Taekwondo: The Spirit of Korea - Article Example

Taekwondo: The Spirit of Korea Introduction The history of taekwondo is an excellent demonstration of the Korean people’s aspirations towards martial arts. Perhaps the best description can be found in the “Haedongjukchi”, a 1923 book by historian Choi Yong Nyon in which he revealed that: "There was a fighting skill in which the players would try to knock each other down using the feet. The lowest skill level was kicking the opponent’s leg, the next highest was to kick the shoulder, and the highest recognition was given to the one who could kick the opponent’s topknot." (Capener 2000. para. 10) It is believed that the earliest form of combat art to develop in Korea was called the “subakhi”. The early sport emphaisized the use of hand techniques and was quite popular among the masses during the Koryo Dynasty.but, historical records revealed that this sport suffered during the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) as the nation focused on literary rather than physical activities due to the ruling class intervention. The development however, did not bring the development of “subakhi” to a halt but rather cause the sport to evolve into what became known as "takkyon". This was not a simple name change. The techniques used were also changed from hand based to foot based. And it is fairly accurate to believe that this “takkyon” art is actually what is known today as “taekwondo”. Presently, both the WTF and ITF are considered to be the largest worldwide taekwondo organizations. A group of different national taekwondo teams established the WTF in 1973 which is currently based in South Korea. The aim of this organization is the coordination of international events and competitions using the International Olympic Committee’s rules and regulations. The ITF, on the other hand, dates back to 1966. The unofficial training headquarters of this organization is based in Pyongyang, North Korea. It was commissioned in the 1990s however; the organization is currently split into three different groups. One of the groups is based in Canada while the other two are based in Austria. Each of these group claims to be the original. There are however many other smaller organizations around the world, some of them are included in the following list: The Taekwondo Association of Great Britain (TAGB) National Progressive Taekwondo Association (NPTA) American Taekwondo Federation (ATF) The American Taekwondo Association (ATA) The International Progressive Taekwondo Federation (IPTF) Those organizations are quite similar, however, there are some technical differences primarily in their patterns positioning and technique and also in the sparring competition rules. There are also some philosophical differences as some schools tend to recognize two more tenants beyond the five original namely love and community service. THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE GAME: The basic theme of the game is to fight confusion, which is a common human value, and to help the individual in his quest to find the right path and attain the height of morality. In broad terms, to try to make this corrupt and crime dominated world a better place. The trainee is expected to apply the taekwondo philosophy not only inside the training facility but rather in all aspects of his life. The taekwondo philosophy can be easily understood once its oath and tents are appreciated. The student oath is one of them primary parts of taekwondo training program and is considered to be as important as the physical training itself. Taekwondo trainees are required to fully understand and abide by this oath throughout their taekwondo career. The opening line of the oath reads: “I shall observe the tenants of tae kwon do.” By that, the student declares his willingness to apply the tenants of the taekwondo in his general conduct inside and outside the “dojang” or the training ring. There are generally five tenants of taekwondo and they are as follows (Eccles n.d. para.2): i) Courtesy: Maintaining good manners and appropriate etiquette at all times. ii) Integrity: Knowing right from wrong, and to have a guilty conscience when Knowingly doing wrong iii) Perseverance: To try, try and try again until a satisfactory outcome results. iv) Self Control: At all times to have control over ones thoughts and actions. v) Indomitable Spirit: Having the spirit, or "guts", to stand up for something you believe in even if many people oppose you. More specifically to physical training, the willingness and attitude to constantly push your limits through training and performing with 100 % effort and commitment. The second line of the oath reads: “I shall respect the instructor and seniors.” This may seem to be self explained, however, there are many implications that should be understood. A good training environment can never be established if the instructor and seniors are not properly respected. Showing respect, however, is by no means confined to simply saluting the instructor or the senior but rather should extend to appreciating all the dedicated time and efforts offered by the instructor and other seniors. To fully abide by this line of the oath, a student is required to demonstrate his full commitment to the training program. The student must not forget, however, that respect should be earned. This means that an equal amount of respect should be shown to juniors and students in return. The instructor and seniors should understand that it is their sole responsibility to display the kind of character and conduct worth of respect by all those around them. The third line of the Oath reads: “I SHALL NEVER MISUSE TAEKWONDO”. This line reflects the most basic definition of taekwondo which is a version of unarmed self defense. The obvious meaning of this line is that the skills earned through taekwondo training must never be used meaninglessly but rather as a last resort and in self defense. If a student is ever aggravated, he is required to dismiss such attempts and display the highest level of self control. “I SHALL BE A CHAMPION OF FREEDOM AND JUSTICE” is the fourth line of the oath. Apart from the traditional fighting for the righteous cause, a person armed with taekwondo can be the champion of justice