The practitioner is in fact walking out Pre-arranged sequences, or patterns, of techniques which are aimed at developing a particular set of skills. These patterns are supported by meanings, which can be a philosophical, spiritual, or metaphysical concept; a historical personage or event symbolized through movements and numerated sequences; or simply a particular set of skills. Pumsae is infinite. These Taekwondo forms can be created to reveal or conceal any truth whatsoever.
While we may not be able to practice hard sparring on thru the twilight of our lives on this planet, one thing is certain; a person who is well advanced in years that is capable of recalling and performing over ten Taekwondo pumsae, is a person who is firm in their mind-body-spirit connection. It is thru pumsae (or poomse, poomsae) that the highest of martial knowledge is preserved, and it is thru pumsae that beauty and artistry is more fully expressed than thru any other martial practice. We keep the traditions and legacies of the great Karatemen of history alive thru pumsae. In fact, to examine the meanings behind these forms practiced in Taekwondo is to examine the very minds and souls of our Eastern brothers and sisters.