Taekwondo comes from Korea and is inspired by the ideals and deeds of famous military and civil leaders. It should never, under any circumstances be used for any commercial or political purpose. Taekwondo’s main aim is to eliminate fighting and to create a more unified and peaceful world. It opposes the oppression of the weak by the strong and seeks to increase humanity, justice, morality, wisdom and faith. The following are guidelines by which all serious students are encouraged to live: 1) be willing to go where the road is rocky and to do things that you know are going to be worth it even though you know that they are also going to be hard 2) be compassionate to those experiencing hard times and be strong to the strong 3) be content materially but always strive to do better skills wise 4) Always finish what you start 5) Be willing to teach anyone who wants to learn 6) Never yield to repression or threat if your cause is noble 7) Teach attitude and skill by actions rather than words 8) Always be yourself regardless of circumstances 9) Teach with your body when you are young, with words when you are old and by moral precept after you are dead. (From The Korean Art of Self Defence)
Before you can call yourself a teacher and hope to help create a unified and peaceful world, you have to find yourself, spiritually and morally and gain the respect of your fellows. You can do this the constant practice of mental discipline. Confucius said “To promote the sense of morality one must treat others with faithfulness and sincerity based on righteousness, and to eliminate completely vicious thinking.” Taekwondo places a great deal of emphasis on moral culture as it promotes a healthy body and a keen mind as well as good sportsmanship and the perfection of moral behaviour.
Virtue is endorsed at all times. Virtue is deemed to consist of these 5 qualities, which must be constantly practiced: 1) humanity – as defined by Confucius: to love people, especially one’s parents, don’t ask others to do something that you wouldn’t do, behave with propriety and self-control, to do what is right regardless of how small it may be in relation to how much effort it may cost, to value the honour of others’ before your own, to value the freedom of others’ before your own. 2) Righteousness – to be able to feel ashamed of unjust acts and to do your duty to others. 3) Propriety – describes a proper code of conduct i.e. in a situation where two men are starving a courteous man would offer the other a piece of bread out of respect and good manners. Confucius said that propriety was necessary for the proper development of personality and that to lack sincerity was to lose respect as a gentleman. 4) Wisdom – To able to judge right from wrong most especially in matters regarding yourself. To do what is right no matter how small it may seem. To never do what is wrong, no matter how small it may seem. 5) Trust – to be able to keep your promises to everyone and not only to the one’s you love. Trust forms the basis on which your principles are built and without it you become merely a liar and a cheater.
Man is given several tenets that will help him to discover his nature and then, ideally, improve upon it. We shall only look at a few. Be humble, one of Lao-Tzu’s teachings is that lofty virtue is like a deep valley that collects all streams of water; likewise a virtuous man will attract the respect of others while one who is selfish and egotistic will lose respect and become isolated. Respect of elders is vital in order to build a nation’s cultural and social order, without respect it could risk plunging into chaos. Respect the rights of others is a basic tenet that rings true for societies all around the world, without it we also risk chaos and anarchy. Be frugal, leaders must learn to be frugal and live moderately, which is a lesson all world leaders should learn. An adage I just learnt goes, “if the water is muddy upstream so it will be downstream.” Be discreet, do not be impulsive or reckless, and rather be patient and thoughtful in the things that you do and the decisions that you make. An old proverb says, “He who acts without thinking at least three times, will later regret his action.” Develop peace of mind, in Taekwondo that means that we do so in an active way by reflecting on past mistakes in the silence and privacy of our minds and try to continuously improve ourselves. This active, silent thought process is called “Jung-Joong-Dong”. Be firm of mind. To have strong convictions is to be unsuspicious and unafraid, it is to have the moral strength to admit when you are wrong and to have the courage to stand up to great opposition if you believe that you are right. Strong conviction comes from the broad and deep “Ki” spirit, which is an active form of energy that fills every cell and organ. If “Ki” is nurtured and allowed to grow based on humanity and justice it can enable man to reach new heights of achievement. It also allows us to keep our minds clear and alert when we are strained or confused or are battling to sleep during troubled times.
Taekwondo is in essence about developing moral character and preparing you mentally and spiritually to be the best possible example of human nature for your fellow humans in the hopes that they will learn from your actions. It is about seeking perfection in yourself and accepting flaws in others, which is a very hard thing to ask of anyone. It demands constant discipline and vigil, all in the name of peace and a better world. Is it all worth it? Well you could probably break someone’s neck with one sidekick and a punch to the chest could drive their ribs into their heart, which is instantly fatal. Walking around with that knowledge tucked away in your head must be pretty comforting, and you know its got to help for those situations when you have to face a tyrant and stand up for what you believe in or what you believe is right.
By Sandy Cosser
www.amazines.com
The Philosophy of Taekwondo
Significance of belts in Taekwondo
Ranking systems in Taekwondo are as numerous and varied as the organisations that oversee it. Traditional belt structure is used as a guideline for organisations to decide whether or not they want to use more gups than the normal nine, or fewer. They use different coloured belts, and some use stripes to distinguish between ranks of the same colour. The term “Gup” or “Geup” means “degree”. According to the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) there are 10 Gups, working backwards from 10 to 1, starting with a white belt and ending with a red-black belt. The term “Dan” means, “Phase”. There are 9 Dans, starting with the first and ending with the ninth, all represented by a black belt.
Songahm Taekwondo uses belts to reflect the level of competence and inner journey of each member. To advance to another belt colour is seen as an achievement worthy of great respect. Moving forward in rank isn’t simply a matter of time spent practicing. It requires a demonstration in proficiency regarding the current belt’s techniques, which include basic moves, sparring and forms.
