Tae Geuk Yuk Jang

or is that Tae Guk Yook Jang? It's all phonetic anyway and there doesn't seem to be a standard.

You can watch the video here if you like.

I've tried to capture all the steps for this form here. It's a published google page that I hope you can access. Leave a comment if you can't. There are differences in the video from my instructions. Specifically, the 4 counts on steps 5 and 12 and the raising up on the heels on step 11. I need to remember to ask the instructor next time I'm in about the difference. However, I have to keep reminding myself that this is an art and not a science.

We started the new form before our last competition. The beginning is similar to Oh Jang so I was hoping I wouldn't get them mixed up when I competed.

Each Taegeuk form represents a "trigram of the unity" (think the unity of yin and yang which is called taichi in Chinese). I seriously don't understand what that really means. Looks like I have a homework assignment. However, you practice these forms to master the techniques of Taekwondo.

Since the competition, we've been doing the next form for the bulk of the class. I never realized how tired you could get just doing the form over and over and over again. Part of my "instruction" has been to execute my forms with more "power". I have a tendency to execute the forms with a bit of "flowing" to them instead of the "snap" that I see in most videos. I'm going to have to concentrate on this aspect as I learn the next form. Maybe that is what I need to get the next level in the competition.