Taebaek (태백) is the third black belt poomsae in Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo taekwondo, the form you learn as a 2nd dan to test for 3rd dan. Its name means “bright mountain,” the sacred mountain where Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea, is said to have founded the nation, and Mount Baekdu is the place most linked to it. The form has 26 movements along a line shaped like the character 工, and it should look quick, precise and determined. New techniques include the low knife-hand opening block, the Keumgang middle block, the pulling jaw punch and a spinning back fist. This guide covers its meaning, key techniques and the full step-by-step sequence, with both kihaps.
| Rank | Learned at 2nd dan for the 3rd dan test |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Bright mountain: the founding of Korea and the ideal of hongik ingan |
| Movements | 26 in the common count |
| Line (yeonmusun) | 工 (gong): heaven and earth joined by people |
| Kihap | Two: on the third reverse punch (movement 8) and the third forward punch (movement 22) |
| Stances | Tiger, front, back, crane, closed and parallel stance |
Meaning
What Taebaek means
Taebaek (太白) means “bright mountain.” In Korean tradition it is the holy mountain where Dangun founded Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom. Many places carry the name Taebaek, but the form takes Mount Baekdu, long seen as the cradle of the Korean people, as its main reference.
The bright mountain stands for the sacred origin of the nation and for hongik ingan, “to broadly benefit humanity,” the ideal linked to Dangun and still the official motto of South Korean education. The Kukkiwon describes Taebaek as a form for a student who has mastered the Taegeuk level and can switch freely between defense and attack. Older Kukkiwon texts ask for every movement to be shown precisely and nimbly, with a determined will.
Its line of movement follows the character 工 (gong, work or craft). The two horizontal lines stand for heaven and earth, and the vertical line that joins them stands for people. See what poomsae are for how floor patterns work across the forms.
Techniques
Key techniques in Taebaek
Taebaek reuses many color-belt techniques and adds a few new ones, several of them built around escaping a grab and countering at once.
| Technique | Korean | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Low knife-hand opening block | Sonnal arae hechyeo makgi | New. Both knife hands sweep down and apart, done in tiger stance |
| Parrying block | Geodeo makgi | New. The hand circles down, palm turning out, to catch and redirect an attack |
| Keumgang middle block | Keumgang momtong makgi | A high block and a middle block at once, done in back stance |
| Pulling jaw punch | Danggyeo teok jireugi | One hand pulls back while the other fist drives up to the jaw |
| Small hinge | Jageun doljjeogwi | Both fists stacked at one side as a chamber, top fist vertical |
| Side kick with hammer fist | Yeop chagi, me jumeok bakkat chigi | A side kick from crane stance with an outward hammer-fist strike |
| Elbow target strike | Palgup pyojeok chigi | The elbow strikes into the open palm of the other hand |
| Swallow-form strike | Jebipum mok chigi | A high knife-hand block with a knife-hand strike to the neck |
| Spear hand thrust | Pyeonsonkkeut sewo jjireugi | Fingertip thrust over a pressing block (nulleo makgi) |
| Wrist-pulling escape | Palmok ppaegi | New. Twisting the trapped hand free before turning |
| Spinning back fist | Mom dora deung jumeok chigi | A full turn finishing with a back-fist strike to the temple |
| Scissors block | Gawi makgi | A low block and a middle outward block at the same time |
Many of these appear in the color-belt forms first. The swallow-form strike and spear hand come from Taegeuk Sa Jang, the elbow target strike from Taegeuk Oh Jang, and tiger stance and the scissors block from Taegeuk Chil Jang. For the stances, see taekwondo stances; for block names, see taekwondo blocks.
Step by step
Taebaek step by step
Start in the basic ready stance (gibon junbi) facing the front. Movements 1 to 4 run along the bottom line of 工, movements 5 to 8 go up the middle, 9 to 18 cover the top line, 19 to 22 come back down the middle, and 23 to 26 return to the bottom line.
Bottom line: movements 1 to 4
- 1. Step the left foot out to the left into a left tiger stance with a low knife-hand opening block.
- 2. Right front kick, then step down into a right front stance with a double punch, right then left.
- 3. Step the right foot to turn 180 degrees to the right into a right tiger stance with a low knife-hand opening block.
- 4. Left front kick, then step down into a left front stance with a double punch, left then right.
Up the middle: movements 5 to 8
- 5. Step the left foot toward the front into a left front stance with a swallow-form strike: left knife hand high, right knife hand to the neck.
- 6. With the right hand, parry and grab the opponent’s wrist, then pull it to the hip as you step forward into a right front stance with a left reverse punch.
- 7. With the left hand, parry and grab, then step forward into a left front stance with a right reverse punch.
- 8. With the right hand, parry and grab, then step forward into a right front stance with a left reverse punch, kihap.
Top line: movements 9 to 18
- 9. Turn 270 degrees to the left, moving the left foot, into a back stance facing the right side, with a Keumgang middle block.
