Cheonkwon
천권
“Chuhn-Gwuhn”
Yeon-Mu Line: ㅜ
Meaning: Pious
7th Dan Poomsae

 ㅜ

Cheonkwon (sometimes spelled Chonkwon or Cheongweon) signifies the energy that nurtures all things, along with immutable laws, although changes in nature and the universe are invisible. In other words, just like the laws of Mother Nature are not working randomly, people must also follow the rules of right mind and actions.

In Cheonkwon Poomsae the Yeon-Mu Line is ㅜ, the horizontal line at the top signifies the vast sky, while the vertical line refers to the power of light, which influences the land and its people, such as the sun, moon, and stars. Further, all things in the world, including humans, can exist only with the coexistence of centrifugal and centripetal forces. The world we live in will cease to exist if the balance of power, such as the push and pull between people, is broken.

Cheonkwon Poomsae trains the body to follow the right mindset through steady practice and reach the state of 지행일치 Jihaeng-ilchi — the unity of knowledge and action.

“In Cheonkwon Poomsae, movement of the central axis and flow of force must be connected without interruption. It is important to harmonize agility and heaviness and perform slow movements in harmony with the flow of breathing.

날개 펴기 Nalgae Pyeogi (Wing Spreading) is a move that accumulates power. It is also a technique that breaks the opponent’s balance by dividing the power in both directions. Further, it is a counter-attacking technique by quickly coping with the loophole in the center. In Moa Seogi and Nalgae Pyeogi, align the whole body with the center line to form a good posture. At this stage, you will learn to use effective force by understanding the importance of shifting weight and elbow movement in the winding and pulling motion after 손날 비틀어 막기 Sonnal Biteureo Makgi (Twisting Knife Hand Block). Further, you will learn to practice the use of body and force in a smooth curvy motion, which connects 거들어 안 목 몸통 바깥 막기 Geodeureo An Palmok Momtong Bakkat Makgi (Assisted Inner Forearm Outward Middle Block) and 반대 지르기 Bandae Jireugi (Forward Punch), holding the opponent’s wrist while stretching the hand to block the attack.

Moreover, you will learn how to connect difficult moves, including jumping and taking a 360° turn to 돌개 표적 안 차기 Dolgae Pyojeok An Chagi in the air, using the force from the ground. 태산 밀기 Taesan Milgi (Mountain Push) teaches you how to unify breathing, consciousness, and movement by concentrating on the upper and lower abdomen and straining the whole body.”

Technique Summary

서기 Stances:

  • Closed Stance / Moa Seogi / 모아 서기

  • Tiger Stance / Beom Seogi / 범 서기

  • Small Forward Stance / Jageun Ap Gubi / 작은 앞 굽이

  • Forward Stance / Ap Gubi / 앞 굽이

  • Backward Stance / Dwit Gubi / 뒷 굽이

  • ㄴ-Shaped Stance / Nineunja Seogi / ”ㄴ”자 서기

  • Riding Stance / Juchum Seogi / 주춤 서기

방어 기술 Defensive Skills:

  • Knife Hand High Opening Block / Sonnal Eolgul Hechyeo Makgi / 손날 얼굴 헤쳐 막기

  • Twisting Knife Hand Block / Sonnal Biteureo Makgi / 손날 비틀어 막기

  • Outward Wrist Escape / Bakkat Teureo Ppaegi / 바깥 드러 빼기 (4 Seconds)

  • Downward Block / Naeryeo Makgi / 내려 막기

  • Assisted Inner Forearm Outward Middle Block / Geodeureo An Palmok Momtong Bakkat Makgi / 거들어 안 목 몸통 바깥 막기

  • Swinging Block / Hwidulleo Makgi / 휘둘러 막기
    aka Absorbing Block / Bada Makgi / 받아 막기

  • Parrying Block / Geodeo Makgi / 걷어 막기
    aka Swing & Pull / Hwidulleo Jabadanggigi / 휘둘러 잡아당기기

  • Twisting Inner Forearm Outward Block / An Palmok Biteureo Bakkat Makgi / 안 팔목 비틀어 바깥 막기

  • Assisted Knife Hand Downward Block / Sonnal Geodeureo Naeryeo Makgi / 손날 거들어 내려 막기

  • Inner Forearm Outward Block / An Palmok Bakkat Makgi / 안 목 바깥 막기
    +
    Palm Heel Pressing Block / Batangson Nulleo Makgi / 바탕손 눌러 막기

  • Assisted Downward Block / 거들어 내려 막기

  • Open Hand Single Mountain Block / Pyeonson Oesan Makgi / 편손 외산 막기 (5 Seconds)

공격 기술 Offensive Skills:

  • Double Extended Knuckle Uppercut / Bam Jumeok Ollyeo Jireugi / 밤 주먹 올려 주먹

  • Reverse Punch / Baro Jireugi / 바로 지르기 (4 Seconds)

