Taekwondo

Taekwondo is an ancient martial art and a modern sport. The art of Taekwondo originated nearly 2,000 ears ago in Korea, and it was an Official Demonstration Sport in the 1988 Olympic Games on Seoul, Korea and at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. Literally translated, Taekwondo means way of the striking hand and kicking foot. But to its students, Taekwondo is a way of life. Beginning students learn the five tenets of Taekwondo: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indomitable spirit. It is essential to develop the right attitude toward instructors and fellow students and to show respect for elders in class as well as outside of class. Taekwondo teaches students to respect themselves so that they can respect others. What better gift can a parent give a child than the gift of self-respect.

Taekwondo History

The modern philosophy of Taekwondo comes largely from the 7th century Hwarang-do, which means "way of the Flowering Manhood," a group of noblemen in the kingdom of Silla, the smallest of the three kingdoms on the Korean peninsula for the first time in history. The five principles they lived by were: be loyal to your country; be obedient to your parents; be honorable to your friends; never retreat from adversity; and never take life unnecessarily. This is the nonaggressive foundation of modern Taekwondo, the respectful philosophical foundation that sets it apart from other martial arts.

Toward the end of end of the 10th century, Silla was overthrown and the kingdom of Koryo was founded. For the next 500 years it was compulsory for all young men to learn martial arts such as Tae Kyon and Soo Bak. Then the old arts declined and they would have been lost if it had not been for the Buddhist monks who kept them alive in their mountain refuges. During the Japanese occupation from 1910 through 1945, the practice of the martial arts was banned in an attempt to suppress the Korean nationalist spirit. Following World War II came a flowering of Korean arts and , in 1955, Taekwondo acquired its modern name. Since then it has spread throughout the world and is called by some the fastest growing sport in the world.

Taekwondo Tenets

Courtesy (Yelu)
- to promote the spirit of mutual concessions
- to be ashamed of one's vices, contemplating, those of others
- to be polite to one another
- to encourage a sense of justice
- to distinguish instructor from student and senior from junior
Integrity (Yom Chi)

Integrity, in Taekwondo, means being able to define right from wrong and to have the conscience, if wrong to feel guilt. Examples:
- the instructor who misrepresents himself and his art by presenting improper techniques to his students because of lack of knowledge of because of apathy
- the student who misrepresents himself by "fixing" breaking material
- the student who request rank from an instructor or attempts to purchase rank
- the student who gains rank for ego purposes or the feeling of power
- the instructor who promotes the art for materialistic gains
Perseverance (In Nae)

There is an old oriental saying, "Patience leads to virtue or merit." A serious student must learn not to be impatient: to continue steadfastly, to presever.
Self-Control (Gulk Gil)

This tenet is extremely important inside and outside of the Djang whether conducting one's self in free sparring or in one's personal affairs. A loss of one's self-control can prove disastrous to both student and opponent. An inability to work within one's capability is also lack of self-control.
Indomitable Spirit (Baekjul Boolgool)

A serious student will at all times be modest and honest. If confronted with injustice, he will deal with the belligerent without fear or hesitation and with an indomitable spirit, regardless of whomever or how many the number may be.