In other styles Patterns are 'Kata', 'Forms' or 'Drills'.

Patterns consist of various defence and attack techniques against imaginary opponents.

They are the 'putting together' of individual techniques to practice and perfect the techniques and form the art.

Imagine if you were learning a new language. Learning each word is fine, but to be able to speak the language fluently you must put these words into sentences to generate conversation.

Patterns are sentences of techniques.

There are 24 patterns in the Tae kwon do syllabus.

The patterns start from beginner level all the way up to 5th Dan black belt.

Each pattern introduces new and sometimes harder techniques as training progresses.

The reason for 24 patterns as quoted by the late founder of Tae Kwon Do.

"The life of a human being, perhaps 100 years can be considered as a day when compared with eternity. Therefore, we mortals are no more than simple travellers who pass by the eternal years of an eon in a day.

It is evident that no one can live more than a limited amount of time. Nevertherless most people foolishly enslave themselves to materialism as if they could live for a thousand years. And some people strive to bequeath a good spiritual legacy for coming generations, in this way, gaining immortality. Obviously, the spirit is perpetual while material is not. Therefore, what we can do to leave behind something for the welfare of mankind is, perhaps, the most important thing in our lives.

Here I leave Tae Kwon Do for mankind as a trace of man of the late 20th century.

The 24 Patterns represent 24 hours, one day, of all my life."

General Choi Hong Hi 9th Dan
(1918-2002)