  • Side Kick / Yeop Chagi / 옆 차기

  • Forward Punch / Bandae Jireugi / 반대 지르기

  • Front Kick / Ap Chagi / 앞 차기

  • Diamond Side Punch / Keumgang Yeop Jireugi / 금강 옆 지르기

  • Tornado Target Inward Kick / Dolgae Pyojeok An Chagi / 돌개 표적 안 차기

특수품 Special Skills:

  • Overlapped Hands Ready Posture / Gyeopson Junbi Jase / 겹손 준비 자세 (5 Seconds)

  • Wing Spreading / Nalgae Pyeogi / 날개 펴기 (5 Seconds)

  • Swing & Pull / Hwidulleo Jabadanggigi / 휘둘러 잡아당기기
    aka Parrying Block / Geodeo Makgi / 걷어 막기

  • Rapid Stepping / Jajeun Bal Ditgi / 잦은 발 딛기

  • Small Hinge / Jageun Doljjeogwi / 작은 돌쩌귀

  • Mountain Push / Taesan Milgi / 태산 밀기 (5 Seconds)

기합 Kihap:

  1. On the Side Kick / Yeop Chagi / 옆 차기

Performance Notes:

  • Rhythm / Tempo:
    Be mindful of the different intervals between movements, which are determined by whether or not the next technique is offensive or defensive.

  • Wing Spreading:
    Lift your palms to shoulder height / fingertips to neck height before pushing out with the wrists bent to 90°.

  • Knife Hand High Opening Block:
    The left palm should be facing outward when in the high opening position after which point both hands go in a circular path to the waist to prepare the Double Extended Knuckle Uppercut.

  • Tiger Stance + Double Extended Knuckle Uppercut:
    Be sure to step backward with the left foot rather than step forward with the right foot. The attack is meant to go under the opponent’s jaw with the end point being philtrum height.

  • Small Ap Gubi + Twisting Knife Hand Block:
    This stance should be 1 step shorter than Ap Gubi with the rear foot turned forward to 0° rather than outward to 30°. Shift into Small Ap Gubi by moving the back foot forward, not the front foot backward.

  • Outward Wrist Escape → Reverse Punch:
    Each technique is performed for about 4 seconds each for a total of 8 seconds together. Begin to step forward at around 3 seconds.

  • Small Hinge + Side Kick:
    Begin the kick after around 3 seconds of the final Twisting Knife Hand Block.

  • Swinging Block, Swing & Pull:
    The swinging arm should straighten while arcing downward (momentarily making the shape of a Downward Block) before bending while arcing upward (momentarily making the shape of an Upward Block) before being placed at the hip prior to the Forward Punch. The assisting arm of Assisted Inner Forearm Outward Block should stay in place until the punching hand has been placed at the hip. Swing & Pull has the same motions as Swinging Block, only it is done with an open hand.

  • Twisting Inner Forearm Outward Block:
    Make sure that the block ends at shoulder height and at the edge of your shoulder line. The body should be turned 30° to the opposite side of a regular Ap Gubi as in most other rear arm techniques.

  • Rapid Stepping / Jajeun Bal Ditgi:
    The stepping is as follows: Right → Left → Right → Left. Make sure to keep the same lower stance height throughout the stepping sequence. The 1st step should be about one pace, the second step brings the feet together in ㄴ-Shaped Stance, the third step makes a long Dwit Gubi and the 4th step makes a regular Dwit Gubi.

  • Inner Forearm Outward Block + Palm Heel Pressing Block:
    The left hand slaps against the right wrist and ends palm down, open and bent at 90°. This block should be completed with the 1st of the 4 steps of Rapid Stepping. Upon completing the 2nd step to make ㄴ-Shaped Stance there is no arm movement. This block has a shorter path when compared to a regular Outward Block.

  • Assisted Downward Block:
    The left hand slaps against the right wrist then closes into a fist at regular Assisted Technique position. This block should be completed with the 3rd of the 4 steps of Rapid Stepping. Upon completing the 4th step to make Dwit Gubi there is no arm movement. This block has a shorter path when compared to a regular Assisted Downward Block.

  • Diamond Side Punch:
    Don’t make a Small or Large Hinge as the 1st position, each fist should be palm up exactly as the Diamond Forward Punch is performed in Jitae. This punch is performed identical before and after the Tornado Target Inward Kick.

  • Tornado Target Inward Kick:
    Keep your arms covered over the body until you have completed the first 180° of the spinning movement, at this time extend the target hand in front of your face with the pulling hand chambered at the hip.

  • Open Hand Single Mountain Block:
    The top arm (High Outward Side Block) should have a Ridge Hand and the bottom arm (Downward Side Block) should have a Knife Hand.

  • Overlapped Hands → Knife Hand High Opening Block:
    The hands go directly to 2nd position of Overlapped Hands Ready Posture prior to making the left side dominant Opening Blocks, ending at the hips with the palms facing in. Both hands should travel from the hips to the solar plexus prior to pushing forward.

  • Mountain Push:
    The hands shouldn’t touch prior to pushing forward but should get close. The fingertips of the front hand should end around belt level and the fingertips of the back hand should end at around philtrum level. The hands should be vertically aligned with one another.