About Dave

Personal Information:

An avid Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks fan (to say the least)...Favorite sports player is Kevin Johnson, the fastest and best point guard in the NBA while he played and a classy guy off the court...Predicts the Suns will win that elusive championship next year...Winner of the 1999-2000 Ping Pong Tournament(Apprentice Division)...Black belt in Tae Kwon Do...But most important of all, also a Christian in faith.

KJ!

In my opinion, the best point guard in Phoenix Suns history and one of the best in NBA history.




An Inspirational Quote to follow:

"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

-Walter Bagehot

Ink Sketch

This is an ink drawing of me, sketched by Floyd Thompson III.




The Plaque




The Championship Ping Pong plaque




Making Arizona proud




Other Notes About This Website:

By far one of the best websites I've ever seen. -- Nicholas Doner

Has been officially classified by Lon Varscsak of Smart Practice as one of those "Useless" Web Pages that currently plague cyberspace...But has also won critical acclaim from Nicholas Doner, who hailed it as "by far one of the best websites I've ever seen".

Jerry Maloney From my Cornell days, here I am with my freshman roommate and good friend, Jerry Maloney, famous for his bald head, Robin Williams look-alike, watermelon soup, and a great sense of humor.

Three Friends Also from my Cornell days, a picture taken at a CBS(Chinese Bible Study) banquet. From left, me, Chris Rozendaal, and Jerome Walford.

418 Eddy Street You guessed it, from my undergrad days at Cornell. Here's a picture showing a few people I lived and hung out with. From left, me, David "Shaggy" Lee, Jin "The Barbarian" Lee, Frank "Ladies Man" Lee, and Young Kim.

The President Taken during Orientation for incoming students at Cornell, here I am with the current president of Cornell, Hunter Rawlings, and with Kristine Yee, a friend of mine.

Dr. Mal Practice, I presume? Also from Orientation, here I am with the rest of the cast from a murder mystery event we staged. I was Dr. Malcolm Practice, seen here trying to get that dang stethoscope out of my way.

Ravi Zacharias Sunny Kim (on left) and I went to hear Ravi Zacharias (center) speak at Cornell. He is an incredible speaker with a powerful message.

Paintball! Taken after final exams were over at Cornell, a group of us went over to a paintball course and took our aggressions out with our paintball rifles. If you've never gone paintballing before, you're really missing out.

Joel!!! Once again, this picture was taken at my graduation from Cornell. The guy on the right is Joel Wilken, my roommate over two years and a good friend as well. Ask him to say "water".

Bill Carroll Also at Cornell, here I am visiting Bill Carroll at his job. This took place during a visit to Cornell during the winter.

Geoff Wang This picture was also taken during my same trip back up to Cornell. The guy with me on the left is Geoff Wang, now working as an electrical engineer at Binghampton with IBM. He may be a Knicks fan, but he's really one cool dude.

Pianoman When I want to have some peace, I take solitude in my piano skills. Here you can see me performing at a very prestigious concert. (I wish!!! :) )

Pool About to play pool. My knack of sinking numerous junk shots which I didn't intend to hit, but turned out for the better has earned me the title of "King of Junk", which has led to a few wins and baffled opponents. From left, Michael Ho, myself, Jason Chu, and Mike "Trambo" Tramell. Personally, I think Trambo doesn't look good in a beard. What do you think?

China Buffet Dinner at China Buffet in New Haven. From left, myself, Yang "Yangster" Shen, Mike Tramell, Mike Ho, and Jason Chu. By the way, I still dislike the beard.

Cornell Bears! While you may think that this picture was taken at Cornell, it was actually at the Yale Bowl, where Cornell's football team beat Yale. I'm afraid I was the only Yalie who stuck to his true roots at Cornell. It is a great picture, though. Check out the fangs.

Sleeping Giant Park Mike and I visited Sleeping Giant Park in New Haven in fall 1996. Beautiful place at that time of year.

Praise Team For a year and a half, I volunteered along with two other students to play on the worship team in my local church, West Haven E.V. Free. The guitar player in front is Jeff Sullo, and the bass player in the upper right hand corner is Sean McClowry.

Newport Beach Here's a picture of me at Newport, Rhode Island during spring break in 1997. Unfortunately, this was the only picture to turn out in the film. The remaining 23 pictures were all pictures of some chemical compound called "Phil-Lastic".

Look what I built! One summer, I had way too much free time on my hands and decided to construct Dr. Babar, the cartoon elephant, with Legos. No, actually, I didn't build it, although I wish I did. This Lego statue can be seen in the lobby of Yale-New Haven hospital.

West Virginia In fall 1998, I arrived in West Virginia and immediately looked around at the famous nature sceneries that the state is famous for. Here is one example that demonstrates the state's reputation.

