PALGWE POOMSE

 

     The term "Palgwe" is translated as "Eight Powers of the Universe", and these eight Palgwe hyungs are based on these conceptual powers.  The term "hyung" is the Korean term for form. The term "kata" is actually a Japanese term for form.

     Following are the eight Palgwes and their meanings:

Palgwe Il Jang - Concept of Heaven (Keon)
It is symbolic of the beginnings of life, and it is the basic principal of this introductory hyung.

Palgwe Ee Jang - Concept of joyfulness (Tae)
It's movements are applied when the practitioner is in a gentle, yet strong state of mind.

Palgwe Sam Jang - Concept of fire (Ri)
It is symbolic of one's passion, flickering and flaring at different intervals, and engulfing everything in it's path. From this hyung the practitioner learns to develop a multitude of quick, successive techniques.

Palgwe Sa Jang - Concept of thunder (Jin)
Thunder evokes fear in many people, and this hyung uses this principal to teach the practitioner to be calm, even in the face of impending danger, this form also combines strikes and blocks in such a manner that they instantly follow each other, similar to the relationship of thunder and lightning.

Palgwe Oh Jang - Concept of wind (Seon)
Wind is an element of nature which can be gentle or destructive. This form teaches the student to combine and alternate gentleness with strength and speed.

Palgwe Yuk Jang - Concept of water (Gam)
Water is an element that never looses it's composure, and this leads to it's inherent strength. This hyung teaches the student that they can overcome any problems in life without sacrificing their state of being.

Palgwe Chil Jang - Concept of mountains (San)
Mountains are stable bodies, high and majestic in character, but with definite stopping places. This hyung is symbolic of a conservative approach to one's life ambitions and promote the practice of not living in a hasty manner.

Palgwe Pal Jang - Concept of earth (Gon)
This hyung is designed to summarize the seven previous hyung, as well as to introduce several new techniques. At this stage, the practitioner reviews all previous material before making the transition to the black belt level.

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