UNITED SCHOOLS OF MARTIAL ARTS
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* ESTABLISHED IN 1993 * USMA TAEKWON-DO IS A MARTIAL ARTS ORGANISATION BASED IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. WE ARE PROUDLY AFFILIATED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TAEKWON-DO FEDERATION (ITF UNION) AND PRACTICE THE TRADITIONAL ART OF TAEKWON-DO AS FOUNDED BY THE KOREAN GENERAL CHOI HONG HI.
Resources for students
Student Oath
Tenets of Taekwondo
Patterns/Tuls (YouTube clips) WHITE | YELLOW | GREEN | BLUE | RED | BLACK
Gradings
Student Oath
I shall observe the tenets of Taekwondo
I shall respect the Instructor and Seniors
I shall never misuse Taekwondo
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice
I shall build a more peaceful world
Tenets
Courtesy – Integrity – Perseverance–Self-control –Indomitable Spirit
Taekwondo Patterns/Tuls
WHITE BELT
CHON-JI
19 Movements
Means literally, "Heaven and Earth." It is, in the Orient, interpreted as the creation of the world or the beginning of human history. Therefore, it is the initial pattern performed by the beginner.
YELLOW BELT
DAN-GUN
21 Movements
Dan-Gun is named after the holy Dan-Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333BC.
D0-SAN
24 Movements
Do-San is the pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang-Ho (1876 –1938). The movements represent his entire life, which he dedicated to furthering the education of Korea and its independence movement.
GREEN BELT
WON-HYO
28 Movements
Won-Hyo was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686AD.
YUL-GOK
38 Movements
Yul-Gok is the pseudonym of the great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536 – 1584), nicknamed "Confucius of Korea". The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on the 38-degree latitude and the diagram of the movements represents scholar.
BLUE BELT
JOONG-GUN
32 Movements
Joong-Gun is named after the patriot Ahn Joong-Gun who assassinated Hiro-Bumi Ito, the first Japanese Goverenor General of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part of Korea-Japan merger. There are 32 movements in this pattern to represent Mr Ahn's age when he was executed at Lui-Shung prison in 1910.
TOI-GYE
37 Movements
Toi-Gye is the pen-name of the noted scholar Yi-Hwang (16th century AD), an authority of neo-Confuscianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on the 37-degree latitude. The diagram represents scholar.
RED BELT
HWA-RANG
29 Movements
Hwa-Rang is named after the Hwa-Rang youth group, which originated in the Silla Dynasty in the early 7th century. The 29 movements refer to the 29th Infantry Division, where Taekwondo developed into maturity.
CHOONG-MOO
30 Movements
Choong-moo was the given name to Admiral Yi Soon-Sin of the Lee Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armoured battleship (Kobukson) which was the precursor of the present-day submarine in 1592 AD. The reason why this pattern ends in a left-hand attack is to symbolise his regrettabl death having no chance to show his unrestrained potentiality checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the king.
BLACK BELT – 1ST DAN
KWANG-GAE
39 Movements
Kwang-Gae 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 this lost territory. The 39 movements refer to the first two figures of 391 AD, the year he came to the throne.
PO-EUN
36 Movements
Po-Eun is the pseudonym of the loyal subject and famous poet Chong Mong-Chu (1400), 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 the unerring loyalty to King and Country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.
GE-BAEK
36 Movements
Ge-Baek is named after General Ge-Baek of the Baek-Je Dynasty (660AD). The diagram represents his severe and strict military discipline.
Disclaimer: We have shared the above video links through our website as an educational resource for students of Taekwondo and the general public. We acknowledge that United Schools of Martial Arts Pty Ltd did not create and does not own these videos, which are available on YouTube through the channel, ITFtuls (https://www.youtube.com/user/ITFtuls/featured).
Gradings
What is a Grading?
A Grading is a test whereby an examinar judges a student's proficiency in their technical performance and theoretical knowledge. It is also an assessment of a student's character as a Taekwondo artist. Points are awarded and the student will be promoted accordingly if they satisfy the requirements of their grading syllabus.
Who is qualified to conduct a Grading?
Only 4th Degree Black Belts and above, who have completed the official ITF Instructors course, are qualified to test students who are grading.
Dan Classifications
1st- 3rd Degree – Assistant Instructor/ Boosabum (Novice)
4th- 6th Degree – International Instructor/ Sabum (Expert)
7th- 8th Degree – Master/ Sa- Hyun
9th Degree – Grand Master/ Sa- Seong
Grading preparations
Before deciding to undertake a Grading, a student should ensure that they know the Grading syllabus and can perform the neccessary requirements. If a student feels that they are not ready, or has problems executing some of the requirements, they should consult their instructor as to whether they should attempt the Grading.
Power breaking
From 6th Gup onwards, board breaking techniques are required for further promotion.