Cooper's Rock Here is a great picture of the overview of Cooper's Rock, located just outside of Morgantown, WV. The view is spectacular. I'm not doing anything exciting-just simply taking in the wonderful scenery.

ASPH Fellow Orientation A part of the ASPH fellowship program involved attending an All-Fellow Orientation in Atlanta, headquarters of the CDC. Shown standing with me are fellow fellows Peter Hunt(left) and Bryan Kim(center).

On Site Investigation Here I am having my first taste of what it is like to conduct a field investigation at a residential construction site. My mentor, David Fosbroke, is standing next to me in the picture.

My Office My small office in NIOSH. The red plush toy standing on top of my computer is none other than the dragon Mushu, now the guardian of my office.

Japanese Garden No, this was not taken somewhere in Japan or in Asia. This is actually one of the many gardens that make up the Huntington, a great cultural/educational center in San Marino, California.

Tanks at NIOSH? It looks like tanks have surrounded the new NIOSH building in the background. But while the tank looks like it is there to protect NIOSH from harm, it's really a historic monument of Morgantown. Yes, maybe only in Morgantown.

Representing NIOSH Representing NIOSH at the National Construction Safety Conference in Chicago, I manned the NIOSH booth briefly at the Safety Expo. Since my project at NIOSH involved construction industry injuries, this was a great experience.

More West Virginia Another shot of Wild, Wonderful, West Virginia.

DCCM at Hawk's Nest State Park This shows a few DCCM (well, all but one) members at Hawk's Nest in June 1999, during a tour of West Virginia.

1998 ASPH Fellows This shows the 1998 ASPH Fellows during the Fellows Orientation in the CDC headquarters in Atlanta. I am one of two fellows located in Morgantown, West Virginia.

College Worship Sunday at Drummond This photo shows the Drummond Chapel College Ministry group that participated in College Worship Sunday. I was the piano player once more.

Cherry Blossoms I got the opportunity to visit the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. during the peak of the cherry blossom season. The flowers look so much better in person. At the time of my visit, two rampant beavers were chopping down the cherry trees, so it was great that some were still left standing.

College Group at Drummond Chapel From left, Steve Brown, Nicholas Doner, Lane Hively, me, and Greg Romine, all part of the College Group at Drummond Chapel. You can tell it's Valentine's Day at Drummond Chapel, since Steve is wearing a heart, I'm wearing all black, and Greg has an "Oscar the Grouch" tie on.

TNT at Drummond Here I am with Kristin Smekal and "Officer" Art Magabo during a TNT (Thursday Night Thing) meeting at Drummond Chapel. TNT is Drummond's College Ministry.

Statue of Buddha At first glance most people would not recognize this stone statue as one of Buddha, but it actually is. This was one of many statues that I saw while touring in Korea.

World's Largest Buddhist Temple While touring in Korea, I got to see the world's largest Buddhist temple. To me, the temple looks much better at a distance than closeup because of the colorful paint designs on the buildings. Inside you can also see a huge golden statue of Buddha.

Ancient Palace This shows the heart of the ancient palace of the Korean dynasties, known as "The Secret Garden". The size of the whole palace and its related buildings is really huge, covering vast amounts of land.

The Blue House The building with the blue colored roof in the back of the picture is known as the Blue House, which is Korea's equivalent of the U.S. White House. Yes, the president lives there under very heavy security. This was the only area of the house where photography was allowed.

The Light Side Here is a nice scene of Ron Yap, Yang Shen, and Jason Chu enjoying a pleasant time with the telephone. A wacky version of these same guys can be found for your enjoyment elsewhere in this site.

WV State Senate During my tour of West Virginia, I got to go into the capital building in Charleston and give a speech to the delegates of the senate. Okay, I really didn't, but I'd like to think I did.

Famous Mill in West Virginia This is the Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park, one of the more famous tourist sites to see in West Virginia.

Family Day Skit On Family Day at the University of Arizona, the first-year class gave several humorous skits about our classes. Here I am playing the role of a sadistic anatomy professor, who judges the cadaver to be okay by sampling it (it was spaghetti).

Picture Booth Photo Picture taken at a local photo booth, showing Oscar Ho, myself, and Albert Chi.

Halloween Party A group of first-year med students at the Halloween party.

Pong or Perish Albert Chi is being backed into the wall during a ping pong match at the med school.

Lon and Mike Lon Varscsak and Mike Dym during a visit to the undergrad campus of the University of Arizona.

CMS at METS Several CMS(Christian Medical Society) members at the METS(Medical Evangelism Training and Strategies) conference, in the mountains of Forest Falls, California.

Mountains at METS Just me posing for a great picture high in the mountains where the METS conference took place.

Wooden Cross at METS Robbie T, John Kearney, and myself in front of a large wooden cross at the METS conference.

