Helpful Information for Life at the Dojang

Means the Heaven and the Earth — the creation of the world, or the beginning of human history. The pattern is in two parts: one to represent the Heaven, the other to represent the Earth.

Named after the holy Tan-Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C.

The pen name of the patriot An Ch’ang-Ho (1876–1938), who devoted his entire life to furthering the education of Korea and its independence movement.

The name of the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 A.D.

The pen name of the great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536–1584), nicknamed the “Confucius of Korea.”

Named after the patriot An Chung-Gun, who assassinated Hiro-Bumi Ito, the first Japanese Governor-General of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part in the Japan–Korea merger. The 32 movements refer to his age at death, when he was executed at Lui-Shung prison.

The pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century A.D.), an authority on Neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements refer to his birthplace on the 37th latitude; the diagram represents scholar.

Named after the Hwa-Rang youth group, which originated in the Silla Dynasty about 1,350 years ago. This group eventually became the driving force for the unification of the three kingdoms of Korea.

The given name of the great Admiral Yi Sun-Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored battleship, the Kobukson (1592 A.D.), the forerunner of the present-day submarine. The reason this pattern ends with a left-hand attack is to symbolize his regrettable death, having had no chance to show his unrestrained potential, checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the King.