Grade 4 is represented by a blue belt representing the students’ sky high aims of improvement in the Art. As a plant matures and grows skywards, so do the skills and techniques of the student. Through the pattern Joong Gun training and movements become more meaningful and adapted.
Pattern: Joong-Gun – 32 Movements
중근
Ahn Joong-Gun was a Korean patriot born in the town of Hae-Ju in the province of Hwang-Hae on September 2nd 1879. In 1894, Ahn was just a teenager when the Sino-Japanese war began and both China and Japan fought to control Korea. A few years earlier, the Korean government sought help to quell a rebellion from China which sent 3000 troops into Korea but in contravention of an earlier agreement with Japan. Japan sent in 8000 troops and took control of the Palace in Seoul, replacing the then current government with a Pro-Japanese government and expelling the Chinese troops. Japan then pressed on into Manchuria until a Peace Treaty was signed in 1895 which recognised Korea as an independent State. The Chinese Boxer Rebellion, that began in 1900, saw troops from 8 nations, Britain, United States, colonial Australia, British India, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Italy and Japan move into the area to ‘protect’ their nations’ interests. Russia sent troops through Manchuria and on into Korea, at which point Japan declared war of Russia in February 1904. The 1905 peace treaty left Japan in control of Korea under the leadership of Hiro-Bumi Ito, Japan’s first Governor-General of Korea, depriving Korea of its sovereignty and making it a protectorate of Japan.
Ahn Joong-Gun moved to Russia and joined a Korean resistance group, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-General. He took his group into Manchuria and conducted raids agains the Japanese in northern Korea. On October 26th 1909 Russia’s Finance Minister agreed to meet with Hiro-Bumi Ito in Harbin, Manchuria but Awn Joong-Gun waited at the train station and assassinated Ito by shooting him 3 times. Joong-Gun was handed over to the Japanese who tried him for murder whereas Joong-Gun wanted to be considered a prisoner of war. Whilst in prison he wrote an Essay “On Peace in East-Asia” proposing common banknotes and combined armed forces between Japan, Korea and China, and created calligraphic art works. He was executed on the 26th March 1910 and is remembered as a Patriot of Korea in many ways, including the pattern Joong-Gun. Later in 1910 Japan executed the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty and took total control of Korea from Tokyo.
32 Movements
Ready Stance: Both feet together, form a right fist and encompass it with the left hand, place in front of belt knot.
1. Move the left foot to the left into right back stance and execute a left inner knife-hand block.
2. Execute a low section front kick with the left foot.
3. Step down with the left foot moving forward with the right foot into left cat stance and execute a right rising palm strike.
4. Pivot 180˚on the left foot into left back stance and execute a right inner knife-hand block.
5. Execute a low section front kick with the right foot.
6. Step down with the right foot moving forward with the left foot into right cat stance and execute a left rising palm strike.
7. Move the left foot 90˚ to the left forming a right back stance, at the same time perform a twin knife-hand guarding block.
8. Move the left foot into left forward stance and execute a right rising elbow strike.
9. Move the right foot forward into the left back stance, at the same time perform a twin knife-hand guarding block.
10. Move the right foot into right forward stance and execute a left rising elbow strike.
11. Stomp forward with the left foot into left forward stance and execute a twin high-section vertical fist strike.
12. Stomp forward with the right foot into right forward stance and execute a twin upset punch.
13. Move the right foot to the left then move the left foot into left forward stance whilst performing a high section X-block.
14. Move the left foot 90˚ left into right back stance and execute a left back-fist strike.
15. Twist the left fist and pull to break away from a wrist grab then slip the left foot forward into left forward stance.
16. Execute a right high-section reverse punch.
17. Bring the left foot to the right foot, then move the right foot out into left back stance and execute a right back-fist strike.
18. Twist the right fist and pull to break away from a wrist grab then slip the right foot forward into right forward stance.
19. Execute a left high-section reverse punch.
20. Bring the right foot back to the left turning 90˚ anti-clockwise then step out into left forward stance executing a twin forearm block.
21. Move the left foot into right fixed stance and execute a left lunge punch.
22 . Execute a right mid-section side kick.
23. Lower the right foot into right forward stance executing a twin forearm block.
24. Move the left foot into left fixed stance and execute a right lunge punch.
25. Execute a left mid-section side kick.
26. Lower the left foot into right back stance executing a forearm guarding block.
27. Shift the left foot into left forward stance executing a double pressing block, performed slowly.
28. Step forward into left back stance executing a forearm guarding block.
29. Shift the right foot into right forward stance executing a double pressing block, performed slowly.
30. Bring the left foot to the right, turning 90˚ left, forming a close stance and execute a right hook punch at chest height.
31. Move the right foot forward into left back stance executing a U-shape block.
32. Bring the right foot back to the left foot, turn 180˚ counter-clockwise and then step the left foot forward into right back stance executing a U-shape block.
Finish: Move the left foot back into ready stance to conclude the pattern Joong-Gun.