Taekwondo poomse is a set series of moves for attack and defence against an imaginary opponent or opponents. Students are required to learn and master each new poomse(pattern) for promotion to the next rank along with their basic skills. Poomse requires focus, concentration, discipline, and a sense of aesthetics. To execute poomse properly is to demonstrate mental and physical refinement, to achieve the highest form of conduct.

Tageuk is the Korean name for the familiar symbol depicting the Yin and the Yang relationship. It denotes the the universal immortal principle from which which life springs. The Kwae, the sets of three bars around the perimeter of the Tageuk, symbolize the trinity of Tageuk, infinity, and um/yang.

At the most elementary level, poomse calls for a sense of composure and confidence. Performing Poomse with excellence calls for perfect technique, great balance, power and a sense of rhythm. Another quality that distinguishes great poomse from the technically competent is the sense of presence or projection of power. When you watch someone with that quality execute the Taekwondo poomse or patterns, you can practically feel the force in every block and every blow delivered.

The first stage is understanding the poomse and with knowledge of technique doing them well, at the second stage, you see an opponent at every turn, at the third stage you perform the poomse with such conviction that you actually make the audience see the opponent.

At an even deeper level there is the theory that contained (hidden) within the traditional forms (patterns) of the Martial arts is the advanced knowledge of striking vulnerable anatomical points on the human body to create a varying degree of effects to subdue your adversary, and that the poomse link these points in sequence enabling the weak to overcome the strong. Hence the old masters sayings that you must be able to visualise the opponent, otherwise you are merely moving your hands up and down like a puppet.