So, you read the other post on Taeguk Il Jang and are curious to know more. Look no further! Taeguk E Jang is a very basic, yet very important, form. It’s probably the one I teach the third most often to my students. Unfortunately, I don’t always get the time to explain to my students why they are learning this form. So, I’m writing a post specifically about that!
So, let’s learn about Taeguk E Jang!
The fundamentals
Probably one of the most fundamental things to know about Taeguk E Jang is technique. Taeguk E Jang is all about early combos. You’ll notice that it’s the first form to present the idea of pivoting and high punches. Both very important motions. Taeguk Il Jang taught you all about middle punches (It has you do it nine times, after all). Punches can also be moved to higher targets, like the head. Taeguk E Jang has students practice this. As you might have been taught in your self defense lessons, punching someone in the nose is an extremely effective form of self defense!
Key points
Taeguk E Jang has several key points that students should focus on. One of the big ones that I’ve noticed over the years is foot positioning. This form partially introduces students to stances and stance transitions. It is important that students know the difference between the walking stance and the front stance. Sometimes students think they can get away with blurring the lines by just widening their walking stance. Trust me, the instructors notice. We just might not address it that day.
combinations
Taeguk E Jang is about beginning to practice combinations of movements. Taeguk Il Jang introduced the student to the concept of poomse and the general motions of a form. This form builds on that. It introduces the student to more detail. The focus shifts to doing more than one motion at a time.
trigrams
You’ve probably also noticed that it has a similar pattern as Taeguk Il Jang. You walk in a similar pattern. If you look at a diagram it kinda looks like you’re drawing two “E”‘s that mirror each other. That’s a good observation. This symbol is a trigram. There are multiple trigrams, one for each form. All of them are represented with three lines. You can see four of them on the South Korean flag. You’ll notice some of those lines in the trigrams are split into two, while others are one solid line. Each trigram has variations of this. You’ll notice that there are eight different variations of these. The more you practice the forms, the more you’ll see how these forms are connected to their trigram. Kinda cool, right?
Symbolism in Taeguk E Jang
In some of the other posts, I talk about symbolism and the elements. Taeguk E Jang discusses some of that elemental symbolism. Specifically, it is affiliated with the trigram “Tae”. Tae symbolizes rivers, and internal power joined with external gentleness. That is how the form is supposed to be performed. The combinations in the form flow together, rather than be rigid and forceful.
That doesn’t make sense? Don’t worry, once you practice a few thousand times it will!
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This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. All martial arts techniques and exercises should be supervised by a trained martial arts instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. The information on these pages and videos is meant only to amuse, not replace, the instruction given at your martial arts classes. To properly understand these techniques, you need to learn them from a martial arts instructor who can provide you with an in-depth explanation of the technique, help correct your mistakes, answer your questions and detail how the technique should be utilized. In addition, all martial arts techniques and training should be used safely and responsibly.
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