What Are The Techniques In Taeguek movements?
In this post, we’ll discuss some of the common techniques used in Taekwondo’s Taeguek family of forms. Perhaps, I’ll have another article discussing Palgwe or Chang Hon forms, or, I’ll just edit this post. For now, I just want to cover some of the techniques, and highlight some important concepts that will be used in the forms examination posts.
I’ve categorized the techniques into a broad category of stances, hand techniques, and foot techniques. Hand techniques include grabs, releases, and elbow strikes; and foot techniques will include knee strikes.
This post isn’t a canonical list of the techniques, nor is it meant to be. You can find a canonical list of Kukkiwon (poomsae) techniques in Kukkiwon’s textbook, and you can find a canonical list of ITF (chang hon) techniques in General Choi’s Encyclopedia of Taekwondo. As a result, there may be techniques covered in those books, but if they don’t appear in a poomsae/hyung, then, I probably won’t discuss it. Maybe, I’ll cover those esoteric movements in another post, but that will be decided later.
Stances
Stances are designed to help us move from one place to another, or to stabilize our current position in order to effect a technique. I often see instructors have their students remain in a stance for as long as possible in order to build leg muscles or muscle memory, but I don’t think that is a proper training method for learning stances.
First, it creates too much emphasis on the “static” part of the stance – the part you remain still – and not enough on the other part of the stance’s purpose, which is to move you from one place to another.
Second, to have students move up and down a line doing nothing but back stances defeats the training needed to move from back stance to front stance to horse stance to crane stance, and so on.
Third, remaining in a stance “to build muscles” is misguided because in real life, the stance you use is only momentary at best. If you’re in the stance for longer than that, you’re doing something wrong.
Naming A Stance
We typically qualify a stance (left or right) by the majority of weight on a foot. Since in a back stance, for example, the majority of weight is on the back leg, then, it’s a left back stance when the left foot is back and the right foot is forward; conversely, a right back stance is when the right foot is back and the left foot is forward.
But in a forward stance, most of the weight is on the forward foot, so, a left forward stance is when the left foot is forward.
Note that many stances have no left/right or forward/back qualification, because, there is equal balance on both feet. For example, the horse and parallel stances are neutral in this regard. So there is only “horse stance”, while there is a “left forward stance” and “right forward stance”.
Note: some people qualify a stance by whichever foot is most forward. I won’t in this case. Please be mindful of this.
Walking Stance
The Walking Stance is performed as if you were walking a normal pace. One foot pas the other, feet naturally place on the ground.
When performing a technique in this stance, note that your base is more compressed than when in a forward stance; thus, your center of gravity is higher and you have less balance. You do, however, have better opportunity to move about, since you are less rooted to the floor.
The walking stance can be used for any technique, but generally a strike is best – like a punch. You are less rooted to the ground and therefore your punches may be less effective than when in a front stance. In cases where a punch requires such strength, then, a forward stance can be used. Note that our forms don’t (and shouldn’t) require great strength; therefore, forward stance punches are probably not punches at all, whereas walking stance punches probably are.
This stance is classified by whichever foot is forward: left foot forward is a left walking stance. It is consistent with the naming of the front stance, which has more of the weight over the front foot, and therefore, the front foot qualifies the stance.
Front Stance (aka Forward Stance)
The front stance is the counterpart to the walking stance. Your base is a bit wider, offering a lower center of gravity, and therefore more stability and balance. Your weight is more over the front foot, and thus it qualifies the stance based on which foot is forward.
In the front stance, the back leg is straight. I hesitate to say lock the rear knee – that would reduce movement. However, the back leg provides an anchor and stability when pressing against, or throwing an opponent. The front leg’s knee is bent, providing a capability to move it to maintain balance. The more bent it is, the lower your center of gravity and therefore more balance is offered – but at the cost of lesser mobility.
Because of the less mobility offered by the front stance, it is better suited for techniques where the opponent will be finally dispatched, not in the beginning or middle of a sequence of movements. As such, a final punch, or a throw, is more suitable for a front stance.
Because the weight is encumbered on the front leg, front leg movements is all but completely hindered. Sliding, kicking, or side-stepping are very difficult and are not advisable. There are no techniques in any form having any front-leg techniques executed whilst in a front stance.
Note the name of this stance is sometimes called a “front stance” or a “forward stance”. They are synonymous. The qualification of “left” or “right” depends on the front foot, because most of the body’s weight is placed on the front foot.
Back Stance
The stance allows easier movement from one position to the other. As one shoulder is forward over the other, there is a neutral telegraph. It allows to slide forward (stepping forward with the front foot) without changing shoulders. The distance covered isn’t as great as a full step forward (stepping forward with the back foot), and an experienced attacker will know this. Nevertheless, you are not compromising your options; in fact, you are making some of your options easier – we’ll talk about them as we get to them. A step or slide forward is much easier than when in a forward stance due to the fact that there is less need for body shift (which will reduce the time to take to complete the movement).
Note that also, a foot that is forward and back provides better stability when being pushed or pulled in the north or south direction, compared to when the feet are parallel and are tow-in-line. It provides less north/south movement stability compared to a forward stance. From a lateral direction, it provides more stability than when feet are together, and less stability then when in a horse stance. Thus, this stance is a compromise in stability for various directions, while optimizing options for some other movements
The other thing to note about a back stance, sometimes called a “fighting stance”, in which case the hands are also up in fists, is that it can be seen as an aggressive stance – an invitation to engage in combat. When sport sparring, this is not an issue – we expect to spar. But in self-defense, this hurts our changes to de-escalate.
Hand Techniques
Punch
Ever hear the ages-old complaint about punching in taekwondo? We punch by having the first two knuckles forward (which is correct), and the palm to the floor. Eh…
So the punch with the palm to the floor vs the punch where the palm is vertical depends on context.
If you’re punching to hit someone, then you generally want the punch to be vertical. But that’s only when the punch is straight forward. The dynamics of that punch changes depending on the height of the target relative to the puncher’s shoulder.
If the punch is high, there’s just no way you’re going to land that punch. Sorry. Either method will have you spraining your wrist. If you’re going to punch high, you’re better off with a backfist or an upper cut. Or, maybe the punch isn’t a strike but a grappling maneuver instead.
If the punch is low, then you definitely want the palm down, although there can be argument for a grappling maneuver here as well, in which case the palm down or sideways depends on context.
If the punch is straight through, you can use either. But the stronger punch has the palm vertical.
Double Knifehand Block
Single Knifehand Block
Knifehand Strike
Low Block
High Block
