Po Eun

The story of Po-Eun

Po-Eun is also known as Chong Mong-chu (1337-1392). He was a scholar and a faithful public servant during the Koryo Dynasty in the late 14th century. At the age of 23 he took three different national qualifying examinations that were used to select public servants and he received the highest scores on all three. He was involved in a variety of national projects as the king had such confidence in Chong’s wide knowledge, good judgement and his insights into human behaviour. From time to time, he also visited Japan and China as a diplomat for the king, securing promises of Japanese aid in defeating pirates and helping to establish peace with the Ming dynasty in 1385. He went on to found an institute devoted to the theories of Confucianism.

At this time, Yi Seong-gye was a powerful general in charge of the Koryo armed forces who had gained power and respect by beating the Mongols of Yuan China and by repelling well-organised Japanese pirates in a series of successful engagements. In the rise of the Ming Dynasty, the Koryo court at Kaesong split into two competing factions: the group led by General Yi (supporting the Ming) and the camp led by his rival, General Choi-Yong (whose exploits will be examined later).

In 1388, Ming China demanded the return of a significant portion of Koryo’s northern territory. Koryo responded with its own plans, King U electing to attack China and ordering Yi to force the Ming armies from the Korean peninsula. At the Amnok River border and confronted with the strength of the Ming army, Yi made a momentous decision that would alter the course of Korean history. Aware of his strong personal support in Kaesong, Yi decided to revolt and swept back to the capital, where he usurped the Koryo throne and took control of the government.

By 1392, Yi Seong-gye had established himself as the first king of the new Yi Dynasty, ending 475 years of Koryo rule. That loyal subject, Chong Mong-chu, had repeatedly maintained his support for the Koryo Dynasty and although he was something of an obstacle to Yi, he continued to enjoy the king’s respect as a scholar and a gentleman. However, the king’s son, Yi Bang-won (later King Taejong), was not so charitable and lured Chong to a banquet at his house where he challenged him to swear loyalty to Yi. Chong responded with a poem, one known to most Koreans today:

Though I die and die again, though I may die a hundred times,
Long after my bones have turned to dust, whether my soul remains or not,
Ever loyal to my Lord, how can this one red heart of mine ever fade away?

Leaving the house that evening, Chong Mong-chu was waylaid by five of Yi Bang-won’s men at Sonjuk Bridge in Kaesong. They beat him to death with an iron hammer, spilling his blood on the stones. Today, a brown spot on one of the stones is said to be the remnants of Chong’s blood and which allegedly turns red in the rain.

The 475-year-old Koryo Dynasty symbolically ended with Chong’s death and was replaced by the Choseon (Yi) Dynasty. Chong’s noble death symbolises his faithful allegiance to his king, and he was later canonised into the National Academy alongside such other Korean sages as Yi I (Yul-Kok) and Yi Hwang (Toi-Gye).

The pattern diagram is a single horizontal line, symbolising Po-Eun’s unswerving loyalty to his king at the end of the Koryo Dynasty. The pattern consists of 18 movements, repeated symmetrically, exemplifying his staunch conviction in the midst of change.

PO-EUN
Movements - 36
Ready Posture – PARALLEL STANCE WITH A HEAVEN HAND

1. Move the left foot to B, forming a right L-stance toward B while executing a middle guarding block to B with the forearm.
2. Pull the right foot to the left knee joint to form a left one-leg stance to D, at the same time lifting both fists while turning the face toward A.
3. Execute a pressing kick to A with the right foot keeping the position of the hands as they were in movement 2.
4. Lower the right foot to A to form a sitting stance toward D while executing a middle side strike to A with the right knife-hand.
5. Execute an angle punch with the left fist while maintaining a sitting stance toward D.
6. Execute a pressing block with the left, fore fist while executing a side front block with the right inner forearm, maintaining a sitting stance to D.
7. Execute a pressing block with the right fore fist and a side front block with the left inner forearm while maintaining a sitting stance toward D.
8. Execute a middle wedging block with the inner forearm while maintaining a sitting stance toward D.
9. Thrust to C with the right back elbow supporting the right forefist with the left palm, keeping the face as it was in 8, in a sitting stance to D.
10. Execute a middle punch to D with the right fist slipping the left palm up to the right elbow joint while maintaining a sitting stance toward D.
11. Thrust to C with the left back elbow supporting the left fore fist with right palm, keeping the face as it was in 10, in a sitting stance toward D.
12. Execute a right horizontal punch to A, maintaining a sitting stance to D. <ki-hap>
Perform 6 through 12 in a fast-continuous motion.
13. Cross the left foot over the right foot forming a right X-stance toward D while executing a low front block to D with the right outer forearm and bringing the left finger belly on the right under forearm.
14. Move the right foot to A forming a left L-stance toward A at the same time executing a U-shape grasp to A.
15. Bring the left foot to the right foot forming a closed stance toward D while executing a horizontal thrust with a twin elbow, turning the face toward B.
Perform in a slow motion.
16. Move the left foot to B to form a sitting stance toward D while executing a side back strike to C with the right back fist and extending the left arm to the side downward.
17. Cross the right foot over the left foot forming a left X-stance toward D while executing a low front block with the left outer forearm and bringing the right finger belly to the left side fist.
18. Move the left foot to B to form a sitting stance toward D while executing a low guarding block to B with a reverse knife-hand.
19. Execute a forearm middle guarding block to A while forming a left L-stance toward A pivoting with left foot.
20. Pull the left foot to the right knee joint to form a right one-leg stance toward D, at the same time lifting both fists while turning the face to B.
21. Execute a pressing kick to B with the left foot keeping the position of the hands as they were in movement 20.
22. Lower the left foot to B to form a sitting stance toward D while executing a middle side strike to B with the left knife-hand.
23. Execute an angle punch with the right fist while maintaining a sitting stance toward D.
24. Execute a pressing block with the right forefist while executing a side front block with the left inner forearm, maintaining a sitting stance to D.
25. Execute a pressing block with the left forefist and a side front block with the right inner forearm while maintaining a sitting stance toward D.
26. Execute a middle wedging block with the inner forearm while maintaining a sitting stance toward D.
27. Thrust to C with the left back elbow supporting the left forefist with the right palm, keeping the face as it was in 26, in a sitting stance to D.
28. Execute a middle punch to D with the left fist slipping the right palm up to the left elbow joint while maintaining a sitting stance toward D.
29. Thrust to C with the right back elbow supporting the right forefist with left palm, keeping the face as it was in 28, in a sitting stance toward D.
30. Execute a left horizontal punch to B, maintaining a sitting stance to D. <ki-hap>
Perform 24 through 30 in a fast-continuous motion.
31. Cross the right foot over the left foot forming a left X-stance toward D while executing a low front block to D with the left outer forearm and bringing the right finger belly on the left under forearm.
32. Move the left foot to B forming a right L-stance toward B at the same time executing a U-shape grasp to B.
33. Bring the right foot to the left foot forming a closed stance toward D while executing a horizontal thrust with a twin elbow, turning the face toward A.
Perform in slow motion.
34. Move the right foot to A to form a sitting stance toward D while executing a side back strike to C with the left back fist and extending the right arm to the side downward.
35. Cross the left foot over the right foot forming a right X-stance toward D while executing a low front block with the right outer forearm and bringing the left finger belly to the right side fist.
36. Move the right foot to A to form a sitting stance toward D while executing a low guarding block to A with a reverse knife-hand.
END: Bring the left foot back to a ready posture.

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