Overview

Taekwon-do is a version of unarmed combat designed for the purpose of self defence. It is however, more than that. It is the scientific use of the body in the method of self defence; a body that has gained the ultimate use of its facilities through intensive physical and mental training.

It is a martial arts that has no equal in either power or technique. Though it is a martial art, its discipline, technique and mental training are the mortar for building a strong sense of justice, fortitude, humility and resolve. It is the mental conditioning that separates the true practitioner from the sensationalist, content with mastering only the fighting aspects of the art.

This is one of the reasons why it is called an art of self defence. It also implies a way of thinking and life, particularly in instilling a concept and spirit of strict self-imposed discipline and an ideal of noble moral rearmament.

Translated literally “TAE” stands for jumping or flying, to kick or smash with the foot. “KWON” denotes the fist – chiefly to punch or destroy with the hand or fist. “DO” means an art or way – the right way built and paved by the saints and sages in the past. Thus taken collectively “TAEKWON-DO” indicates the mental training and the techniques of unarmed combat for self defence as well as health, involving the skilled application of punches, kicks, blocks and dodges with bare hands and feet to the rapid destruction of the moving opponent or opponents.

Taekwon-do enables the weak to possess a fine weapon together with a confidence to defend him or herself and defeat the opponent as well. Of course, wrongly applied, taekwon-do can be a lethal weapon. Therefore mental training must always be stressed to prevent the student from misusing it.

Even if taekwon-do is practiced for the sake of exercise alone, the enjoyment derived will justify the time invested and spent. As an exercise, it is equally suitable for the young and old, male and female.

(Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do. General Choi Hong Hi. Vol 1. Pg 21)

History of Taekwon-Do

Although the origins of the marital arts are shrouded in mystery, we consider it an undeniable fact that time immemorial there have been actions involving the use of hands and feet for the purpose of self protection. If we were to define these physical actions as “Taekwon-Do” any country might claim credit for inventing it. There is however, scant resemblance between Taekwon-Do, as it is practiced today, and the crude forms of unarmed combat developed in the past.

Modern Taekwon-do differs greatly from other martial arts. In fact, no other martial art is so advance with regards to the sophistication and effectiveness of its techniques or the overall physical fitness it imparts to its practitioners.

When & Where did Taekwon-Do begin?

A combination of circumstances made it possible for General Choi Hong Hi to originate and develop Taekwon-Do. In addition to his knowledge of Taek Kyon, he had an opportunity to learn Karate in Japan during the unhappy thirty-six years when his native land was occupied by the Japanese. Soon after Korea was liberated in 1945, he was placed in privileged position as founding member of the newly formed South Korean Armed Forces.

This provided him with a definite sense of creation, and the latter gave him the power to disseminate Taekwon-Do throughout the entire armed forces, despite furious opposition.

The emergence of Taekwon-Do as an international martial art in a relative short period of time was due to a variety of factors. The evils of contemporary society (moral corruption, materialism, selfishness, etc) had created a spiritual vacuum. Taekwon-Do was able to compensate for the prevailing sense of emptiness, distrust, decadence and lack of confidence.

In addition these were violent times, where people felt the need for a means of protecting themselves. And the superiority of Taekwon-Do technique came to be widely recognized. General Choi Hong Hi’s social status, the advantage of being Taekwon-Do’s founder and his god-given health also contributed to the rapid growth.

(Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do. General Choi Hong Hi. Vol 1. Pg 21)

Taekwon-Do

By PLAVEB
Identity Crisis

Henry’s Corner July 2011(1)

IDENTITY CRISIS

Dear Friends

Whatever endeavour we are engaged in, our primary task is to lay the foundation by establishing the objective we are seeking to achieve. This objective defines our identity and provides a focal point for our efforts.

Whether as an individual or a social structure, possessing a clear identity provides us, internally, with the clarity of purpose and, externally, a well defined message about what we stand for. The psychosocial state of disorientation brought about by the lack of a clearly defined identity becomes apparent through the visible angst and incoherent expression of purpose by the individual or organization.

In general martial arts have been suffering from an identity crisis for a long time and Tae Kwon Do has not been immune to this state of confusion. This loss of clarity over what Tae Kwon Do actually signifies was not caused by a change in the original doctrine of Tae Kwon Do but because of two other reasons.

Firstly, the hijacking and bastardisation of the art by those who wish to profit from it by making pretences of purity but using the art as a vehicle for their selfish purposes.

Secondly, Tae Kwon Do has been allowed to stagnate by not keeping it in step with the changes in the world and thus maintaining its relevance. The spirit of the art does not have to be compromised for it to adapt to the real world.

In this hyper-materialistic world we live in, the desire to attain wealth far beyond what we require to fulfil our essential needs becomes the impetus for so much of human activity. Financial prosperity as a by-product of the proper instruction of Tae Kwon Do is a legitimate consequence but for too many instructors Tae Kwon Do is a business first and an art second.

Boxing has two main objectives, firstly, to knock out your opponent and secondly, to make money in the process. At least there is no pretence here. Whether you agree with the concept of pugilism as a sport or not, at least its proponents and practitioners do not attempt to deceive the public by pretending to aspire to higher ideals. Where is the integrity in a Tae Kwon Do instructor who forgets that the tenets of the art are its core values and simply pays lip service to them while focusing on being financially successful. The sad fact is that most of them are not even effective at making money and the irony is that living by the tenets of Tae Kwon Do would actually bring greater riches both spiritual and material.

Beginning with the introduction of Tae Kwon Do as an Olympic event, the prevalence of tournaments may have contributed to the popularization of the art but there is a real risk that these events will also trivialize the art if the “spectacle” is not supported by a clear demonstration of its tenets

Change is a certainty and the world is a different place now to what it was at the inception of Tae Kwon Do. The doctrine and the timeless tenets of Tae Kwon Do may remain unchanged but the delivery of its message has to be adapted to the changing environment we live in.

In an age of world-wide turmoil, conflict, insecurity, anxiety and breaking down of traditional institutions, what is the role Tae Kwon Do can play to deliver the peace and harmony which this art is supposed to help achieve? By demonstrating the inner peace we achieve through the practice of this art and by sharing our core values through proper instruction we can show others how through our art we can achieve stability and transcend the chaos that surrounds us.

Do we know what we are and do we know where we are going?