I'm Master Adrian with W1 Taekwondo in Portland, OR and today, we're talking about a few Poomsae basics. We'll be discussing how to make your Poomsae forms better as a beginner, how to create snap on your techniques and the most efficient way to learn the patterns.
Poomsae are a traditional way of training that, throughout time, were brought to an art level by finessing the details and the techniques. They are also a full body workout commonly used in Taekwondo training. Whatever you do on the left side, you mirror on the right side and vice versa.
Download the full PDF with Forms 1-8 here.
Now let's take a look at a few tips that will help you improve your forms:
1. Map out the forms in your head. Each form has three lines that you have to go through that are connected by transition lines. These transition lines will take you from Line 1 to Line 2, from Line 2 to Line 3, and back to where you started. The first 8 Taegeuk's all have the same pattern: three lines from left to right with transition lines in between. We describe this in full detail throughout the course of the video, focusing on the first form, Taegeuk Il Jang.
2. Create snap with your hand techniques. The snap makes everything look better during your form. 90% of the blocks in your Taegeuks have a twisting motion. What you want to strive to do is create snap by whipping your hands into place towards the end of your block. However, you want to keep in mind that the snap isn't created by just your hands. This movement is also driven by your hips and your full body, which we demonstrate in the video. In short, whenever you start a block, you want to be in a relaxed state, then power up towards the end of it and release the twist in place.
3. Synchronize your movements. During your forms, your blocks should be in sync with your stances. For instance, if I do a back stance with a double knifehand block, I try to land my feet at the same time that I land my block.
Thanks for watching and don't forget to download the PDF of forms 1-8 above!
W1 out.
Master Adrian is a fantastic teacher and is always willing to help his students become better martial artists. He puts in the work to give his students the best opportunity to succeed, and I think anybody who commits themselves to W1 and Master Adrian will reap the benefits.
My daughter started W1 Taekwondo with a trial class offered for a month. She liked it very much and wanted to go back to the regular class. And yes she never stopped herself from attending W1 Taekwondo class. She gained lots of skills in a very short time. I can see how much confidence she is now! Master Adrian is a very respected person and we can rely on him to build my daughter's Taekwondo skills. Master Adrian focuses not only on Taekwondo skills but also on behavioral skills that are required for a student. All the teachers are wonderful and very friendly. If you are looking for a Taekwondo class for your child this is the place that I can strongly recommend without any hesitation. Thanks and best wishes!
Master Adrian is a dedicated and skilled martial artist, leader, and coach. We enrolled our three kids, ages 5, 6, and 7 this past April and they have come such a long way in skill and in discipline. Master Adrian is both gentle with the kids and tough on them at the same time- the perfect combination for our family. Our kids have learned so much from him, on and off the mat. Master Adrian's whole team is fantastic. Highly recommend!