Volume 16 (Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do)

Book excerpt: Adding to General Choi Hong Hi's masterpiece, the Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do, this supplemental volume seamlessly integrates into his 15 Volume set. Volume 16 adds more than 620 photos to the approximately 30,000 of General Choi's Encyclopedia plus an additional 403 pages, 494 diagrams and 55,800+ words - all extensively researched, documented and primarily based on General Choi's other books. "I appreciate Mr. Campbell's efforts and I am certain that this Volume 16 will be a great addition to everyone's library." - Dr. George Vitale, Ph.D. (VIII Degree), the first (and to date only) American to earn an academic Ph.D. (in Taekwon-Do) from a North Korean university. Ko-Dang and U-Nam, two patterns connected by fate and politics, are invaluable parts of Taekwon-Do's history. While neither pattern was discarded entirely, both are complete patterns once considered part of the syllabus. Over time, the namesakes of Ko-Dang and U-Nam failed to continue to inspire a positive patriotic image for all Koreans as each presents acute political discomfort for one side of the Korean Peninsula; Ko-Dang for the North and U-Nam for the South. However, as Taekwon-Do's patterns are the core of the art, both patterns deserve inclusion in General Choi's Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do in order to document the whole of the art equally. In addition to Ko-Dang and U-Nam, Volume 16 also includes a new set of text descriptions for all of Taekwon-Do's patterns. The Condensed Patterns humbly continue the tradition in General Choi's books of improving the detail and clarity of the pattern descriptions while leaving the patterns themselves unchanged. From 1959's "Same as movement #6 from Pyung Ahn 4 [Sa Dan]," 1965's "L.B. stance" through to the Encyclopedia's presentation many improvements have been made over time. The Condensed Patterns continue this evolution by presenting all of the available text-based and footwork information offered in the Encyclopedia, the Condensed Patterns describe each pattern count in a brief and easy to consume format.