힘차리
Revised Romanisation: himchari
McCune-Reischauer Romanisation: himch’ari
Himchari is one of the ten new forms that Kukkiwon designed to be used at competitions. The form is intended to be performed by students younger than 18 years old.
The name is most likely a conjugation of the verb 힘차다 himchada, which means ‘to be powerful, vigorous, or energetic’. 힘 him as a word on its own means ‘power’, ‘strength’, or ‘force’.
Floor Diagram for Himchari
Movements of Himchari
** The official movement list for Himchari has not yet been released by Kukkiwon. What follows is a deconstruction of the form based on the information that has been released so far. Thus, there may be a number of inaccuracies in this list of movements, particularly in regard to the height at which techniques should be performed, the direction along the floor diagram that a technique should be performed, and stances. As more information about Himchari is published by Kukkiwon, this page will be updated.
Form a closed stance at A towards C. Perform the covered-fist posture, with the left hand covering the right fist.
- Step backwards towards H with the right foot, forming a left walking stance towards C. Perform an inward block to the body with the left knife-hand.
- Keeping the left hand where it is, perform an inward strike to the neck with the right knife-hand.
- Slide forwards, moving the left foot first, to form a left walking stance towards C. Perform an inward strike to the head with both the left and right palm.
- Slide backwards towards H, moving the right foot first, to form a right tiger stance towards C. Perform an inward strike to the body with both the left and right knife-hand.
- Perform a front kick to the head towards C with the right foot.
- Without putting the foot down, perform a reverse side kick to the head towards H with the right foot.
- Perform a jumping double front kick towards C, kicking with the right foot first.
- Perform a jumping double turning kick towards C, kicking with the right foot first.
- Lower the left foot towards C, and then perform a reverse turning kick towards C with the right foot.
- Perform a jumping spinning reverse turning kick towards C with the left foot. (Kihap)
- Land in a left back stance looking towards C. Perform a double knife-hand block to the body.
- Move the right foot forwards towards C, forming a right forward stance towards C. Block to the head with the right knife-hand, and perform a front strike to the head with the left elbow.
- Step towards C with the left foot, forming a right back stance towards C. Perform a double knife-hand block to the body.
- Move the left foot forwards towards C, forming a left forward stance towards C. Block to the head with the left knife-hand, and perform a front strike to the head with the right elbow.
- Turn to the left, and step towards E with the left foot, forming a right back stance towards E. Strike to the side of the head with the left back-fist.
- Move the left foot forwards towards E, forming a left forward stance towards E. Block to the body with the right back-knife-hand.
- Without changing stance, perform a spear-hand thrust to the head with the left hand, with the palm facing down.
- Punch to the body with the right fore-fist.
- Punch to the body with the left fore-fist.
- Move the right foot forwards, forming a left cross stance towards E, with the right foot behind the left foot. Block to the head with the right knife-hand.
- Perform a twisting kick to the head with the right foot, hitting the right palm.
- Step down towards E with the right foot, forming a right cross stance towards E, with the right foot in front of the left foot. Block to the head with the left knife-hand.
- Perform a twisting kick to the head with the left foot, hitting the left palm.
- Step down towards E with the left foot, forming a left forward stance towards E. Perform a target strike with the right elbow, hitting the left palm.
- Perform a target strike with the right knee.
- Without putting the foot down, perform a front kick to the head towards E with the right foot.
- Without putting the foot down, perform a side kick to the head towards G with the right foot.
- Step towards G with the right foot, and then perform a turning kick to the low section towards G with the left foot.
- Perform a turning kick to the head towards G with the left foot.
- Step down towards G with the left foot, forming a sitting stance towards A. Perform an elbow strike to the body towards G with the left elbow, with the right palm on the left fore-fist.
- Turn to the left, and form a left forward stance towards G. Block to the body with the left inner-forearm.
- Punch to the body with the right fore-fist.
- Perform a turning kick to the low section towards G with the right foot.
- Without putting the foot down, perform a turning kick to the head towards G with the right foot.
- Step down towards G with the right foot, forming a sitting stance. Perform an elbow strike to the body towards G with the right elbow, with the left palm on the right fore-fist.