Dinner at Oscar's Dinner at Oscar's home.

Slamming Robbie T Robbie T has a look of horror on his face shortly before I slam the ping pong ball down for a point.

At the D-Backs Game From left, Mike Blevins, myself, and Greg Romine at the Bank One Ballpark shortly before the start of a Diamondbacks game.

Vacation in Hawaii This is me at the eastern coastline of Oahu island while vacationing in Hawaii during the summer of 2000.

Campfire Songs At the 2000 CMS Fall Retreat, we sang lots of songs near a campfire. From left, Ty Pickrell, myself, Peter Baker, Jon Stucki, and Ben Martel.

U of A This is a group picture at METS of the people from "U of A" (both Arizona and Alberta)

The Lighthouse Project The Lighthouse project was the code name of our floating sign project at METS in 2001. The sign can be seen behind our group, floating in the pond.

Surgery Two photos taken with a laparoscopic camera shortly after an operation.

Rawhide Just me posing with one of them dreaded Rangers boys at Rawhide in Arizona.

Mike and Teresa's reception Photo taken at Mike's wedding reception.

The Wedding of Mike Tramell Mike Tramell finally gets married! May 21, 2005

2006 ACP Annual Scientific Session Several of us residents from Good Sam at the 2006 ACP Annual Scientific Session.

2006 ACP Poster Presentation Presenting another poster case report (but this time with much cooler looking background) at the 2006 ACP Annual Scientific Session.

Karaoke at the Grapevine Karaoke at the Grapevine, singing a bad rendition of "Baby Got Back" with Joel McCreary and Joy Wenger.

2008 Heme-Onc Group Photo The official 2007-2008 Hematology-Oncology group picture at UTHSCSA.

First-Year Heme-Onc Fellows Not the best picture, but one showing all four of us first-year heme-onc fellows.

"Yes, evil comes in many forms, whether it be a man-eating cow or Joseph Stalin, but you can't let the package hide the pudding! Evil is just plain bad! You don't cotton to it. You gotta smack it in the nose with the rolled-up newspaper of goodness! Bad dog! Bad dog!"

- The TICK

"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

-Walter Bagehot

"The capacity to care is what gives life its most deepest significance."

-Pablo Casals

"The secret of man's being is not only to live, but to have something to live for."

-Dostoyevsky

"It is much more important to know what sort of patient has a disease than what sort of disease a patient has."

-Sir William Osler

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which have been overcome while trying to succeed."

-Booker T. Washington

"The wise man is weakest when he thinks he is strong."

-Sphinx (from the movie "Mystery Men")

"You must be like the wolfpack- not like the 6-pack."

-Sphinx (from "Mystery Men")

"To learn my teachings, I must first teach you how to learn."

-Sphinx ("Mystery Men")

"No- the fist, the knee, the elbow, the head- you must lash out with every limb, like the octopus that plays the drums."

-The Sphinx

"When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you will head off your foes with a balanced attack."

-Sphinx

"This team must learn to work together or mark my words, it will be torn apart."

-Sphinx

"He who questions training, only trains himself at asking questions."

-Sphinx

"For when you care about what is outside, what is inside cares for you."

-Sphinx

"Patience my son! To summon your power for the conflict to come, you must first have power over that which conflicts you."

-Sphinx

"Until you learn to master your rage, your rage will become your master."

-Sphinx

"The loss of manpower can be replaced with the addition of firepower."

-Sphinx

"Temperature rising...vision blurring...rage taking over...Rage subsiding...pulse slowing...anger fading."

-Mr. Furious

"I'm unpredictable, I'm a loose cannon, I'm a ticking time bomb of fury."

-Mr. Furious

"When you doubt your powers, you give power to your doubts."

-Sphinx

"The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory."

-Cicero

"To understand a man, you should walk a mile in his shoes. If he's still bothered by what you say, it's okay, because you will be a mile away and you will have his shoes."

-Steven Wright

"If you don't know history, you don't know anything."

-Edward Johnston, 1990

"You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your tricks of war."

-Napolean Bonaparte

"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."

-Napolean Bonaparte

"History is a set of lies agreed upon."

-Napolean Bonaparte

"Doctors will have more lives to answer for in the next world than even we generals."

-Napolean Bonaparte

"All warfare is based on deception."

-Sun Tzu

"Therefore, when capable, feign incapacity; when active, inactivity."

-Sun Tzu

"Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance."

-Sun Tzu

"He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious."

-Sun Tzu

"Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril."

-Sun Tzu

"When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal."

-Sun Tzu

"If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril."

-Sun Tzu

"Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate."

-Sun Tzu

"If quick-tempered you can make a fool of him."

-Sun Tzu

"If he has too delicate a sense of honor you can calumniate him."

-Sun Tzu

"If he is of a compassionate nature you can harass him."

