Learn arae makgi in taekwondo: low forearm block, arm path, end position and scoring in forms. With milestones, common mistakes and safety tips.
The honest answer: arae makgi is the low forearm block, and it is the first technique you see in the first form, Taegeuk Il Jang. The arm swings from the opposite shoulder in an arc downward and stops above the thigh. It is meant to deflect a kick or punch at belly and groin height.
Why look at the details? The World Taekwondo poomsae rules contain an example of a big mistake with a 0.3-point deduction for exactly this technique: performing a face block (eolgul makgi) instead of an arae makgi [1]. Small deviations in stances and hand movements such as makgi cost 0.1 point [1]. If you learn the block cleanly, you save those deductions.
On research: there is no study on arae makgi itself. Everything below is practice standard and the rule book. Realistically you need a few weeks until the block looks calm and precise (experience, not a study). This guide does not replace supervised training.
The block is one of the first techniques beginners see, and one people quickly learn "on the side". That is exactly why mistakes creep in: the block ends too high, the arm leaves the line, the stance shifts. If you learn the block thoroughly once, you have less to correct in all later forms.
Stand in ap kubi with one fist at the hip. The blocking arm starts at the opposite shoulder, the fist in front of the shoulder. Milestone: you hold the stance for 10 seconds, the torso stays upright.
Swing the forearm from the shoulder downward; the forearm rotation begins only during the swing. The elbow stays loose along the body. Milestone: the arm moves in a soft arc without jerking.
The fist stops above the thigh, about one to two fists of distance (practice standard, per your coach). The arm is slightly bent, the forearm forms a line. Milestone: a partner can lay a stick along your forearm and it points to the floor.
The other fist pulls to the hip at the same time (hikite). Both arms work together. Milestone: both arms start and stop at the same moment.
Practise the block with a step. In rhythm: step, hold the stance, block. Milestone: ten repetitions without losing balance.
Practising the technique alone carries little risk, but practising with a partner does. Among Korean youth and collegiate athletes, contusions were the most common injury type (25.3 % and 23.8 %), and contact with other athletes was the most frequent cause (57.6 % and 54.4 %) [2]. So block drills with a partner (for example blocking a slow kick) only with a coach, protection and controlled speed.
Do not condition your forearms by banging them together on your own. There is no study on effectiveness here, and the risk of bruises is real. This guide does not replace supervised training.
Practise the block alone and in the air first. When blocking a partner's kick, speed is the key: start so slowly that nothing can hurt, and agree a stop signal beforehand. Warming up wrist and elbow is part of it (practice standard).
When you run the form, count the block inwardly: one swing, one stop. That helps separate the technique cleanly from the next part. The rule book also scores the form's flow: a pause of three seconds or more counts as a big mistake [1].
Arae makgi is the low forearm block in taekwondo. The arm swings from the opposite shoulder downward and stops above the thigh to deflect a low attack.
In Taegeuk Il Jang it is one of the first techniques. Where exactly you learn from your coach, because details of the sequence vary by school.
In competition, confusing it with a face block counts as a big mistake and costs 0.3 points [1].
It can deflect a low attack, but that is training and situational awareness, not technique alone. This guide covers the technique.
As a rule of thumb two to three short sessions per week with 20 to 30 repetitions each, ideally in front of a mirror. Quality counts more than volume. There is no study on this.
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