Yul-Gok Pattern – 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 Yul-Gok, highlighting key technical details, common errors to watch for, and practical coaching ideas you can apply immediately in class.
Yul-Gok Pattern
Yul-Gok is the blue stripe (5th gup) ITF Taekwon-Do pattern with 38 movements. It introduces connecting motion and a jumping technique — a key step toward advanced technical skill.
Pronunciation: How to pronounce Yul-Gok correctly
Video Preview
This preview clip gives a quick look at the type of corrections and instructional detail provided in the full Yul-Gok breakdown.
About Yul-Gok
Yul-Gok is the pseudonym of the historian-philosopher Yi-I (1536 – 1584), nicknamed the “Confucius of Korea”. The 38 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on 38° latitude and the diagram represents “scholar”.
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 and are not official ITF Technical Committee statements.
Key Technical Points
- Movement 1. There is no backward motion of the foot, and no crossing of the arms. This is a preparatory movement – not a measure.
- Movement 7. Angle of inner forearm blocks: The walking stance has the back foot pointing to about 45 degrees. This means the front foot would be at about 20 degrees from the AB line.
- Movement 15. Hooking block: The side fist of the blocking arm faces down towards the other back forearm at the start of the movement.
- Movement 24. Front elbow strike: Use your hip for this movement. The hands start in a natural position with side fists facing down.
- Movement 36. Jump to X-stance: Jump the distance of a low stance. Strike at the same time as the back foot lands.
Training Suggestions
- Practise the hooking block sequence in isolation to refine the movement.
- Film the more difficult sequences first to ensure they are perfected.
- Drill the side piercing kicks on pads to improve accuracy and line of travel.
Teaching ideas for Instructors
Understand the Part – Whole teaching approach to help you teach this pattern’s complex movements.
Demand your students put in full effort to the techniques they know well so that they development power. See how Master Hutton works with students to achieve this.
Spend time teaching the connecting motion introduced in this pattern.
Connecting motion: Two movements share a single sine wave and a single breath. This occurs in Yul-Gok when executing a palm hooking block followed immediately by an obverse punch.
Background & Interesting Details
- Yul-Gok was a child prodigy who could read Chinese at age 3 and wrote poetry by age 7.
- He visited Yi-Hwang (Toi-Gye) at age 23; the two debated whether Li or Chi is primary in Neo-Confucianism.
- He became a central political figure and proposed a 100,000-man reserve force — but the plan was never accepted, shortly before the Japanese invasions.
- He died in 1584; his writings continued shaping Korean thought long afterwards.
- He authored 193 works, published 276 works in 6 languages.
- A street in Seoul is named after him, and he appears on the 5,000 won note.
Frequently Asked Questions about Yul-Gok
- What grade is Yul-Gok for? Blue stripe (5th gup).
- Common mistakes? Inconsistent stance and jumping lengths, failing to return to original spot.
- How to introduce? Start with the hooking blocks and jumping backfist strike before teaching the rest.
Full Yul-Gok Breakdown
The full, in-depth breakdown of Yul-Gok is available for TKDCoaching Premium Members. Master Mark Trotter covers detailed coaching points, corrections, common mistakes, and teaching progressions you can use in your own classes.
👉 Watch the full Yul-Gok breakdown video (Premium)
More TKD Patterns and Resources
- ITF Encyclopaedia, Volume 8 – available in our Resources Section.
- TKDCoaching Premium – see more videos on Yul-Gok tul.
- Full breakdowns for all 24 ITF Taekwon-Do patterns
are available to TKDCoaching Premium Members.
Become a TKDCoaching Member
If you find these pattern insights helpful, you’ll love the full TKDCoaching library. Premium Members get access to complete breakdowns, instructor courses, warm-ups, sparring sessions, self-defence modules and much more.
Bibliography & Acknowledgements
This page incorporates reference material from From Creation to Unification by Stuart Anslow, ITF New Zealand (ITFNZ Inc) technique handbooks, and personal technical notes from ITF Technical Committee meetings.