Taekwondo black belt forms: all nine poomsae from Koryo to Ilyeo

When a student earns a black belt, they finish the eight Taegeuk forms and start a new series: the nine black belt forms, called yudanja poomsae (유단자 품새), “forms for black belt holders”. Each one is learned at a particular degree and performed at the test for the next. They are longer and slower to master than the Taegeuk forms, and each has a name and a floor pattern drawn from Korean history, philosophy or nature. This page gives the whole series in order, with links to our step-by-step guides as they are published.

The nine black belt forms in order

Form	Korean	Learned at	Tested for	Meaning
Koryo	고려	1st dan / poom	2nd dan	The Goryeo dynasty and the learned, principled scholar
Keumgang	금강	2nd dan	3rd dan	Diamond; the Diamond Mountains; hardness
Taebaek	태백	3rd dan	4th dan	The bright mountain of the Dangun legend
Pyongwon	평원	4th dan	5th dan	A vast, open plain
Sipjin	십진	5th dan	6th dan	The ten symbols of longevity
Jitae	지태	6th dan	7th dan	The earth, where all life begins and returns
Cheonkwon	천권	7th dan	8th dan	The sky, ruler of the universe
Hansu	한수	8th dan	9th dan	Water, which adapts to any shape
Ilyeo	일여	9th dan		Oneness of mind and body

Under Kukkiwon rules the waiting time between degrees grows as you go up, from one year at 1st dan to nine years at 8th dan, so most practitioners spend years with each form. The full table of ages and waiting times is in Taekwondo ranks explained.

How the black belt forms differ from the Taegeuk forms

The eight Taegeuk forms all share the same floor pattern, three lines joined by a center line, and they build steadily from simple to complex. The black belt forms break that mold. Each traces a different shape on the floor, often a Chinese character linked to its meaning: Koryo follows 士 (the scholar), Keumgang 山 (mountain), Taebaek 工, Pyongwon a single straight line 一, Sipjin the character 十 (ten), and Hansu 水 (water). Some begin from special ready stances, such as Pyongwon’s overlapped hands.

The techniques change too. The black belt forms introduce mountain blocks, diamond blocks, hinge blocks, slow pushing and pulling movements and much longer holds in crane stance. Many sections are performed slowly, with tension and controlled breathing, so the forms are as much about inner calm and precision as about power. That is why examiners at higher dan tests often say they are judging maturity as much as technique.

A note on the higher forms

Most practitioners spend years on Koryo, Keumgang, Taebaek and Pyongwon, the forms for the 2nd to 5th dan tests. Sipjin and the forms after it are studied by senior masters, typically from their late twenties and thirties onward because of the Kukkiwon age rules, and they are best learned in person from a qualified instructor. We cover the higher forms in summary here and will add full step-by-step guides over time.

Practising the black belt forms

The best way to learn a new black belt form is in short sections. Learn the first line until it is automatic, then add the next, and only run the whole form once every section is solid. Filming yourself from the front and side helps more than a mirror, because the black belt forms have many sideways movements. And keep practising the Taegeuk forms: examiners at black belt tests often ask for them, and they keep the basics sharp. Our guides start with Taegeuk Il Jang, and the forms section lists every form we cover.