THE CH'ANG HON PATTERN SYSTEM

Ch'ang Hon or “Blue Cottage” is the author’s pseudonym. The hallmark of this school is the combination of fast and slow, light and forceful movements together with extensive foot-work.

The name, the number of the movements as well as the diagrammatic representation of each pattern have a specific significance which symbolizes its namesake or relevance to same historical event.

General Choi Hong-Hi, the “Father of Taekwon-Do,” developed this set of patterns for Taekwon-Do which in Korean are called “teul.” As General Choi stated, “the life of a human being, perhaps 100 years, can be considered as a day when compared with eternity”. Therefore, there are a total of twenty-four officially recognized patterns in the art of Taekwon-Do, representing the 24 hours in a complete day, or one’s complete lifetime. The name, number of movements, and the pattern diagram or symbol for individual “teul” have specific importance. Each symbolizes factors such as a notable Korean King, an important heroic figure in Korean History, or an instance relating to a significant event in Korean History.

Ko-dang, which was a part of this patterns system is also included with reverence to the history of Taekwon-Do. Instead of changing its name, or its removal, it should be used to teach students about a part of Taekwon-Do’s history.

General Choi Hong Hi. Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do, Seoul, Korea, 1965 Daeha Publication Company pg.174.