On this page
Watch three different Taekwondo schools and you may see three completely different sets of forms. One school’s yellow belts perform Taegeuk Il Jang, another’s perform Palgwe Il Jang, and a third’s perform a pattern called Chon-Ji. They are all Taekwondo, but they come from different branches of the art’s family tree, and knowing which branch your school belongs to explains a lot about what your child will learn.
The short history
Taekwondo grew out of several martial arts schools, called kwan, that opened in Korea after 1945. In the 1950s and 1960s, leaders worked to unify them under one name and one curriculum. Two main paths emerged. General Choi Hong Hi founded the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) in 1966 and developed his own set of patterns. In Korea, the organization that became the Kukkiwon created its own forms, first the Palgwe series and then, in 1971, the Taegeuk series. World Taekwondo, which runs the Olympic sport, uses the Kukkiwon curriculum.
Taegeuk forms (Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo)
The eight Taegeuk forms are the standard color-belt curriculum for Olympic-style Taekwondo, and they are what most schools in the United States teach today. Each is linked to one of the eight trigrams of the I Ching, and all are performed on the same three-line floor pattern. Stances are relatively upright and natural, reflecting the sport’s emphasis on mobility. If your school’s black belts are registered with the Kukkiwon, it almost certainly teaches Taegeuk. Our guides cover each one, starting with Taegeuk Il Jang.
Palgwe forms (older Kukkiwon)
Before the Taegeuk series, the Kukkiwon’s color-belt forms were the eight Palgwe (팔괘). They use the same trigram symbolism but different sequences, longer and lower stances, and more traditional techniques. When the Taegeuk forms replaced them, many schools outside Korea, particularly in the United States, kept teaching Palgwe, either alone or alongside Taegeuk. Some schools teach Palgwe to children and Taegeuk for competition. Black belts at these schools still go on to Koryo, the same first black belt form.
ITF patterns
ITF schools practice tul (틀), usually translated as patterns. The series begins with Chon-Ji, Dan-Gun and Do-San, and each pattern is named after a figure or idea from Korean history, with the number of movements often carrying a meaning too. ITF Taekwondo has its own distinctive way of moving, including a “sine wave” up-and-down motion through each step, and its own sparring rules with punches to the head. Belt colors are similar to the Kukkiwon system, but with colored tips marking half-ranks.
Other systems
The ATA (American Taekwondo Association) uses its own Songahm forms, performed on a star-shaped pattern, and its own belt colors. Some independent schools and older lineages teach Japanese-influenced forms such as the Pyung-Ahn series, inherited from karate kata. And many schools mix and match, teaching a core curriculum plus extra forms for tournaments or demonstrations.
How to tell what your school teaches
The quickest clue is the name of the first form. If it is Taegeuk Il Jang, the school follows the Kukkiwon. If it is Palgwe Il Jang, it is a Kukkiwon school with an older curriculum. If it is Chon-Ji, it is ITF, and if it is Songahm 1, it is ATA. You can also ask where black belt certificates come from: the Kukkiwon in Seoul, the ITF, the ATA, or the school itself.
Changing schools
If your family moves, the new school will usually recognize your child’s rank, especially within the same system. Moving between systems is harder. A green belt from an ITF school joining a Kukkiwon school will often keep the green belt but need to learn the new forms before the next test, and some schools ask transfer students to wear their belt “on probation” for a few weeks. It is worth asking about this before you enroll, so your child knows what to expect and doesn’t feel they’ve lost progress.
Whatever the system, the principles are the same: balance, control, timing and focus. A student who has learned one set of forms well usually picks up another much faster than a beginner.
Questions parents and students ask
What are the Taegeuk forms?
The eight color-belt forms of the Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo, adopted in 1971 and used by most Olympic-style schools.
Are Palgwe forms still used?
Yes, in some schools, especially older American lineages. The Palgwe were the Kukkiwon's first color-belt forms and use the same eight trigrams as the Taegeuk, but with different sequences and longer stances.
What is the difference between poomsae and tul?
Both mean forms. Poomsae is the Kukkiwon term; tul (or teul) is the ITF term for patterns such as Chon-Ji and Dan-Gun.
My child is changing schools. Will they keep their belt?
Most schools honor the rank, but a student moving between systems usually needs to learn the new school's forms before the next test.
