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Taekwondo Terminology


General Terms

kuk ki: flag
taekwondo: foot fist art (the Korean martial art we practice)
mun moo kwan: knowledge body gymnasium (name of our school)
kukkiwon: World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) headquarters in Seoul, Korea
 
ki hap: yell (transfer your internal energy to your weapon)
do bok: uniform
do jang gymnasium (TKD training hall)
kwan: school (a place where TKD is taught)
hyung: form
sang dan: high section
 
chung dan: middle section
ha dan: low section
dan: rank/degree (black belts only)
gup: rank (color belts, excluding black belts)









Commands


char yut: attention
kyung ye: bow
ba row: return (to previous position)




 
chun bi: ready
si ut: stand at ease
muk yum: meditation
di ro do rah:
stationary turn

 
ku man: return to ready
si chak: begin/start








Instructor Titles


kwanchangnim: Grandmaster. head of the kwan (8th - 10th dan)
 
sabumnim: Master Instructor (5th - 7th dan)
 
busabumnim: Assistant Master Instructor (3rd and 4th dan)
kyosanim: Instructor/teacher (1st and 2nd dan)


Korean Counting

In Korean there are two sets of numbers, one set to count things and events and one set to count money and lists of things. In Taekwondo we use both sets. The first set is used to count repetitions of exercises etc., and the second set is used to express the belt ranks etc.

Set 1

hana: one
dul: two
set: three
net: four
dasot: five
yasot: six
elgub: seven
yodol: eight
Ahob: nine
yol: ten
Set 2

el: first
e: second
sam: third
sa: fourth
o: fifth
yuk: sixth
chil: seventh
pul: eighth
koo: ninth
sib: tenth