- 10. Shift your weight forward and, pulling the left hand back, punch upward to the jaw with the right fist (pulling jaw punch).
- 11. Left forward punch.
- 12. Draw the left foot up beside the right knee into crane stance with a small hinge, then left side kick with a left outward hammer-fist strike.
- 13. Land in a left front stance with a right elbow target strike into the left palm.
- 14. Draw the left foot to the right into a closed stance, then step the right foot out to face the other side in a back stance with a Keumgang middle block.
- 15. Shift your weight forward and, pulling the right hand back, punch upward to the jaw with the left fist.
- 16. Right forward punch.
- 17. Draw the right foot up beside the left knee into crane stance with a small hinge, then right side kick with a right outward hammer-fist strike.
- 18. Land in a right front stance with a left elbow target strike into the right palm.
Down the middle: movements 19 to 22
- 19. Draw the right foot back to the left, turn to face the back, the direction of the starting point, and step the left foot into a back stance with an assisted knife-hand block.
- 20. Step forward into a right front stance with a left pressing block and a right spear hand thrust.
- 21. Twist the right hand free (wrist-pulling escape) and turn a full 360 degrees to the left on the right foot, stepping into a back stance with a left spinning back-fist strike.
- 22. Step forward into a right front stance with a right forward punch, kihap.
Bottom line: movements 23 to 26
- 23. Turn 270 degrees to the left, moving the left foot, into a left front stance with a scissors block, left arm low.
- 24. Right front kick, then step down into a right front stance with a double punch, right then left.
- 25. Turn 180 degrees to the right, moving the right foot, into a right front stance with a scissors block, right arm low.
- 26. Left front kick, then step down into a left front stance with a double punch, left then right.
Finish by drawing the left foot back to the ready stance at the starting point.
Tip
Charts number Taebaek differently. Some split a kick and its punches into separate counts, and some name the grab in movements 6 to 8 differently. The order of techniques stays the same. For a dan test, follow the version your instructor and the Kukkiwon textbook use.
Tips
Tips for practicing Taebaek
- Keep it quick and sharp: where Keumgang is slow and heavy, Taebaek should move with speed and precision, without rushing the stances.
- Make the grab real: on movements 6 to 8, the pulling hand should travel all the way to the hip as the punch lands, as if pulling an opponent onto it.
- Hold the crane stance: lift the foot beside the standing knee, show the small hinge clearly and stay balanced before the side kick.
- Control the spin: on movement 21, keep your eyes toward the spear hand target until the turn is nearly done, then snap the back fist out at temple height.
- Flow on the way back: movements 19 to 22 should run as one connected sequence, not a series of stops.
- Time the kihaps: both fall on punches, at movements 8 and 22. See kihap.
For the kicks and punches inside the form, see the front kick, taekwondo kicks and taekwondo punches.
Where it fits
Where Taebaek fits in the black belt forms
In the Kukkiwon system, black belts learn one new poomsae for each dan test: Koryo for 1st dan, Keumgang for 2nd dan, Taebaek for 3rd dan, then Pyongwon, Sipjin, Jitae, Cheonkwon, Hansu and Ilyeo at higher ranks. Koryo, Keumgang and Taebaek are often seen as the first group, building technique, power and then speed before the higher forms. Taebaek is also one of the recognized poomsae used in poomsae competition.
Time in rank and minimum ages for each dan are set by the Kukkiwon. See taekwondo black belt levels and the taekwondo belt order. Korean terms used here are explained in taekwondo terminology.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does Taebaek mean in taekwondo?
Taebaek means bright mountain. It refers to the sacred mountain where Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea, is said to have founded the nation, with Mount Baekdu as its main reference, and to the ideal of hongik ingan, broadly benefiting humanity.
What belt is Taebaek for?
Taebaek is the third black belt poomsae. In the Kukkiwon system, 2nd dan black belts learn it as part of the test for 3rd dan.
How many movements are in Taebaek?
Taebaek has 26 movements in the common count, performed along a line shaped like the character 工. Some charts number the movements differently, but the order of techniques is the same.
Where are the kihaps in Taebaek?
There are two kihaps: on the third reverse punch at movement 8, and on the third forward punch at movement 22.
What new techniques does Taebaek teach?
The new techniques are the low knife-hand opening block in tiger stance, the parrying block, the wrist-pulling escape, and a new use of the Keumgang middle block, combined with the pulling jaw punch, side kick, elbow target strike and spinning back fist.
What comes before and after Taebaek?
Keumgang, the 2nd dan form, comes before Taebaek. Pyongwon, the 4th dan form, comes after it.
The short version
Taebaek is the 3rd dan poomsae, named for the bright mountain where Korea’s founding is said to have begun. Its 26 movements follow the 工 line, opening with low knife-hand opening blocks in tiger stance and adding grab-and-punch counters, Keumgang middle blocks, side kicks from crane stance and a spinning back fist, with kihaps at movements 8 and 22. Keep it quick, precise and connected.