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What is Poomsae in TAEKWONDO  

Poomsae is not for demonstration. It is in some cases for training and in anothers for Taekwondo itself. You may know why I underline this point. Really many practice Poomsae for the sake of demonstration or the appropiate way only for demonstration with no consciousness. I think, it is owing to that they don't or cannot understand the full meaning of Poomsae.

At first, Poomsae of Taekwondo seems to be a series of movements, like dancing, so that it is merely a practice of physical exercise. But Poomsae is not confined within mere motions. It is a part of image training, and this is the key point of doing poomsae.

Therefore, there is something you must always keep in mind as you practice poomsae. Poomsae is not merely a series of movements made only by you. It also serves to situate your opponent. While this opponent is not seen by others, it can be seen by the Taekwondo-Een who practices poomsae. Therefore, the poomsae that excludes him ceases immediately to be poomsae. It ceases to be Taekwondo as well. (Ch.50 of Taekwondo Principle)

Then, what is poomsae? Poomsae is the established pattern focused on skills that standardized right motions every Taekwondo man should follow in most universal situations.(Ch.49) Thus, poomsae is a sort of training method and its elements are skills; the skills of fighting. Unless you cannot find why those motions can be a good fighting skill, then you don't understand the poomsae yet.

That is, poomsae is a set of fighting technique, so it is acting in relation to your opponent. Poomsae, as the optimum way of acting in relation to an opponent, developed not by chance but through the infinite experience and accumulated wisdom of the ancients. Therefore, the practitioner of Taekwondo poomsae does not fight alone but with the wisdom of his forebears. All true wisdom cannot be fixed but must flux with its own life situated in reality. The wisdom of Taekwondo in poomsae may at first appear as fixed formality; however, through that formality opens up infinite creative potential. Correct Taekwondo is simply creativity within temperate formality. (Ch.50 of Taekwondo Principle )