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Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and
scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches
more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline
that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through
training our body and mind. Today, it has become a
global sport that has gained an international
reputation, and stands among the official games in the
Olympics.
Let's take a closer look at the meaning of the word
"Tae" "Kwon" "Do." It is composed of three parts as
shown in the English spelling, though it is one word in
Korean. "Tae" means "foot," "leg," or "to step on";
"Kwon" means "fist," or "fight"; and "Do" means the
"way" or "discipline." If we put these three parts
together, we can see two important concepts behind "Tae
Kwon Do".
First, Taekwondo is the right way of using Tae and Kwon
'fists and feet,' or all the parts of the body that are
represented by fists and feet. Second, it is a way to
control or calm down fights and keep the peace. This
concept comes from the meaning of Tae Kwon 'to put fists
under control' [or 'to step on fists']. Thus Taekwondo
means "the right way of using all parts of the body to
stop fights and help to build a better and more peaceful
world."
Taekwondo has been developing with the 5000-year long
history of Korea, being called by several different
names in the course. In Korea, Taekwondo began as a
defense martial art called "Subak" or "Taekkyon," and
developed as a way of training body and mind in the
ancient kingdom of Koguryo, under the name of "Sunbae."
In the Shilla period, it had become the backbone of
Hwarangdo that aimed at producing leaders of the
country.
Taekwondo today is similar to the martial arts in other
Oriental countries and shares some features with them,
because in the course of its evolution it has gained
many different styles that existed in the martial arts
of the countries surrounding Korea, like Japan and China
but Taekwondo is very different from many such oriental
martial arts. First, physically it is very dynamic with
active movements that include a mirage of foot skills.
Second, the principle physical movements are in
simpatico with that of the mind and life as a whole.
Third, it possesses dynamic poses from another
perspective.
Taekwondo can be characterized by unity: the unity of
body, mind, and life, and the unity of the pose ["poomsae"]
and confrontation, and cracking down. When you do
Taekwondo, you should make your mind peaceful and
synchronize your mind with your movements, and extend
this harmony to your life and society. This is how in
Taekwondo the principle of physical movements, the
principle of mind training, and the principle of life
become one and the same. On the other hand, the right
poomsae lead to the right confrontation, which will
eventually produce great destructive power.
How come we reach such a unity in Taekwondo? Taekwondo
is a way of life, much like having a job, raising a
family, fighting for a cause, or any one of numerous
raison d'etre. What makes Taekwondo different from these
is that it is an activity for survival in extremely
antagonistic situations. One must always overcome the
enemy that is trying to cause harm. But simply winning a
fight is not enough to guarantee one's safety, because
the enemy may recuperate and attack again. Moreover,
there may be many other enemies than the one that was
just defeated. One cannot ever feel safe unless one
gains permanent peace. To attain this permanent or
lasting peace, one needs unity. This is what Taekwondo
aim for. Otherwise Taekwondo would be no different from
any other street-fighting skills.
Taekwondo pursues harmonious growth and improvements of
life through its unique activities. This is why one
could say Taekwondo is a way of life. To ultimately
enable ourselves to lead more valuable lives, we would
do well by finding the guiding principles deeply hidden
in Taekwondo.
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