hands move forward from sides of legs to the relevant Ready Posture’s 1st Position

• Sijak - Begin to perform the Poomsae

• Baro - Hands move directly to the relevant Ready Posture’s 1st Position

• Sweio - You are no longer being scored

Competition Tips

• Techniques and stances are generally performed uniformly throughout each Poomsae, their execution in one form will be the same as in another aside from occasional exceptions

• Moving from stance to stance via a step or a shift can have a maximum of one step/shift and one pivot

• Pivoting is done on the ball of the foot, without raising the heel, and should drive a turn of the hips

• Minor mistakes will result in a -.1 deduction from your score

• Major mistakes will result in a -.3 deduction from your score

• Techniques are executed in one of three timings: immediately, 5 seconds or 8 seconds

• There is a +/- 1 second threshold for drawn out techniques (5 +/- 1 and 8 +/- 1)

• Upright neck and body posture is maintained at all times

• The eye line must match the current technique’s direction

• Kihap should be short and loud

• Finishing outside of a one step radius from your origin point will result in a deduction

Beginning & Ending Point:

All Recognized Poomsae begin and end at the same point, except for the following 3:

• Taegeuk Il-Jang - 1 Forward Stance behind origin point

• Keumgang - 1 Backward Stance in front of origin point

• Jitae - 1 Forward Stance behind origin point