-Sun Tzu

"For those who know me, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, none is necessary."

-Joe Garagiola Sr.

"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

-Stephen Grellet

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."

-Scott Adams

"Eschew obfuscation..."

-Unknown

"A man rejects God neither because of intellectual demands nor because of the scarcity of evidence. A man rejects God because of a moral resistance that refuses to admit his need for God."

-Ravi Zacharias

"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live, taking the form of readiness to die."

-G.K. Chesterton

"The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenge."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Like a thousand generals on a thousand battlefields before me, I await the dawn."

-Captain Jean-Luc Picard

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

-Edmund Burke

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

-Abraham Lincoln

"The desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature which distinguishes man from animals."

-Sir William Osler

"To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill."

-Sun Tzu

"You can prevent your opponent from defeating you through defense, but you cannot defeat him without taking the offensive."

-Sun Tzu

"Securing ourselves against defeat lies within our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy lies within the enemy himself."

-Sun Tzu

"Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price."

-Sun Tzu

"I have a high art, I hurt with cruelty those who would damage me."

-Archilocus, 650 B.C.

"If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in."

-Sun Tzu

"When facing multiple opponents, you must attack first and keep attacking until the danger subdues."

-Miyomo Musashi, from The Book of Five Rings

"A small injustice can be drowned by a cup of wine; a great injustice can be drowned only by the sword."

-Unknown

"If one really wishes to be master of an art, technical knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an 'artless art' growing out of the Unconscious."

-Daisetsu Suzuki

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step."

-Lao Tsu

"Always in history
Those who loved fighting were destroyed.
But those who were not able to fight were also destroyed.
Strength and virtue alone,
Such alone lasts,
And can lead others aright"

-Hakins Song of Meditation

"Things work out best for the people who make the best out of the way things work out."

-Unknown

"I'd rather be lucky than good."

-Lefty Gomez

"Play the right way."

-Larry Brown

"It is what we think we know already that often prevents us from learning."

-Claude Bernard

"Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she had laid an asteroid."

-Mark Twain

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity."

-Louis Pasteur

"I am a slow walker, but I never walk back."

-Abraham Lincoln

"Faith moves mountains, but you have to keep pushing while you are praying."

-Mason Cooley

"The trouble with specialists is that they tend to think in grooves."

-Elaine Morgan

"The final state of any discipline is where you forget what you have learned, discard your mind, and accomplish whatever you set out to do without being aware of it yourself. You begin by learning and reach the point where learning does not exist."

-from The Sword & the Mind

"With self-discipline most anything is possible."

-Theodore Roosevelt

"I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity"

-John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

"Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater."

-William Hazlitt

"Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom."

-George Smith Patton, Jr.

"I learned much from my teachers, more from my books, and most from my mistakes."

-Anonymous

"Failure to prepare is preparing to fail."

-Benjamin Franklin

"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever."

-Lance Armstrong

"Hard work, sacrifice, and focus will never show up in tests."

-Lance Armstrong

"Penetrating so many secrets, we cease to believe in the unknowable. But there it is, nevertheless, calmly licking its chops."

-H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)

"I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."

-Hoban 'Wash' Washburn

"The physiological effects of tiredness are well-known. You can turn a smart person into an idiot just by overworking him."

-Professor Peter Capelli of Wharton

"I aim to misbehave."

-Captain Malcolm Reynolds

"If you can't do something smart, do something right."

-Shepherd Book

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice; it's not something that is given to you, it's something you earn."

-William Jennings Bryan quote paraphrased by Coach Jim Larranaga

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat."

-Theodore Roosevelt

"Asking a question is only embarrassing just for that moment. Not asking is embarrassing and it will haunt you for the rest of your life."

-Japanese Proverb

"The kind of person I would follow; it's like there is a stick down through the centre of them that's rooted in the ground. I can tell when someone has that. When they're not defensive, not egotistical. They're open-minded, able to joke and laugh at themselves. They can take a volatile situation and stay focused. They bring out the best in me by making me want to handle myself in the same way. I want to be part of their world. When someone comes into the room with those attributes, it makes everyone in the room feel like we're all contributing."

-Jean Kvasnica

"There comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet

"This too shall pass. Just like a kidney stone."

-Hunter Madsen

"Some fights must be fought whether you believe you can win them or not."

-Finis Valorum

"People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care."

-John Maxwell

"Justice which does not bear a sword beside its scales soon falls into ridicule."

-Charles de Gaulle

"He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so."

