ITF Taekwon-Do terminology for growing students

Students aged seven to fifteen are ready to understand that Taekwon-Do terminology is more than a list of Korean words. It is the shared technical language of ITF Taekwon-Do. Good terminology helps students follow instructions, prepare for gradings, understand Tul, and communicate accurately in competition or seminars. It also shows respect for the art developed by General Choi Hong Hi.

At this stage, students should move from simply copying commands to recognising patterns in the words. They should know that Sogi refers to stance, Jirugi to punch, Makgi to block, Chagi to kick, and Tul to pattern. Once these basic categories are clear, longer names become easier. A technique name is not random; it usually tells you the stance, tool, height, direction, and type of movement.

Every student should know the commands used at the start, during, and end of class. Charyot means attention. Kyong-Ye means bow. Junbi means ready. Baro means return. Swiyo means at ease. Si Jak means start, Guman means stop, and Dasi means repeat. Kooryong-Macho means by count, while Kooryong-Opshi means in your own time. These commands should be practised with the same attention as physical movements, because they create order and safety in a busy class.

Students should also recognise respectful titles. Sa Bum is instructor, Bo Sa Bum is assistant instructor, Sa Hyun is master, and Sa Seong is grand master. Training areas include Tul for patterns, Matsogi for sparring, Hoo Sin Sool for self-defence, Gyok Pa for breaking, and Tukgi for special techniques. These words appear often in classes, gradings, and competitions.

In the ITF system, technique names normally follow a clear order: stance, tool, height, obverse or reverse, specification, and type. A full example is Gunnun Sogi Ap Joomuk Nopunde Baro Ap Jirugi, meaning walking stance forefist high obverse front punch. In practical naming, some default words may be omitted, giving Gunnun So Nopunde Jirugi, or walking stance high punch.

Students should notice two important habits. First, in a full technique name, Sogi often becomes So because only the final word usually ends with gi. Second, not every technique needs every part of the formula. For many punches, forefist, middle, obverse, and front are understood unless something different is stated. This is why learning the structure is more useful than memorising isolated phrases.

Sogi means stance. Important stances include Narani Sogi, parallel stance; Charyot Sogi, attention stance; Annun Sogi, sitting stance; Gunnun Sogi, walking stance; Niunja Sogi, L-stance; Gojung Sogi, fixed stance; Dwitbal Sogi, rear foot stance; and Kyocha Sogi, X-stance.

Some stances are symmetrical, such as parallel, attention, closed, and sitting stance. They do not have a left or right version in the same way. Other stances are asymmetrical. In even stances such as walking stance, the front leg normally determines left or right. In uneven stances such as L-stance or rear foot stance, the leg carrying most weight determines the side. This matters because Baro means obverse and Bandae means reverse, and these terms depend on the relationship between the stance and the active hand.

The tool is the body part used for the technique and sometimes its shape or orientation. Examples include Ap Joomuk, forefist; Dung Joomuk, back fist; Sonkal, knifehand; Bakat Palmok, outer forearm; An Palmok, inner forearm; Palkup, elbow; Apkumchi, ball of the foot; and Balkal, footsword.

Heights are Nopunde for high, Kaunde for middle, and Najunde for low. In general, high reaches eye level, middle reaches shoulder level, and low reaches the umbilicus level, measured at the moment of impact. Main technique types include Jirugi, punch; Taerigi, strike; Tulgi, thrust; Makgi, block; and Chagi, kick. These words help students decode a new technique before they even perform it. When a student sees a new movement in Tul, these categories give them a reliable checklist instead of a guess.

Teenage students should begin replacing casual martial arts names with ITF names. Say Dollyo Chagi, turning kick, instead of roundhouse kick. Say Golcho Chagi, hooking kick, instead of hook kick. Say Naeryo Chagi, downward kick, and Gokaeng-i Chagi, pick-shape kick, instead of mixing both into axe kick. Say Sonkal Dung, reverse knifehand, instead of ridge hand.

Another important correction is the word section. In ITF terminology, body sections are Nopun Bubun, Kaunde Bubun, and Najun Bubun. Technique height is different: Nopunde, Kaunde, and Najunde. Therefore, say high punch, middle punch, or low punch, not high section punch. Correct terminology is a habit. Practise by naming one movement from each Tul after class and checking the order: stance, tool, height, specification, and type.

The best way to learn terminology is to attach each word to a real movement from Tul. Choose one pattern movement each week and name only what is needed. For example, in a walking stance punch, identify Gunnun So, then the height, then Jirugi. In a knifehand side strike, identify the tool Sonkal, the height Kaunde, the direction Yop, and the type Taerigi.

Students can practise with a partner: one performs the movement slowly, the other names the stance, tool, height, and type. This develops observation as well as memory. It also helps students understand why official names are more useful than nicknames. A correct name gives technical information; a casual nickname often does not, especially when two movements look similar but use different tools or directions.