TAE KWON-DO
THE PATH OF VIRTUE
Training in Tae Kwon-Do is more than the study of fighting technique and self defense. The study of technique is not the task of a day or of ten thousand days. It is rather the path of a lifetime. Through regular practice and sweat one may attain the first level of development. Beyond technique, however, is the cultivation of the inner person.
The exercises of Tae Kwon-Do develop
strength and flexibility of the body. Hyung (
:
forms) develop patience, concentration,
and attention to detail.
Free fighting develops inner awareness and confidence. In the end, however,
only by balancing all of these can one reach beyond the black belt to the
true virtue of Tae Kwon-Do. Only a few will attain black belt rank, and fewer
still
will reach beyond it to a mature understanding of self and of martial art.
Through Tae Kwon-Do we aim to master ourselves as the first step toward mastering the world around us. We practice physical technique, which helps our understanding, and leads us toward virtue.
“If you continue this simple practice every day, you will attain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after you attain it, it is nothing special.”
Shunryu Suzuki
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