-Walter Lippmann

"I asked for strength that I might achieve
God made me weak that I might obey

I asked for health that I might do great things
He gave me grace that I might do better things

I asked for riches that I might be happy
He gave me poverty that I might be wise

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men
He gave me weakness that I might feel a need for God

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life
He gave me life that I might enjoy all things

I received nothing I had asked for
He gave all that I had hoped for"

-Anonymous

Black Belt Test Gallery Black Belt Photo Gallery

My Journey in Tae Kwon Do

In the summer of 1992, I began my quest to achieve that which I have always wished for: to achieve the rank of 1st Dan, commonly called the Black Belt. However, when I started attending Cornell, I discovered there were actually two major schools of thought and training in TKD, and Cornell followed the WTF, or World Tae Kwon Do Federation, while my school at home, Arizona Tae Kwon Do, followed the WTF and the ITF, or International Tae Kwon Do Federation. Since the two schools were incompatible with each other, I wound up with two different ranks for the two different schools, although I really don't know if either belt would be accepted at any other school, even within the same federation. I had a blue belt (5th Gup) at Arizona and a black stripe (2nd Gup) at Cornell.

I did not give up, though. On May 29, 2003, I began training in an ITF school (Desert Taekwondo) again. And finally, on Saturday, March 6, 2004, I successfully tested for my black belt. I officially received the rank of 1st Dan at an award ceremony on March 15. The journey that wound up taking twelve years was finally over. However, with the rank of black belt comes added responsibility, and in many ways another journey has begun, one that will last for a lifetime. Remembering back when I had great difficulty finding websites that adequately described the TKD forms, or poomses as they are called (both ITF and WTF), I have created this website to provide these for your continuing knowledge and instruction! Below are descriptions of both the basic meaning and background of Tae Kwon Do, as well as how to do the forms. I have also provided a suggestion box on the bottom of this page for your convenience. In reality Tae Kwon Do is a small thing, no more or less important than anything else really. But as with any other endeavor in life, should you decide to fully accept integrity, honesty, and generosity into your Tae Kwon Do training, not to mention your life, then what you will really create is an enriched life where you not only better yourself, but serve for the betterment of others. This may only be a website, but if it should help you in some small way in your own personal journey, as it has in mine, then it will have served its purpose. I certainly hope this site helps in your Tae Kwon Do training...

About Tae Kwon Do*

Tae Kwon Do means "art of hand and foot fighting." It is a martial art that has no equal in either power or technique. Tae Kwon Do stresses the importance of harmony and balance between the mental and physical. By doing this, one can have a stable and balanced system. Then one can learn how the mind and body become the weapons of Tae Kwon Do.

Tae Kwon Do offers an individual...*

• Self-defense                                       

• Self-confidence

• Self-discipline

• Coordination

• Physical and Mental Conditioning

• Weight Control

• Muscle Toning

• Posture Improvement

• An opportunity to make new friends

Tenets of Tae Kwon Do*

• Courtesy

• Integrity

• Perseverance                        

• Self-Control

• Indomitable Spirit

What do the colored belts signify?

WHITE- Signifies innocence, as that of a beginning student who has no knowledge of Tae Kwon Do.
YELLOW- Signifies earth, from which a plant sprouts and takes root as Tae Kwon Do's foundation is being laid.
ORANGE- Signifies a maturing plant.
GREEN- Signifies the plant's growth as the Tae Kwon Do skills develop.
BLUE- Signifies the heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering tree as training in Tae Kwon Do progresses.
BROWN/RED- Signifies danger, cautioning the student to exercise control, and warning the opponent to stay away.
BLACK- Opposite of white, therefore, signifying the maturity and proficiency in Tae Kwon Do. Also indicates the wearer's imperviousness to darkness and fear.

Belt colors vary depending on school.

Meaning of the Hyungs, or Poomses, or Forms

International Tae Kwon Do Federation Forms*

CHON-JI- (19 movements, 9th Gup) means literally "Heaven and Earth", and is in the Orient, interpreted as the creation of the world and the beginning of human history. Therefore, it is the initial pattern learned by the beginner. The pattern consists of two parts-one to represent heaven, the other, the earth.

DAN-GUN- (21 movements, 8th Gup) is named after the Holy Dan-Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C.

DO-SAN- (24 movements, 7th Gup) is the pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang Ho (1876-1938) who devoted his life to furthering the eduation of Korea and its independence movement.

WON-HYO- (28 movements, 6th Gup) was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 A.D.

YUL-GOK- (38 movements, 5th Gup) is the pseudonym of the great philosopher Yi (1536-1584 A.D.) nicknamed the "Confucious of Korea". The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on the 38th parallel and the diagram (+) represents scholar.

CHUNG-GUN- (32 movements, 4th Gup) is 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 Korea-Japan merger. The thirty-two movements in this pattern represent Mr. An's age when he was executed at Lui-Shung prison in 1910.

TOI-GYE- (37 movements, 3rd Gup) is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century A.D.), an authority on Neo-confucianism. The 37 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on the 37th parallel, and the diagram (+) means scholar.

