The “Do” in motion. Documenting the path from white-belt basics to the tactical chaos of sparring and spinning hook kicks.
I like kicking and spinning, looks really cool. Honestly I just saw someone do a spinning hook kick in a Jackie Chan movie and thought “I need to learn that.” That was enough motivation for me. No deep philosophical reason — just pure “that looks insane, I want to do it.”
(y-) Basic Kicks
These are the kicks I have been drilling. Some feel natural, some still feel like my leg has never been attached to my body.
| Kick | Korean Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Front Kick | Ap Chagi | A straight kick driven forward with the ball of the foot, snapping the knee up before extending. |
| Roundhouse Kick (body) | Baldum | A circular kick targeting the body, striking with the instep. |
| High Roundhouse Kick | Dollyo Chagi | A circular kick aimed at head height, striking with the instep or ball of the foot. |
| 360 Spinning Kick | Dora Baldum | A full 360° spinning roundhouse, generating power through the rotation before striking with the instep. |
| Reverse Roundhouse Kick | Pandae Dollyo Chagi | A roundhouse kick thrown with the rear leg in the opposite direction of travel, striking with the heel or instep. |
| Side Kick | Yeop Chagi | A linear kick delivered sideways, striking with the heel or blade of the foot. |
| Back Kick | Dwi Chagi | A rear kick executed by turning away from the target and thrusting the heel straight back. |
| Axe Kick | Naeryeo Chagi | The leg is raised high and brought straight down onto the target, striking with the heel. |
| Hook Kick | Huryeo Chagi | A kick that arcs past the target and hooks back to strike with the heel or sole. |
| Spinning Hook Kick | Dwi Huryeo Chagi | A full rotation that generates power before delivering the hook kick with the heel. |
| Push Kick | Mireo Chagi | A thrusting kick used to create distance, pushing the target away with the sole of the foot. |
| Jump Front Kick | Ieo Chagi | A front kick executed while jumping, adding height and momentum to the strike. |
| Jump Spinning Back Kick | Twieo Dwi Chagi | A jumping variation of the back kick with a full spin, striking the target with the heel in the air. |
(y-) Poomsae Commands
Poomsae (patterns / forms) practice has its own vocabulary. Knowing what the instructor says means you are not the person looking around confused after everyone else bowed.
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Charyeot | Cha ryut | Attention stance |
| Gyeongnyae | Gyong nyeh | Bow |
| Joonbi | Joon bee | Ready |
| Sijak | Shi jak | Begin / Start |
| Geuman | Guh man | Stop |
| Baro | Ba ro | Return to ready position |
| Poomsae | Poom say | Pattern / Form |
| Hana, Dul, Set | Hana Dul Set | One, Two, Three |
| Kihap | Key hap | Shout / Yell (the loud exhale you do on certain moves) |
| Dobok | Do bok | Uniform |
| Dojang | Do jang | Training hall |
| Sabomnim | Sa bom nim | Instructor / Master |
| Sunbae | Sun beh | Senior student |
| Gamsahamnida | Gamsahamnida | Thank you |
Sources
(y-) Stances | (y-) Combinations | (y-) Sparring | (y-) Stretching | (y-) Philosophy