- Turn to the right, and form a right forward stance towards G. Block to the body with the right inner-forearm.
- Punch to the body with the left fore-fist.
- Perform a skipping turning kick to the body towards G with the right foot.
- Lower the right foot towards G, and then perform a jumping spinning turning kick to the body towards G with the right foot.
- Perform a jumping back kick to the body towards G with the left foot.
- Land in a right back stance towards G. Perform a double forearm block to the body.
- Slide towards K, leading with the right foot, forming a right back stance towards F. Then perform a turning kick to the body towards F with the right foot.
- Slide towards D, leading with the left foot, forming a left back stance towards G. Then perform a turning kick to the body towards G with the left foot.
- Perform a reverse turning kick to the head towards G with the right foot.
- Step down towards K with the right foot, then step backwards towards K with the left foot. Perform a jumping spinning turning kick to the head towards F with the right foot.
- Land looking towards K. Form a closed stance towards K. Bring both hands up in front of the body, and then above the head. Move the hands in a wide circular motion down to in front of the body, and then bring the hands up to the waist, closing the hands into fists. Perform slowly.
- Step towards K with the left foot, forming a right back stance towards K. Perform a double forearm block to the body. (Kihap)
- Perform a skipping turning kick to the body towards K with the left foot.
- Step down towards K with the left foot, then perform a turning kick to the body towards K with the right foot.
- Step down towards K with the right foot, then perform a double jumping turning kick to the body towards K, kicking with the left foot first.
- Perform a jumping spinning turning kick to the body towards K with the right foot.
- Perform a jumping reverse turning kick to the head towards K with the left foot, spinning twice in the air.
- Land in a right back stance towards I. Perform a double forearm block to the body.
- Step towards I with the right foot, forming a left back stance towards I. Strike to the side of the head with the right back-fist.
- Move the right foot forwards towards I, forming a left forward stance towards I. Block to the body with the left back-knife-hand.
- Perform a spear-hand thrust to the head with the right hand, with the palm facing down.
- Punch to the body with the left fore-fist.
- Punch to the body with the right fore-fist.
- Step towards I with the left foot, forming a left walking stance towards I. Block to the head with the left outer-forearm.
- Perform an inward crescent kick with the right foot, hitting the left palm.
- Step down towards I with the right foot, forming a right walking stance towards I. Block to the head with the right outer-forearm.
- Perform an inward crescent kick with the left foot, hitting the right palm.
- Step down towards I with the left foot, forming a left forward stance towards I. Perform a target strike with the left elbow.
- Turn to the right to look towards J, and perform a target strike with the left knee.
- Without putting the foot down, perform a front kick to the head towards J with the left foot.
- Without putting the foot down, perform a side kick to the head towards I with the left foot.
- Step down towards I with the left foot, then perform a hooking kick to the body towards I with the right foot, immediately followed by a turning kick to the head with the right foot.
- Lower the right foot forwards, and form a right forward stance towards I. Perform an upset punch to the head with the left fore-fist, and a block to the head with the right knife-hand.
- Without changing stance, perform a front strike to the head with the left elbow, and a block to the head with the right knife-hand.
- Perform a turning kick to the body with the left foot, immediately followed by a turning kick to the head with the left foot, without putting the foot down.
- Step down with the left foot towards I, forming a left forward stance. Perform an upset punch to the head with the right fore-fist, and a block to the head with the left knife-hand.
- Without changing stance, perform a front strike to the head with the right elbow, and a block to the head with the left knife-hand.
- Turn to the right, and slide backwards towards M, leading with the right foot, forming a right back stance towards J. Perform a double forearm block to the body.
- Perform a turning kick to the body towards J with the right foot.
- Slide backwards towards M with the left foot, forming a left back stance, and then perform a turning kick to the body towards J with the left foot.
- Slide backwards towards M with the right foot, forming a right back stance, and then perform a jumping reverse side kick to the head towards J with the right foot.
- Slide backwards towards M, leading with the left foot, forming a left back stance, and then perform a jumping reverse side kick to the head towards J with the left foot.
