Dr. Richard Chun Ph.D.Taekwondo Black Belt Poomsae: Original Koryo and Koryo

As a student and instructor of Chosun Taekwondo Academy I have had the privilege of learning Original Koryo and Koryo directly from Master Cook. His demand for precise technique and proper sequencing as taught to him by Grand Master Chun is revealed in the book. The format of the book, first, providing a brief informative history and the influence that Korean history had on Koryo is a welcome bonus in understanding the poomsae. The technical elements section provides detailed explanations with photos of each technique providing student and instructor with valuable information. The poomsae section with footwork diagrams and photos provide excellent instruction to learn from the book, or even better provide a review mechanism in addition to your master’s instruction. Ending with the combat applications the reader will understand the purpose of each sequence. From an instructor’s point of view, the table of contents listing each technique and movement is valuable as a quick reference, including an extensive glossary; this book is a must for instructors and black belt students.Kamsahamnida, Grand Master Chun and Master Cook for resurrecting and preserving Original Koryo and for promoting and maintaining traditional Taekwondo.

Once I saw the this book was coming out I was excited to see the material! Most Taekwondo practitioners only know of one "Koryo". Some arts refer to the "Original Koryo" as "Koryo 1" and "Koryo 2" for the newer generation. I was not disappointed when I received my book "Taekwondo Black Belt Poomsae: Original Koryo and Koryo ", a great illustration of photos, form application and history of the poomsae. As head of a martial art organization here in Texas and a Sr. Master with United States Taekwondo Association under Grandmaster Chun I have implemented the form "Original Koryo in to our program for upper ranks. Our black belts of Pratt's Karate Club had a blast working on the applications featured in the book as well as develop of our own from the form. I very much enjoyed the entire book and appreciate the hard work, dedication and research by Grandmaster Richard Chun and Master Cook to preserve the art of Taekwondo. As a martial artist this is a wonderful addition to martial art library.Thank youJason Pratt of PKC KARATE

This book is excellent and shows a truly lost treasure for WTF Tae Kwon Do.

This book in a "must have" for any martial artist! Much needed information can be found on every page. Read it once; now I plan to read it again slowly. A treasure trove of taekwondo nuggets. Extremely well written, informative & easy to read. A great addition to anyone's library; as are Master Cook's & Grandmaster Chun's previous works. Thank you, Sirs!

This book is a must have for any black belt and martial artist to have in there collection. It is traditional poomsae and Koryo and breaks down so that you can make changes and understand what the purpose of application is used.

I guess it is my fault for not reading better but I thought this book had all the black belt poomsae so needless to say I was dissapointed when I received it. If I was an up and coming TKD student it may be okay but for a master like myself I was wanting more reference for all the black belt forms. But just judging this book I would not recommnet it. For a few dollars more you can get the book I thought I was getting and have all the forms. I hardly think any one pratices the "original" form any more so it is just a historical reference for any one who gets into that stuff.

I found this book helpful. I am trying to learn a more traditional style of TKD. The styles of TKD offered where I live are non-traditional.

It has some good history on Tae Kwon Do, but the pictures are black and white and not so clear, definitely it must be easier to learn it from the DVD

Granmaster Chun and Master Cook in this book are explaining the historical roots and philosophical foundations of the poomsae, and in particular of Koryo, both the original and the new version.There is also a detailed technical explanation of the techniques executed in those two formal exercises.A really enjoyable reading.

A hard work written by an American master of Taekwondo who truly loves the discipline and has profound respect for the Asian cultures. This is shown by quite detailed quotations of different philosophies and martial artists in Asia not only in Korea. The scope of his works goes much more beyond the "old" Koryo and Koryo poomsaes of the World Taekwondo Federation.I am almost certain, judging from the very advanced degree of his research, that he has however realised that the "tuls" and "poomsaes"are all fictions like the whole "ancient" history of Taekwondo. He documented the history of To-di and later Karate which was transmitted in a deplorably transformed forms by Itosu, Funakoshi et al. As the author correctly indicated these people simplified kata's and techniques of lethal martial arts for diffusion among non Okinawan Japanese so that Karate remains as Okinawa's or even those mainland Japanese (most of them were university students who preferred to apply western sports theory) wanted such "modernised" and simplified forms. As a results, almost all karate kata's performed in Japan and the rest of the world and great majority of karate practitioners do not know hidden techniques especially the efficient use of bodies generating great energy and lethal attacks that used to be practiced individually by Okinawan karatekas in the past. Most of Karate kata performed in tournament are the same as danse. It is even said that bunkai analyses are more throughly done in the USA.Today's karate kumite, regardless of rules either full contact, no contact, or protector, is no different from boxing, may thai, etc. relying on simple muscle power and cardiac endurance. Alas. Taekwondo, as the author rightly documented, was the result of unification of different "kwans" and "dojans" schools run by masters who had learned Karate of Funakoshi etc. and where they were practicing karate as tangsoodo, kongsoodo, etc. tangsoodo, and kong soodo, are Korean pronunciation of karate do written in Chinese characters. The unification was done rather politically. The young nation of Republic of Korea required different supportive bases for their nationalism. General Choi organized martial arts demonstration for President I SungMan. The President was impressed and asked him what was the martial arts. He obviously did not dare to tell him other than it was a traditional Korean martial arts.Tuls and poomsaes were created by the masters who studied from Funakoshi and others and obviously they learned the simplified and uncoded kata's for non Okinawans, or even worse by the second generation WTF masters. So, Taekwondo's tuls and poomsaes are just artificial combination of techniques. "Philosophy"? Those "philosophical" explanations were attached later to the tuls and the poomsaes. Most of them are not even philosophical but just symbols of historical desires or heroic nostalgia of the Koreans. Sadly, therefore, any efforts to visit Korean temples, to check Korean historical literatures, to try to find any hidden techniques in tuls and poomsaes do not allow you to understand the pomsaes.Korean history shows that especially during the chosun dynasty, martial arts have not been important life of Koreans life. in Korea, there have never been the social class of professional worriers and its culture. Korea depended on China for military protection (as typically during the Japanese invasion led by Hideyoshi).After all, Koreans have succeeded in developing Taekwondo enjoyable and accessible olympique sports focusing on cool kicks and can also allow people to enjoy aerobic cardio exercise. Poomsaes and tuls are complete separate disciplines judged in the same way as figure skating, synchronised swimming, dances, etc. both are practiced by many people in many countries with unified and common rules. These are great achievements and Taekwondo has its incontestable value here. I practice Taekwondo for fun and I appreciate the fact that the belt I got here can be valid anywhere else.But if you seek historical roots in Buddhism, Taoism, and ancient kingdoms, you will be misled and disappointed. The grand master Kang shin Chul in traditional" attire looks pathetic....Both original Koryo and Koyro are the products of committees of WTF technocrats. So, it is no use of trying any indepth analyses.

It's pretty much the same as any other taekwondo black belt resource book. I was kinda expecting something different.