# What's your favorite hyung?



## Teufel Hunden (Jan 9, 2010)

For whatever reason, mine has always been Naihanji Cho Dan.    I guess I've always liked what it represented (I was taught you're fighting people on both sides on a narrow mountain pass), and the simplicity makes the techniques themselves stand out more.... like a garden of bamboo trees vs. a mixed flower garden.   

What are some of your favorite hyungs, and why?


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## MasterPistella (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm kind of partial to the Chil Sung forms myself. They have more of the softer side of TSD in them. But favorite of all....Kong San Koon. I guess that to me has always  represented the last step to becoming a "master" since it's the form to test for sa dan.


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## JWLuiza (Jan 14, 2010)

MasterPistella said:


> I'm kind of partial to the Chil Sung forms myself. They have more of the softer side of TSD in them. But favorite of all....Kong San Koon. I guess that to me has always represented the last step to becoming a "master" since it's the form to test for sa dan.


 
Ha! I knew your name was familiar Master Pistella!

I'm not familiar with the Chil Sun or Yuk Ro sets other than from youtube.

The first form I loved was Nijushiho (aka Ee Sip Sa Bo) but I am also very fond of EunBi (Empi).


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## MCzapka (Jan 14, 2010)

My favourite traditional form is Kong Sang Koon - becouse it is summary of pyung ahn set.

But from all TSD hyungs my favourite are Chil Sungs - especially Chil Sung no 5 and no 7 and Hwa Sun Hyung.


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## AmericanTangSooDo (Mar 11, 2010)

There are so many forms, all very beautiful to watch and perform. However favorite would have to be Kong Sang Koon, followed very close behind by Bassai.


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## SahBumNimRush (Mar 11, 2010)

I have to agree with AmericanTSD, my favorite is Kang Song Koon, followed by a very close Bassai.. . then Jin Do (Chinto) in third.

I'm also partial to Rohai, although our Kwan Jang Nim no longer really teaches that form anymore.


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## rmclain (Mar 14, 2010)

This is a difficult question. Either Oh Ship Sa Bo (Go Ju Shi Ho), Ship Pal, or So Ho Yun.

R. McLain


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## JWLuiza (Mar 14, 2010)

rmclain said:


> This is a difficult question. Either Oh Ship Sa Bo (Go Ju Shi Ho), Ship Pal, or So Ho Yun.
> 
> R. McLain



I do a version of Gojushiho Dai and love practicing it. The cat stances are great workouts for the legs.

My friend did Ship Pal on her Ee Dan test. The elbow Jump kick, drop to ground sequence looks silly hard.

So Ho Yun is just...whoa.


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## Makalakumu (Mar 14, 2010)

I like the Pyung Ahn set.  I teach them most often and understand them in the most detail because of it.  I find that I have to force myself to focus on the other hyung in private practice.


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## Tim37200 (Aug 19, 2010)

As a 3rd Dan I have to say I do love Kong Sang Koon.  It's so long and so powerful, and I love the idea of the Eagle representing it as well as "viewing the sky."  My all time favorite might be Chil Sung 5 though, my instructor competed with it for years and years and it felt like such a gift to be taught it after all that time.  Finally I LOVE the Yuk Ro forms (2 is my favorite so far) as they're different and so rich in history.


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## kbarrett (Nov 26, 2011)

I would have to say "Hwa Sun Hyung" is my favorite, I have herd it's been changed as of late, but I practice the one I've learned, it meet what I want in an empty hand hyung.

Ken Barrett


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## Tez3 (Nov 26, 2011)

Makalakumu said:


> I like the Pyung Ahn set. I teach them most often and understand them in the most detail because of it. I find that I have to force myself to focus on the other hyung in private practice.




These are the simplified Pinan and Heien katas of Wado and Shotokan, I prefer them in that form rather than the TSD versions. They have little depth in TSD so much is missed out.


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## Makalakumu (Nov 27, 2011)

Tez3 said:


> These are the simplified Pinan and Heien katas of Wado and Shotokan, I prefer them in that form rather than the TSD versions. They have little depth in TSD so much is missed out.



I agree and I've been slowly adding in the missing flavor as time goes on.  I'd love to video my kata now and compare then to the videos I took seven years ago.  My kata have definitely changed!