- Step backwards towards C with the right foot, and form a right tiger stance towards H. Perform a forearm cross block to the head.
- Without changing stance, perform a forearm cross block to the body.
- Step backwards towards C with the left foot, forming a right walking stance towards H. Perform a double forearm block to the body. Perform slowly.
- Perform a double jumping front kick towards H, kicking with the left foot first.
- Perform a double jumping turning kick towards H, kicking with the left foot first.
- Step down towards H with the right foot, and then perform a reverse turning kick to the head towards H with the left foot.
- Perform a jumping reverse turning kick towards H with the right foot. (Kihap)
- Turn to the right, forming a left back stance towards C. Perform a double forearm block to the body.
Move the right foot to the left foot, forming a closed stance at A towards C, and perform the covered-fist posture, with the left hand covering the right fist.
Notes on Himchari
Movements 21 and 23 would appear to be a twisting kick. A twisting kick is a kick from Changheon-yu Taekwondo where the ball of the foot is used to strike outwards on the same side as the foot. It is a difficult kick to perform correctly, but it is useful as it is difficult to anticipate. Twisting kicks haven’t previously been used in Kukki-won Taekwondo, so this form may have added the kick to the style.
Movements 67 and 70 are characterised here as combinations of hooking kicks and turning kicks, but the motion is very fluid, and does not entirely look like any other kick in the style. It’s uncertain what is intended here.
Videos of Himchari
Analysis of Himchari
One of the most striking aspects of Himchari is its very irregular floor diagram. The Kukki-won forms are distinctive in Taekwondo for their unusual floor diagrams – most notably those of Hansu, which is a 水 su-shaped diagram, and Iryeo, which is a 卍 man-shaped diagram. However, all of the Kukki-won black belt forms are based on a hanja character – a convention that’s followed throughout all of Taekwondo for a lot of forms.
The new competition forms, however, don’t have floor diagrams based on hanja characters. This is a notable departure from the convention that is discussed more in this blog post.
The floor diagram for Himchari is asymmetric. It has the most similarity to the floor diagram for Hansu, and both forms have a central intersection of multiple lines. The result of this is that Himchari can be easily split into two parts (or arguably three) – the first part traversing the right-hand side of the diagram, and the second part traversing the left-hand side. There are roughly the same number of movements on each side – movement 46 marks the end of the first part and the beginning of the second.
This form is very long. Since the official list of movements in the form hasn’t been published yet at the time this page was written, it’s not yet known how the techniques in the form are grouped together, and how many movements the form officially has. However, at an apparent 85 movements, it is definitely longer than all of the previous Kukki-won forms. The longest Kukki-won form before this one is Palgwae O Jang, with 31 moves, and the second-longest is Koryeo, with 30 moves.
Even though this form is much longer than the Palgwae forms, the Taegeuk forms, and the black belt forms, the forms in Kukki-won Taekwondo are generally shorter than forms in other styles of Taekwondo anyway. The longest form in Taekwondo is in Jukam-yu Taekwondo (GTF Taekwondo) with 95 moves. So Himchari puts the Kukki-won forms more in the range of Taekwondo forms in general.
The form has a large number of kicking combinations, which often include double kicks, and which often finish with a jumping technique. In fact a large number of the kicking techniques in the form are jumping techniques, or are performed in what is sometimes called ‘sparring style’, where the stance is less rigid. This leads to a ‘blurring’ of the floor diagram. Since the transitions between the kicks are less specific – because of the large number of kicking combinations – one’s position relative to a line of the diagram is less specific for any movement. This makes it harder to return to one’s starting position at the end of the form.
The hand techniques that appear in the form are quite simple – mostly knife-hand blocks, punches, and elbow strikes in a forward stance. For the most part, hand techniques and foot techniques are not mixed in this form – there are sequences consisting only of hand techniques and sequences consisting only of foot techniques. In fact, the hand techniques are quite underwhelming compared to the foot techniques, and almost look like they were put there in order to ‘balance out’ the form, and not simply have it be all kicking techniques. The separate sequences of hand and foot techniques do not appear to flow into one another well, making the form look slightly disjointed.