Jitae
지태
“Jee-Teyh”
Yeon-Mu Line: ㅗ
Meaning: Self-Reliant
6th Dan Poomsae

 ㅗ

Jitae means a man with both feet on the ground to kick, walk and jump, which represents the struggle of human life. Jitae Poomsae weaves various aspects that appear in the struggle for survival into various moves. Its Poomsae line ㅗ is similar to a person standing on the ground and rising toward the sky to signify people who are born, grow, and die on the land.

Jitae refers to 지천태 Jicheontae, the 11th of the the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, the Book of Changes which combines the trigram for Sky (☰) with the trigram for Earth (☷). This is a state where the body and mind are in complete unison with the principles of Taekwondo as a result of ceaseless practice. It is called 수승화강 “Suseung Hwagang”, meaning a state of the body that is full of energy due to the natural flow’s connection with Yin and Yang. Here, all the moves resolve around the lower abodmen.

In the Poomsae line ㅗ the horizontal line at the bottom represents the earth, and the short vertical line represented by a dot signifies the sky. The unison of the mind and body ensure that the practitioner’s body unconsciously responds to the opponent’s attack. This stage is no longer about an artificial way of judging and performing offense and defense techniques but about practicing movements in a state of humility.

“Jitae Poomsae practice aims to reach a state o use the power and body organically to harmonize different moves — slow and fast, strong and weak — and breathing while connecting the energy of the lower abdomen from the ground to the fingertips.

While performing 메 주먹 표적 안 치기 Me Jumeok Pyojeok An Chigi (Hammer Fist Target Inward Strike), the body’s trunk and elbow rotate in the same direction. You will train more systematically to use the arm to convert the rotational force into linear force. By practicing 손날 거들어 내려 막기 Sonnal Geodeureo Naeryeo Makgi (Assisted Knife Hand Downward Block) and 손날 거들어 막기 Sonnal Geodeureo Makgi (Assisted Knife Hand Block), you will understand that defense and offense may coexist depending on the situation.”

Technique Summary

Stances 서기 :

  • Closed Stance / Moa Seogi / 모아 서기

  • Parallel Stance / Naranhi Seogi / 나란히 서기

  • Backward Stance / Dwit Gubi / 뒷 굽이

  • Forward Stance / Ap Gubi / 앞 굽이

  • Riding Stance / Juchum Seogi / 주춤 서기

  • Crane Stance / Hakdari Seogi / 학다리 서기

Defensive Skills 방어 기술 :

  • Inner Forearm Outward Middle Block / An Palmok Momtong Bakkat Makgi / 안 팔목 몸통 바깥 막기

  • Upward Block / Ollyeo Makgi / 올려 막기

  • Downward Block / Naeryeo Makgi / 내려 막기

  • Knife Hand Upward Block / Sonnal Ollyeo Makgi / 손날 올려 막기

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

  • Outward Middle Block / Momtong Bakkat Makgi / 몸통 바깥 막기 (8 Seconds)

  • Inward Middle Block / Momtong An Makgo / 몸통 안 막고

  • Assisted Inward Block / Geodeureo Momtong An Makgi / 거들어 몸통 안 막

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

  • Bull Block / Hwangso Makgi / 황소 막기

  • Downward Side Block / Naeryeo Yeop Makgi / 내려 옆 막기

  • Knife Hand Side Block / Sonnal Yeop Makgi / 손날 옆 막기

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

Offensive Skills 공격 기술 :

  • Reverse Punch / Baro Jireugi / 바로 지르기

  • Front Kick / Ap Chagi / 앞 차기

  • Diamond Forward Punch / Keumgang Ap Jireugi / 금강 앞 지르기

  • Reverse Double Punch / Baro Dubeon Jireugi / 바로 두번 지르기

  • Hammer Fist Target Inward Strike / Me Jumeok Pyojeok An Chigi / 메 주먹 표적 안 치기

  • Side Kick / Yeop Chagi / 옆 차기

  • Forward Punch / Bandae Jireugi / 반대 지르기

Special Skills 특수품 :

  • Basic Ready Posture / Kibon Junbi Jase / 기본 준비 자세 (5 Seconds)

  • Small Hinge / Jageun Doljjeogwi / 작은 돌쩌귀

Kihap 기합 :

  1. On The Target Inward Hammer Fist Strike / Me Jumeok Pyojeok An Chigi / 메 주먹 표적 안 치기

  2. On The Forward Punch / Bandae Jireugi / 반대 지르기

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.

  • Beginning / Ending Position:
    Jitae finishes approximately 1 Ap Gubi behind its point of origin

  • Upward Block → Reverse Punch:
    Each technique is performed for about 4 seconds each for a total of 8 seconds together. Make sure that your elbows travel close to your body when connecting the block to the punch.

  • Downward Block → Knife Hand Upward Block:
    Performed with the quicker attack timing interval, not the longer defensive timing.

  • 8 Second Outward & Upward Blocks:
    The pulling hand should be around your solar plexus height when you are about halfway through the motion.

  • Diamond Forward Punch:
    Make sure you don’t do a Small or Large Hinge as the 1st position, palm of both the blocking and punching hands should begin with the palm pointing up.

  • Inward Block → Assisted Inward Block:
    Bring the 1st block to the solar plexus Assisted Technique position upon completion of the 2nd block. The techniques are performed with attack timing.

  • Bull Block:
    The technique is performed differently in Jitae than it was in Sipjin. Your fists should start at about hip width and travel straight up in a vertical line, finishing with 2 fists in between the hands.

  • Reverse Double Punch:
    This is the only Poomsae with a Double Punch that starts with the rear hand rather than the lead hand. Pay attention to which hand goes first.

  • Knife Hand Side Block → Hammer Fist Target Inward Strike:
    The block itself ends at shoulder height and is a Middle Block / Momtong Makgi. The hand lifts to philtrum height for the Hammer Fist Strike.

  • Downward Side Block → Side Kick + Small Hinge:
    Make sure to pivot sharply into your Side Kick then re-pivot back into Crane Stance. The 1st kick should place the right foot back down directly beside the left foot in a Closed Stance prior to the next Crane Stance. Keep both knees bent while transitioning — don’t go up and down.