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## Tez3 (Nov 27, 2011)

Makalakumu said:


> I agree and I've been slowly adding in the missing flavor as time goes on. I'd love to video my kata now and compare then to the videos I took seven years ago. My kata have definitely changed!




Glad I'm not the only one! I put back the stances and as much as I can.


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## Makalakumu (Nov 27, 2011)

Tez3 said:


> Glad I'm not the only one! I put back the stances and as much as I can.



One of the things I like about TSD is that we don't have hard traditions when it comes to passing down the kata exactly like it was taught from Sensei to Sensei.  This allows me to build my understanding and change angle the hand motions, emphasize grabbing motions, or shift the footwork to reflect the application that I'm thinking about.  I put most of my work into the Pinan kata because I teach those most often.  Now that I have more students advancing in rank, I should be able to spend more time with the higher kata.


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## Muwubu16858 (Dec 9, 2011)

Ship Pahl is my all time favorite (Seipai), which I learned in 2006 and is my usual demo form. I still practice it at least 10 times daily for 5 years. I started learning Sorim Jang Kwon 1 month ago after years of begging and pleading. I usually practice a form for at least 1 year before I ever demo.


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## ThatOneCanadian (May 18, 2021)

Bassai So. I taught it to myself after switching to Shotokan, out of sheer curiosity. I find this form fascinating in that it deviates much more from its Shotokan roots in contrast to the other Tang Soo Do forms, which retain much similarity to their Japanese counterparts. O Sip Sa Bo has a similar story in that it mirrors Gojushiho but is actually quite unique to Tang Soo Do.

In fact, I might even like Bassai So even more than Bassai Sho. It has a very distinct Chinese look to it, which is always nice. c:


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## dvcochran (May 19, 2021)

ThatOneSyrian said:


> Bassai So. I taught it to myself after switching to Shotokan, out of sheer curiosity. I find this form fascinating in that it deviates much more from its Shotokan roots in contrast to the other Tang Soo Do forms, which retain much similarity to their Japanese counterparts. O Sip Sa Bo has a similar story in that it mirrors Gojushiho but is actually quite unique to Tang Soo Do.
> 
> In fact, I might even like Bassai So even more than Bassai Sho. It has a very distinct Chinese look to it, which is always nice. c:


Kong Sang Koon, especially when I could do it in my peak. Rohai would be a close 2nd. 
Because my lower body is kind of shot for the moment Jion is more my speed these days.


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## ThatOneCanadian (May 19, 2021)

dvcochran said:


> Kong Sang Koon, especially when I could do it in my peak. Rohai would be a close 2nd.
> Because my lower body is kind of shot for the moment Jion is more my speed these days.


I have a hypothesis that *this right here* is the exact reason Jion is a more highly-ranked hyung than KSK/Rohai. I think Hwang Kee figured that the more senior members would have limited movement due to age or other factors, so he made the less mobile, more strength-based hyung reserved for the senior masters, with the more agile and mobile hyung reserved for the younger practitioners. This hypothesis extends to O Sip Sa Bo as well, and can also be applied to Shotokan's kata/rank logic (i.e. Unsu/Gankaku being lower-ranked and Meikyo/Wankan being reserved for senior members).

Thank you for giving more weight to my hypothesis. c:


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## dvcochran (May 19, 2021)

ThatOneSyrian said:


> I have a hypothesis that *this right here* is the exact reason Jion is a more highly-ranked hyung than KSK/Rohai. I think Hwang Kee figured that the more senior members would have limited movement due to age or other factors, so he made the less mobile, more strength-based hyung reserved for the senior masters, with the more agile and mobile hyung reserved for the younger practitioners. This hypothesis extends to O Sip Sa Bo as well, and can also be applied to Shotokan's kata/rank logic (i.e. Unsu/Gankaku being lower-ranked and Meikyo/Wankan being reserved for senior members).
> 
> Thank you for giving more weight to my hypothesis. c:


Nail on the head.


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## dancingalone (May 19, 2021)

Taegeukkwon.  Getting on in years and I deeply appreciate the softer side now.


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## Graywalker (May 20, 2021)

I am partial Jang Kwon.


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## ThatOneCanadian (May 20, 2021)

Graywalker said:


> I am partial Jang Kwon.


I've seen multiple versions of Jang Kwon. Which one do you do?


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## Graywalker (May 20, 2021)

ThatOneSyrian said:


> I've seen multiple versions of Jang Kwon. Which one do you do?