HWA-RANG- (29 movements, 2nd Gup) is named after the Hwa Rang Do youth group which originated in the Silla Dynasty around 620 A.D. This group eventually became the driving force in the unification of the three kingdoms of Korea (Silla, Koguryo, and Baek Je).

CHUNG-MU- (30 movements, 1st Gup) was the name given to the great Admiral Yi Sun Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored battleship (kobukson) which was the precursor of the present day submarine in 1592 A.D. The reason why this pattern ends up with a left hand attack is to symbolize his regrettable death, having no chance to show his unrestrained potentiality checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the king.

KWANG-GAE- (39 movements, 1st Dan) is named after the famous Kwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, the 19th King of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost territories, including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram (+) represents the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 moves refer to the first two figures of 391 A.D., the year he came to the throne.

PO-EUN- (36 movements, 1st Dan) is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong Mong-Chu (1400 A.D.), who was a famous poet and whose poem "I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred times" is known to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of physics. The diagram (-) represents his unerring loyalty to the king and country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.

GAE-BAEK- (44 movements, 1st Dan) is named after Gae-Baek, a great general in the Baek Je Dynasty (660 A.D.). The diagram (l) represents his indomitable spirit, displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity of his nation.

EUI-AM- (45 movements, 2nd Dan) is the pseudonym of Son Byong Hi, leader of the Korean Independence Movement on March 1, 1919. The 45 movements refer to his age when he changed the name of Dong Hak (Oriental Culture) to Chondo Kyo (Heavenly Way Religion) in 1905. The diagram for this pattern represents his indomitable spirit, which he displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity of his nation.

CHUNG-JANG- (52 movements, 2nd Dan) is the pseudonym of General Kim Duk Ryang of the Yi Dynasty who lived during the 15th century. The pattern ends with a left hand attack, intended to symbolize the General's death in prison at the age of just 27.

KO-DAN **- (39 movements, 2nd Dan) is the pseudonym of the patriot Cho Man Sik who dedicated his life to the Korean Independence Movement and the education of the Korean people. The pattern's 39 movements signify his periods of imprisonment and his birthplace on the 39th parallel.

JUCHE **- (45 movements, 2nd Dan) is a philosophical idea that man is the master of everything and decides everything. In other words, the idea that man is the master of the world and his own destiny. It is said that this idea was rooted in Baekdu Mountain which symbolizes the spirit of the Korean people. The diagram for this pattern represents Baekdu Mountain.

SAM-IL- (33 movements, 3rd Dan) denotes the historical date of the Independence Movement of Korea which began throughout the country on March 1, 1919. The 33 movements in the pattern stand for the 33 patriots who planned the movement.

YU-SHIN- (68 movements, 3rd Dan) is named after General Kim Yu-Shin, a commanding general during the Silla Dynasty. The 68 movements refer to the last two figures of 668 A.D., the year Korea was united. The ready posture signifies a sword drawn on the right rather than left side. This symbolizing Yu-Shin's mistake of following his king's orders to fight with foreign forces against his own nation.

CHOI-YONG- (46 movements, 3rd Dan) is named after General Choi Yong, Premier and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces during the Koryo Dynasty in the 14th century. Choi Yong was greatly respected for his loyalty, patriotism, and humility. He was executed by his subordinate commanders headed by General Yi Sung Gae. General Yi later became the first king of the Yi Dynasty.

YON-GAE- (49 movements, 4th Dan) is named after a famous general during the Koguryo Dynasty, Yon Gae Somoon. The 49 movements refer to the last two figures of 649 A.D., the year he forced the Tang Dynasty to quit its invasion of Korea after destroying nearly 300,000 of their troops at Ansi Sung.

UL-GI- (42 movements, 4th Dan) is named after General Ul-Gi Moon Dok who successfully defended Korea against a Tang invasion force of nearly one million soldiers led by Yang Je in 612 A.D.. General Ul-Gi employed hit-and-run guerilla tactics and was able to decimate a large percentage of the invasion force. The diagram for this pattern represents his surname. The 42 movements represent General Choi Hong Hi's age when he designed the pattern.

MOON-MOO- (61 movements, 4th Dan) honors the 30th king of the Silla Dynasty. His body was buried near Dae Wang Am (Great King's Rock). According to his will, the body was placed in the sea "Where my soul shall forever defend my land against the Japanese." It is said that the Sok Gul Am (Stone Cave) was built to guard his tomb. The Sok Gul Am is a fine example of the culture of the Silla Dynasty. The 61 movements symbolize the last two figures of 661 A.D. when Moon Moo came to the throne.

