Tae Kwon Do Forms - A Primer

Tae Kwon Do has 8 forms associated with "colored" belts, and about 9 forms associated with black belt. Forms require a lot of practice, but first, they require learning the basic stances, blocks and strikes and memorizing the patterns.

Generally, memorization becomes the key to delivering a smooth form, and that comes through repetition. Once you have the general form down, you can target in on specific areas where you need help. A good process for memorization, I've found, is the following:
1) Watch a video of the form (below)
2) Write down the movements, or look up notes on the web
3) Memorize the movements using your notes and following along
3) Repeatedly practice the technique in class
4) Ask your master where you can improve



However, another helpful technique is to remember that the first 8 forms follow a distinct pattern, which is roughly symmetrical. Each form models a character, and has a specific teaching purpose. Although this might not be helpful to you, knowing this really helped me get my head inside the forms...or the other way around.