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

charyut: attention
kyung ye: bow
ba row: return (to previous position)
chunbi: ready
siut: stand at ease
muk yum: meditation
di ro do rah:
stationary turn
kuman: 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