SO-SAN- (72 movements, 5th Dan) is the pseudonym of the great monk Choi Hyong Ung (1520-1604) during the Yi Dynasty. The 72 movements refer to his age when he organized a corps of monk soldiers with the assistance of his pupil Sa Myung Dang. The monk soldiers helped repulse the Japanese pirates who overran most of the Korean peninsula in 1592.

SE-JONG- (24 movements, 5th Dan) is named after the greatest Korean king, Se-Jong, who invented the Korean alphabet in 1443, and was also a noted meteorologist. The diagram for this pattern represents the king, while the 24 movements refer to the 24 letters of the Korean alphabet.

TONG-IL- (56 movements, 6th Dan) denotes the resolution of the unification of Korea which has been divided since 1945. The diagram for this pattern symbolizes the homogenous race.

Palgwe

Palgwe is descriptive of a world made up of elements which are both conflicting and harmonious, i.e. sky and earth, light and dark, man and woman, and good and evil. These elements meet and depart from one another according to the rules of nature, thus everlastingly growing and developing.

	Number of movements	Level of Form	Trigram Symbol of Form
Palgwe 1	20	8th Gup	Heaven
Palgwe 2	20	7th Gup	Lake
Palgwe 3	22	6th Gup	Fire
Palgwe 4	24	5th Gup	Thunder
Palgwe 5	35	4th Gup	Wind
Palgwe 6	19	3rd Gup	Water
Palgwe 7	23	2nd Gup	Mountain
Palgwe 8	35	1st Gup	Earth

Tae Guk

This is the basic poomse in World Tae Kwon Do Federation Poomse. Literally translated, "Tae" means "bigness", while "Guk" means "eternity", and it represents the essence of Cosmos. Having no ending and no beginning, Tae Guk represents the Asian philosophical views on the world, and a way of life. The principle Asian philosophy can be found in the Joo Yeok, the Book of Changes. All movements are represented by eight symbols, or Palgwe. Eight major branches of philosophical theories stems from Tae Guk, and the Tae Guk Poomses are derived from these principle theories.

	Number of movements	Level of Form	Trigram Symbol of Form
Tae Guk Il Chang	18	8th Gup	Heaven
Tae Guk E Chang	18	7th Gup	Lake
Tae Guk Sam Chang	20	6th Gup	Fire
Tae Guk Sa Chang	20	5th Gup	Thunder
Tae Guk Oh Chang	20	4th Gup	Wind
Tae Guk Yuk Chang	19	3rd Gup	Water
Tae Guk Chil Chang	25	2nd Gup	Mountain
Tae Guk Pal Chang	27	1st Gup	Earth

WTF Black Belt Forms

KORYO- (30 movements, 2nd Dan) is the name of an ancient Korean dynasty (935-1392A.D.) and the derivation of the English word "Korea". The form's linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "scholar". The form's movements are said to reflect the spirit of a learned man imbued with a strong, unyielding spirit.

KUM GANG- (27 movements, 3rd Dan) means "diamond", used widely in Buddhism to symbolize the eternal and indestructible nature of Buddhist truth. It is also the name of a spectacular mountain range in North Korea. The form's linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "mountain". The form's movements are said to reflect solidarity, stability, and power.

TAE BACK- (26 movements, 4th Dan) means "Great White", the ancient name for a legendary sacred mountain, which Korean folk legends cite as the origin of the Korean race. Although the specific mountain in question has never been agreed upon, the idea remains a symbol of the underlying spirit of the Korean people. The form's linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "construction", which symbolizes a bridge between heaven and earth, signifying human beings building a world according to heaven's laws.

PYUNG WON- (21 movements, 5th Dan) means "vast plain", a metaphor for a vast, endless, flat land that is the source of all life, and the plain upon which human beings live out their lives. The form's pattern is based on the Chinese character for "one".

SIP JIN- (28 movements, 5th and 6th Dan) means "ten progressing", a metaphor for endless growth in a systematic order. The concept is derived from ancient East Asian cosmology, which cites ten entities of long life: sun, moon, mountain, water, stone, pine tree, herb of eternal youth, tortoise, deer, and crane- all of which provide human beings with hope, faith, and love. The form is said to symbolize these ideas. Its linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "ten".

JI TAE- (28 movements, 6th and 7th Dan) means "earth", a metaphor for the notion that all life begins and ends on the earth. The form's linear pattern is based on the Korean character for the vowel "o" (a horizontal line, with a vertical line rising from its middle). This is said to be symbolic of a human being standing firmly on the ground, surveying heaven and earth. This form is said to represent the various struggles that define a human being's existence.

CHUNG KWON- (26 movements, 7th Dan) means "heaven's power" or "heaven's authority", a metaphor for the ancient notion that heaven rules the universe and all human existence. The form's linear pattern is based on the Korean character for the vowel "u" (a horizontal line, with a vertical line descending from its middle). This is said to be symbolic of a human being descending from heaven endowed with its power and living in harmony according to its laws. This form is said to represent both reverence and vitality, as typified in some of its arm motions.