The white belt represents purity and, as new students have no knowledge of Taekwondo, it also represents a clean slate. The Songahm Organisation uses the following idiom to explain the white belt, “As with the pine tree, the seed must now be planted and nourished to develop strong roots.” According to the Korean Martial Arts Academy (KMAA) the white belt is on the 9th Gup.
The Orange belt, 8th Gup, shows the development and growth of the student’s mind in much the same way as the seasons change in autumn. At least that is the interpretation of the KMAA. The Songahm view the orange belt as the rising of the sun, a metaphor describing how the student appreciates the beauty before him, but doesn’t fully recognise the power.
The KMAA view the yellow belt, 7th Gup, as signifying the earth; a foundation of Taekwondo basics on which more advanced knowledge can grow. They use the analogy of a seed expanding its roots into the earth as it begins to grow. The Songahm have a similar outlook, as they view the yellow belt as a “seed beginning to see the sunlight”. Students gain an understanding of the basic concepts of Taekwondo and are ready to build on that knowledge.
The Songahm have a Camouflage belt, which the KMAA don't have. This belt means that the student has now realised his or her place in the largest martial art in the world and must prepare him or herself to advance in rank.
The Green belt is common to both organisations and is considered to be the 6th Gup. Green traditionally represents growth and has the same meaning in Taekwondo, as the student develops and grows in strength.
According to the KMAA the 5th Gup, or Purple belt represents the changing sky at dawn. The student experiences new changes as he or she prepares to make the transition from an Intermediate student to Advanced. The Songahm, however, view the Purple belt as a mountain that must be overcome. As the student advances, and the techniques, forms and sparring become more technical, the ensuing difficulties must be overcome.
The Blue belt, 4th Gup, has similar connotations for both organisations. Blue encourages students to reach for the sky and press onward towards the ultimate destination in Taekwondo: the coveted Black belt.
It is at this point that the two organisations diverge and follow separate paths. For the KMAA the next step is the 3rd Gup, which is the Red belt. Red means danger and serves as a warning to students to balance their skills with wisdom and control. Songahm has a Brown belt that shows the student has mastered the basics and is well settled in the rhythm and culture of Taekwondo.
The organisations alternate the colours, with KMAA moving onto a Brown belt and Songahm onto a Red one. The KMAA Brown belt is the 2nd Gup and demonstrates that the student’s techniques are maturing and becoming more advanced. The Songahm Red belt represents the setting sun and means that the first phase of growth is coming to an end. They believe that while physical skill has been achieved, the student must still master physical and mental discipline.
The next belts are similar to both organisations again as they both represent the dawning of a new day with Red/Black belts, 1st Dan. The student’s new phase in training concentrates on the skills, mental and physical, that he or she will need as a black belt.
The Black belt incorporates the 1st to the 4th Dans. It signifies maturity and dignity and means that the basic curriculum has been covered and the student is ready to learn the true art of Taekwondo.
As we can see, there is more to the ranking system in Taekwondo than merely aiming for coloured belts. There is a certain level of spirituality that accompanies each stage of advancement. Taekwondo professes to be a peaceful and holistic martial art; it’s not simply a wham, bam, knock the spit out of you because I can sport. It teaches unity, generosity and respect of all living things. Students need to be able to prove their worthiness in these aspects in addition to their physical skills, before they can claim to be worthy of the belts they wear.
By Sandy Cosser
www.amazines.com
Taekwondo for spiritual and moral upliftment
Taekwondo is practiced for as many reasons as there are people doing it. Some people are interested in only the self-defence aspect, while others like the physical challenges the moves present. Whatever the reasons for taking up Taekwondo, people find that the benefits exceed their initial expectations. All it takes, according to Taekwondoworld.net, is a one-hour session twice a week, for you to experience an improvement in all areas of your life.
Along with the physical health benefits, practitioners experience a renewed respect for life. Consideration for others is one of the core facets of Taekwondo. As those practicing the art grow and increase their awareness of self, they learn that they can impact positively on the lives of others by changing their attitudes and perceptions. They learn that while they can’t control other people or world events, through selflessness and generosity, they may be able to subtly effect positive changes in the world around them.
The demand placed on practitioners, by the art itself as well as by their instructors, increases self-discipline. In the real world this translates into a higher work ethic and acknowledgement of responsibilities. There is a greater sense of accountability, and the realisation of martial arts goals motivates people to set more goals in their work and professional lives. As more is achieved, the desire to achieve grows. This initiates a healthy cycle of ambition and reward.
The primary purpose of Taekwondo is to enable the strong to defend the weak. It’s expected that they will stand against oppression and prejudice and lead by example with a keen sense of justice and appreciation for the gift of life. In this way, practitioners contribute to creating a peaceful and meaningful existence for all.
While those who take part in Taekwondo are encouraged to improve all the time and strive for perfection, they also realise that perfection is impossible to attain. This results in a reduction in stress levels as they learn to appreciate the journey of life and shift their focus away from completing the journey as quickly as they can. The increased recognition of beauty and wonder has a significant impact on mood and temperament and can even be used to successfully combat depression.
Mental power receives a boost because learning new moves, techniques, and routines increases the rate of neuron firing and encourages neural growth in the brain. The benefits of this are felt well into old age. Practitioners retain their mental perspicacity and flexible thinking long after their peers have lost theirs.
The essence of Taekwondo philosophy, and the ultimate spiritual goal of all practitioners can probably best be summed up by Confucius, who said, “to promote the sense of morality one must treat others with faithfulness and sincerity based on righteousness, and to eliminate completely vicious thinking”.
By Sandy Cosser
www.amazines.com
