Book: Taekwondo Forms – Unam

Taekwondo Forms – Unam is a translation of the description of the mysterious form of Unam listed in the first edition of Choi Hong-hi’s textbook on Taekwondo, which was written in Korean. The book contains a line-by-line translation of the form, a modernised description of the movements, a discussion of the form, an explanation of the wider context of the form, and what happened to it.

Why did you write it?

The idea of a ‘lost’ form is quite exciting. Taekwondo doesn’t have many, because it’s a relatively new martial art, but Unam definitely qualifies. It struck me as an interesting topic to write about. I started by writing out the line-by-line translation by hand, and the book is simply a typed version of those notes.

If you’d like to see the original textbook written by Choi, you can view a scan of the full book here: https://historyoftaekwondo.org/2015/04/10/1st-ever-taekwon-do-book/

Who is it for?

This book may be of interest to anyone who has learnt at least a few of the colour belt forms in Changheon-yu Taekwondo. It’s most relevant to black belt students – particularly those who have studied the form Chungjang. But if you have an interest in how Taekwondo developed in the twentieth century, then this book is ideal for you.

Where can I buy it?

Taekwondo Forms – Unam is available on Amazon. If you’re in the U.K., follow this link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Taekwondo-Forms-Unam-B-Milnes/dp/1514325012/

And if you’re in the U.S., follow this link:

https://www.amazon.com/Taekwondo-Forms-Unam-B-Milnes/dp/1514325012/