SILLA HANSOO- (27 movements, 8th Dan) means "source water", a metaphor for the idea that water is a vital substance which nurtures and sustains all creatures. The form's linear pattern is based on the Chinese character for "water". This form is said to represent fluidity, flexibility, and adaptability, qualities that define various aspects of water as it exists in nature.

IL YEO- (23 movements, 9th Dan) means "oneness", a metaphor for the unification of body, mind, and spirit, a fundamental principle underlying the practice of Tae Kwon Do. The form's linear pattern is based on the Buddhist swastika symbol, signifying the state in which all aspects of human existence became one.

How to do the Forms

The titles of each form on each form webpage are color coded to match the form with the belt rank. To earn a particular belt color, you must learn that form. To see a detailed diagram of the particular ITF Hyung(form), click on the adjacent "Diagram" link. Each numbered step shown in the diagram matches the corresponding numbered step described in the written description of the form. Please note that there may be a couple minor variations/discrepancies between what is shown in the diagram versus what is described in the written descriptions of the forms. In this case, follow what is written in the descriptions rather than the diagram as the ultimate authoritative source. Please understand that the purpose of these form descriptions are for helping to refresh your memory of the forms rather than a replacement for actual instruction. There is no substitute for real instruction, which goes beyond knowing how the steps of the forms proceed.All diagrams copyright KMAI/Master P. Curell.

ITF Hyungs (Forms)

Chon-Ji (Diagram)
Dan-Gun (Diagram)
Do-San (Diagram)
Won-Hyo (Diagram)
Yul-Guk (Diagram)
Chung-Gun (Diagram)
Toi-Gye (Diagram)
Hwa-Rang (Diagram)
Chung-Mu (Diagram)
Kwang-Gae (Diagram)
Po-Eun
Gae-Baek
Eui-Am
Chung-Jang
Ko-Dan/Juche**
Sam-Il
Yu-Shin
Choi-Yong
Yon-Gae
Ul-Gi
Moon-Moo
So-San
Se-Jong
Tong-Il

WTF Forms

Palgwe Forms

Palgwe One
Palgwe Two
Palgwe Three
Palgwe Four
Palgwe Five
Palgwe Six
Palgwe Seven
Palgwe Eight

Tae Guk Forms#

Tae Guk Il Chang
Tae Guk E Chang
Tae Guk Sam Chang
Tae Guk Sa Chang
Tae Guk Oh Chang
Tae Guk Yuk Chang
Tae Guk Chil Chang
Tae Guk Pal Chang

WTF Black Belt level Forms

Koryo
Kum Gang
Tae Back
Pyung Won
Sip Jin
Ji Tae
Chung Kwon
Silla Hansoo
Il Yeo

*- Taken from Arizona Tae Kwon Do

#- Taken from Cornell Tae Kwon Do

**- In 1983, General Choi Hong Hi replaced Ko-Dan with Juche, which was named after the isolationist policy of "self-reliance" advocated by North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. General Choi had introduced Tae Kwon Do to North Korea in 1980, and replaced Ko-Dan with Juche in an attempt of reconciliation with North Korea. South Korea viewed the change as treasonous, and many ITF schools still have not embraced the change due to its origins.

Videos of ITF forms

The Tae Kwon Do Forum

Given the increasing amount of email I receive about Tae Kwon Do related matters, I have installed a forum for your use. There are many questions that I may not be able to answer, but maybe someone else out there does. Hopefully this forum will allow the everyone to exchange ideas/suggestions/tips for furthering their knowledge and resources for Tae Kwon Do. Feel free to post any questions/messages/tips to help your fellow Tae Kwon Do artists learn from each other.

The information contained in this website is only presented as a reference to refresh your memory of Tae Kwon Do. The information is not intended to serve as a substitute for actual instruction and training, which I personally would not recommend, as there is a huge difference between learning from pictures and text versus actually having personal instruction in the techniques and procedures of Tae Kwon Do. All information and techniques are to be used at the reader's discretion. While every precaution has been taken in preparation of this website, neither the webmaster nor the server this website is on shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to injury, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the contents contained in this website or by the procedures or processes described within. There is no guarantee that the techniques described or shown in this website will be safe or effective in any self-defense or sport situation, or otherwise. You may be injured if you apply or train in the techniques described in this website. Consult a physician regarding whether to attempt any technique described in this website. All information and techniques presented in this website are derived from the webmaster's research and personal experiences. He alone has determined what should be included and how it should be organized and presented, and he is solely responsible for any errors or omissions described.

Thanks to:
Arizona Tae Kwon Do
Cornell Tae Kwon Do
Worcester Taekwondo Academy
Desert Taekwondo