Until the perfection of the present advanced form of sparring, a series of sequence of movements and maneuvers had been established in order that the student could practice the various techniques of attack and defense without the need of an actual opponent.

The "pattern" is thus a set sequence of movement of attack and defense in logical order. Imaginary opponents are dealt with in sequence logically and systematically under the assumption of various situations. Practice in the "pattern" enables the student to go through the fundamental exercise, to develop sparring techniques, to improve the flexibility of movements, to familiarize with the body shifting, to build up the muscles properly, to control the breathing and to acquire certain special techniques which cannot be obtained from the fundamental exercise alone.

       The Reason for 24 Patterns

The life of a human being, perhaps 100 years, can be considered as a day when compared with eternity. Therefore, we mortals are no more than simple travelers who pass by the eternal years of an eon in a day. It is evident that no one can live more than a limited amount of time. Nevertheless, most people foolishly enslave themselves to materialism as if they could live for thousands of years. And some people strive to bequeath a good spiritual legacy for coming generations, in this way, gaining immortality. Obviously, the spirit is perpetual while material is not; therefore, what we can do to leave behind something for the welfare of mankind is, perhaps, the most important thing in our lives.

Here I leave Tae Kwon Do for mankind as a trace of man of the late 20th century. The 24 patterns represent 24 hours, one day, or all my life. The name of the pattern, the number of movements, and the diagrammatic symbol of each pattern symbolizes either heroic figures in Korean history or instances relating to historical events.

General Choi, Hong Hi

The Founder of Tae Kwon Do