The Kang Duk Won version or I should say, Byung In-Yoon's version.


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## MadMartigan (May 20, 2021)

What a roller coaster of emotions.
I see the word Hyung and I get excited... finally someone else who still practices TKD forms the old way! Not Tul, but hyung (how we still practice it).
...
But its Tang Soo Do only. *play sad music here*.
I have no idea what the forms you're talking about look like; and most probably don't know mine (my favorite is Gwang Gae Hyung though for anyone who knows it... picture the Tul version, but without bouncing up and down).


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## ThatOneCanadian (May 20, 2021)

D Hall said:


> What a roller coaster of emotions.
> I see the word Hyung and I get excited... finally someone else who still practices TKD forms the old way! Not Tul, but hyung (how we still practice it).
> ...
> But its Tang Soo Do only. *play sad music here*.
> I have no idea what the forms you're talking about look like; and most probably don't know mine (my favorite is Gwang Gae Hyung though for anyone who knows it... picture the Tul version, but without bouncing up and down).


I have seen TKD schools that do forms without the sine wave bouncing. Is hyung/tul how you distinguish them? To be honest, the hyung versions do look a lot better. But then again, that could just be me


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## MadMartigan (May 20, 2021)

ThatOneSyrian said:


> I have seen TKD schools that do forms without the sine wave bouncing. Is hyung/tul how you distinguish them? To be honest, the hyung versions do look a lot better. But then again, that could just be me


I believe that to be the case. My style follows the art as close as possible to what was set out in Gen. Choi's 1972 TKD Encyclopedia





In this volume the patterns were called "hyong" (I don't know why it's spelled differently). 





I believe that the name Tul was introduced around the same time as the sine wave method was in subsequent revisions (though that's somewhat of an assumption on my part; not being around when it happened).


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## dvcochran (May 21, 2021)

D Hall said:


> What a roller coaster of emotions.
> I see the word Hyung and I get excited... finally someone else who still practices TKD forms the old way! Not Tul, but hyung (how we still practice it).
> ...
> But its Tang Soo Do only. *play sad music here*.
> I have no idea what the forms you're talking about look like; and most probably don't know mine (my favorite is Gwang Gae Hyung though for anyone who knows it... picture the Tul version, but without bouncing up and down).


I have practiced Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do since 1984. I lived through the KKW progression from Palgwe Hyungs to the Taeguek & Yudanja poomsae form sets. I consider myself very fortunate that we still actively practice the Pinon (5), Palqwe (8), Taeguek (8), Yudanja (9) BB forms, and MKD BB forms (most of the TSD BB forms) including the Naihanchi forms. Depending on rank and training time a person can learn as many as 50 forms. 

Many people misunderstand this put it really is not hard to balance forms training with all the other aspects of MA training, including sparring, drilling technique, SD drills/techniques, stretching, mental/philosophy, and history (is included in the curriculum). 
There is a reason MA's training is considered a lifetime journey.


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## dancingalone (May 21, 2021)

D Hall said:


> What a roller coaster of emotions.
> I see the word Hyung and I get excited... finally someone else who still practices TKD forms the old way! Not Tul, but hyung (how we still practice it).
> ...
> But its Tang Soo Do only. *play sad music here*.
> I have no idea what the forms you're talking about look like; and most probably don't know mine (my favorite is Gwang Gae Hyung though for anyone who knows it... picture the Tul version, but without bouncing up and down).


In my part of the United States, schools that teach the Chang Hon forms without the sine wave movement are still common.  It has to do with Jhoon Rhee's pioneering days in the region as an early TKD instructor and his champion students like Allen Steen, etc.  In fact, I only know of 1 club locally that does the tuls and they are affiliated with the university.


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## dvcochran (May 21, 2021)

dancingalone said:


> In my part of the United States, schools that teach the Chang Hon forms without the sine wave movement are still common.  It has to do with Jhoon Rhee's pioneering days in the region as an early TKD instructor and his champion students like Allen Steen, etc.  In fact, I only know of 1 club locally that does the tuls and they are affiliated with the university.


I am guessing you are referring to the south/southeast? We do not see a lot of sine wave in TN.


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## dancingalone (May 21, 2021)

dvcochran said:


> I am guessing you are referring to the south/southeast? We do not see a lot of sine wave in TN.


Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.


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