Choi-Yong Pattern – Instructor Preview & Insights
TKDCoaching’s TKD Patterns Hub provides instructors with clear teaching insights, coaching cues, and step-by-step guidance for every ITF pattern. This page offers an instructor-focused preview of Choi-Yong, highlighting key technical details, common errors to watch for, and practical coaching ideas you can apply immediately in class.
Choi-Yong Pattern
Choi-Yong is a 3rd dan ITF pattern with 46 movements. It is widely regarded as the most demanding pattern at this level due to its consecutive kicking sequences, directional control, and the need to maintain balance and posture under fatigue.
Sample Video
In the sample clip above, Mr Mark Trotter shares a key coaching cue for the high reverse hooking kick – bring the knee ahead of the target first, then follow through to roughly 45 degrees. He also warns against dropping the foot on the way through, which often turns the kick into an unwanted chopping action.
Key Technical Insights from GM Paul McPhail
Drawing from my ongoing study and technical work within ITF Taekwon-Do, each pattern in this Hub includes a short set of key technical points – practical reminders practitioners often overlook. These notes are personal insights based on decades of experience and are not official ITF Technical Committee statements.
Key Technical Points
Vertical punch: Arm is straight. Relax after the punch – very slightly bend the arm.- Step after turning kick: Step the foot slightly inside, similar to a rear foot stance position.
- Side piercing kick: The pulling arms application is for balance and can also be used to grab and pull an opponent.
- Pressing blocks: Fast motion – stop the hands sharply.
- Double step slide: Land heel-first on both steps – naturally. This is an exception to using the ball of the foot.
About Choi-Yong
Choi-Yong is a pattern where “good enough” usually falls apart when the kicking combinations begin. The challenge is not only flexibility or height, but maintaining posture, balance, and direction while moving at speed. Many students can perform the kicks individually, yet struggle to keep the same quality when linking them together – especially when the supporting foot pivots late, the hips rise, or the landing becomes rushed.
This premium coaching session is one of the more casual and practical formats: Mr Trotter takes Melissa Timperley through the pattern, then they focus specifically on kicking. Even if you do not practise Choi-Yong yet, the corrections and cues carry across to many other patterns and to kicking in general.
Key Teaching Points
- Coach the kick combinations as a connected skill – chamber, pivot, hip line, re-chamber, then land – rather than separate kicks glued together.
- Insist on knee positioning first for the reverse hooking kick. If the knee does not travel correctly, the foot will not travel correctly.
- Watch the supporting foot. Late pivoting is a common cause of low height, knee strain, and loss of balance during the consecutive kicking sequences.
Training Suggestions
- Combination ladder: Practise the consecutive kicks in isolation on a count (slow first), then gradually reduce the pause between kicks while keeping posture unchanged.
- Target-line drill: Put a small marker on the floor for where the supporting foot should pivot. Land, check, reset, and repeat until the pivot is automatic.
- Control finish: Require a stable finish position after the reverse hooking kick before the next movement. If the student must hop or stumble, slow it down and rebuild control first.
A strong Choi-Yong performance looks calm and accurate even during the hardest kick combinations. The goal is not just to “get through it”, but to make the kicking sequences look deliberate, balanced, and consistent from start to finish.
Full Choi-Yong Premium Breakdown
The full, in-depth breakdown of Choi-Yong is available for TKDCoaching Premium Members. This coaching session includes detailed corrections, common mistakes, and teaching progressions you can apply in your own classes, with extra focus on the consecutive kicking sequences that make this pattern so challenging.
👉 Watch the full Choi-Yong breakdown video (Premium)
Background & Interesting Details
- Choi Yong is said to have developed martial arts skills at an early age.
- He joined the military as a young man and became famous at age 36 after repelling several rebellions.
- He fought in more than 80 battles, including on Jeju Island (where General Choi later developed Taekwon-Do).
- Choi Yong fought against a revolt but was eventually sentenced and executed by beheading. He was famously known to have said, “Grass will not grow on my grave due to the unjust end.” It is said that for over 600 years since his death, grass has not grown there.
FAQ
- What grade is Choi-Yong for?
Choi-Yong is the 3rd dan pattern, commonly taught in preparation for testing to 4th degree. - What are the most common mistakes in Choi-Yong?
Rushed landings after consecutive kicks, late pivoting on the supporting foot, lifting or tilting the hips under fatigue, and turning the reverse hooking kick into a chopping action by dropping the foot during the kick. - How should I introduce Choi-Yong to new 3rd degree students?
Teach the kick combinations as separate mini-drills first, then connect them back into the full sequence. Keep early repetitions slow, insist on clean pivoting and re-chambering, and use short rounds to build consistency before adding speed.
More TKD Patterns and Resources
TKD Patterns Hub – patterns and instructor-focused insights
Explore more pattern previews and coaching notes for all 24 ITF tuls.
Related pages:
Insights on All 24 Patterns by GM McPhail
Favourite Pattern Survey – we’d love to know what you think
Become a TKDCoaching Member
If you find these pattern insights helpful, you’ll love the full TKDCoaching Hub. Premium Members get access to complete breakdowns, instructor courses, warm-ups, sparring sessions, self-defence modules and much more.