The Korean terms
hyeong,
pumsae, and
teul (meaning "form" or "pattern") are all used to refer to
martial arts forms that are typically used in
Korean martial arts such as
Taekwondo and
Tang Soo Do.
- Hyeong is often romanized as hyung. This term is used primarily in earlier styles of taekwondo, often referred to as traditional taekwondo.
- Pumsae is often romanized as poomsae or poomse. This term is used primarily in Kukkiwon/WTF-style taekwondo.
- Teul is often romanized as tul. This term is used primarily in ITF-style taekwondo.
A hyeong is a systematic, prearranged sequence of martial techniques that is performed either with or without the use of a weapon. In traditional
dojangs (training halls), hyeong are used primarily as a form of interval training that is useful in developing
mushin, proper kinetics and mental and physical fortitude. Hyeong may resemble combat, but are artistically non-combative and woven together so as to be an effective conditioning tool. One's aptitude for a particular hyeong may be evaluated in competition. In such competitions, hyeong are evaluated by a panel of judges who base the score on many factors including energy, precision, speed, and control. In western competitions, there are two general classes of hyeong: creative and standard. Creative hyeong are created by the performer and are generally more
acrobatic in nature and do not necessarily reflect the kinetic principles intrinsic in any martial system.