About This Project
This project began as part of a deeper study of Taekwon-Do patterns during the Summer of 2017. Many have noticed and commented on the similarities between the Chang Hon patterns and older Karate patterns. I began looking for as many familiar sequences as I could find in Karate videos, and looked online to dig into the history of the ITF's patterns. But, as far as I can tell, nobody has, as of yet, taken the time to document the small details of movements present in the Chang Hon pattern series and how they related to Karate kata.
This is not meant to be a history of Taekwon-Do patterns, as there are many who are more qualified than myself who are dedicated to that study. The purpose of this project is, specifically, to compare the movements of Chang Hon patterns with those found in Karate kata.
I began this project expecting to find many similarities. I have been consistently surprised by finding more than I had ever expected.
Who is this for?
This website is designed with Taekwon-Do practitioners in mind. Though pictures and video are provided, it is assumes that one has prior experience with the Chang Hon patterns. Though, Karateka may find it interesting to see how their kata have ben re-interpreted, and any input from them is always appreciated and encouraged.
Additionally, those who are interested in practical applications for their Taekwon-Do patterns will find this a useful guide for drawing upon the wealth of Karate bunkai information that Taekwon-Do students may otherwise have difficulty utilizing.
I have tried to make things as easy as possible to follow along with. The Kata from which the sequences originate are marked in a green color to make them easier to see at a glance. Links will be in red, and sometimes important distinctions may be highlighted.
Sources
Images and video are essential to making this website useful. Every source that I have used for images or video will be cited on each page. I attempted to use videos found on YouTube for ease of sharing. Images of Chang Hon patterns come from the ITF's 2003 "The Legacy Continues" DVD set, which can be found all over YouTube. Textual sources can be found at the "History of Taekwon-Do" and "Blue Cottage Taekwon-Do" webpages, including the 1965 book and newer encyclopedias.
The majority of kata images come from a series of YouTube videos performed by Hirokazu Kanazawa, president of the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation. Many of the original Taekwon-Do masters were trained in Shotokan (including General Choi), and therefore the Chang Hon patterns share many similarities with the Shotokan variants. While there is evidence of other stylistic variations, Kanazawa's demonstrations were generally appropriate for my purposes. I hope you enjoy watching this man's Karate as much as I have.
Significance
There is very little in Chang Hon Taekwon-Do that was created out of whole cloth, which is to say that General Choi did not invent the knife hand block. That said, I see no point in documenting every knife hand with every conceivable kata from which it could potentially have originated.
I am mostly interested in sequences of movement and significant commonalities, though my definition of "significant" will likely differ from yours. If the knife hand is followed by a specific strike or distinct step, then that is significant to me. Unique stepping patterns are significant to me. General flow of a pattern is significant to me. If a Chang Hon pattern contains multiple movements out of sequence that can all be found in the same Karate kata, that is significant to me. Simple block-punch combinations are typically unnoteworthy, unless found in the context of a pattern that already draws from one particular source.
As a rule, I try to comment on minor similarities with the acknowledgement that they are, in fact, minor and potentially coincidental. My hope is to provide more potential links so that others can judge their validity for themselves, rather than leave something untouched and miss potential connections. Similarly, my own wild speculation is (hopefully) labeled as such.
Other Korean Patterns
The Chang Hon patterns are what I currently practice. For years I trained in Kukkiwon Taekwondo and practiced their patterns, and I could likely recall the Taegeuks from memory if I tried. However, this project will not cover other patterns. The Chang Hon series is the oldest set of Korean patterns, and every successive set of patterns has intentionally removed their similarities to Karate. One would therefore expect to find much less within them that resembles Karate kata.
That being said, I recall finding distinct pieces of Keumgang, Taebaek, and other black belt Kukkiwon poomsae in Karate kata, so there are certainly links to be found. For now, I will leave this to someone else.