in many simple ways. One of the simplest requires the adoption of an open mind and accepting new ideas and lifestyles. This line of oath can be fulfilled through simply “not judging a book by its cover” Without proper and complete knowledge of the situation, justice can never be proclaimed. Justice requires that the facts concerned to that situation must be fully appreciated before arriving at a decision. As a result, taekwondo practitioners are required to completely understand critical situations before jumping to conclusions and actions. The last line of the oath reads: “I SHALL BUILD A MORE PEACEFUL WORLD.” To fulfill this line, the student should learn to live his life peacefully and in harmony. If every member of the society strove to live his life according to this principle, the world would become a better place. However, the student remains allowed using the taekwondo techniques in self defense whenever absolutely necessary. Under such circumstances, the student’s actions will not be considered a violation of the above line. TRAINING Kicking techniques are perhaps the most prominent features of taekwondo. Kicking techniques also constitute the major differences between the taekwondo style and other Asian martial arts such as kung fu and karate. Legs are used because they are the longer and stronger than any other part of the human body as a result of their texture, legs can be used to strike hard with little chances of successful retaliation. Different taekwondo schools teach different techniques, however the typical taekwondo practitioner can generally perform self defence techniques, patterns (also called forms, poomsae, teul, hyeong), sparring (called kyeorugi, or matseogi in the ITF), relaxation and meditation exercises, breaking and falling techniques. In some taekwondo schools, the use of pressure points (ji ap sul) is also incorporated along with different other grapping techniques borrowed from related martial arts. Quality techniques can never be produced only through conscientiousness and rigorous training. But at the same time, following an unqualified instructor is the quickest way to complete failure. Proper guidance is very necessary. The student is required to follow all the instructions religiously. However, in order to attain quality, the student needs to maintain few points into his or her consideration (Taekwondo 2006): 1. To study the theory of power thoroughly. 2. To understand the purpose and method of each movement clearly. 3. To bring the action of eyes, hands, feet and breathe into one single coordinated action. 4. To choose the appropriate attacking tool for each vital spot. 5. To become familiar with the correct angle and distance for attack and defence. 6. Keep both the arms and legs bent slightly while movement is in motion. 7. All movements must begin with a backward motion with very few exceptions. However, once the movement is in motion it should not be stopped before reaching the target. 8. To create a sine wave during the movement by utilizing the knee spring properly. 9. To exhale briefly at the moment of each blow excepting a connecting motion. SIGNIFICANCE OF BELT COLORS AND SYSTEM OF RANK White, yellow, green, blue, red and black are the six belts used for the ranking system. Beginners are marked with the white belt, while black is used to indicate the advanced level. Students who possess black belts are known to have advanced through all junior grades and have a clear understanding of the taekwondo foundation. Each color has its own significance. The white color is an indication of innocence and that’s why it is used to mark beginner students who have no previous experience with taekwondo. The yellow belt is used to indicate “earth” which is used by the plant to support its foundations. As the plant grows, it turns green. The green color it thus used by to indicate personal growth and skill development. The plant will grow up towards the sky which is signified by the blue color. Hence, the blue color is indicates that the trainee is now in position of a strong and mature taekwondo foundation. The red color is use as a warning; it reminds the student of the importance of self control while it tells his opponents to keep clear. The final color is black, it is the opposite of white and thus it indicates maturity and ability. The black belt also indicate that its holder is now immune to fear and darkness. The advancement through the ranks requires the student to complete several promotion tests through which the student will demonstrate his or her capabilities in various taekwondo techniques. A panel of judges will determine if the student deserves to be promoted to the next grade or not. Although there are many differences between such promotion tests depending on the school, however, in general, they all include elements such as patterns execution (the combination of different techniques in a specified sequence), self defense and sparring. The student is required to demonstrate his ability to practically apply and control such techniques. At the same time, the test also include a question and answer session in which the student is required to answer questions testing his concepts, history appreciation, knowledge and understanding of the terminology. A written test may sometimes be required for higher ranks along with the submission of a research paper along with the practical test. In taekwondo, students will progress through ranks by following this pattern (Taekwondo 2006): white belt given to the beginner (10th gup) white belt yellow tags (9th gup) yellow belt (8th gup) yellow belt green tags (7th gup) green belt (6th gup) green belt blue tags (5th gup) blue belt (4th gup) blue belt red tags (3rd gup) red belt (2nd gup) red belt black tags (1st gup) through to Black Belt (1st dan/degree) References: Capener D. Steven, (2000), Taekwondo: The Spirit of Korea, Published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism- Republic of Korea, Retrieved April 4, 2008, from: http://www.martialartsresource.com/anonftp/pub/the_dojang/digests/spirit.html Eccles Grant (n.d.) Black Belt Essay- A Plain English Explanation Of The ITF Student Oath, Retrieved April 4, 2008, from: http://www.itfnz.org.nz/ref/essays/calvin.htm Taekwondo Legacy (2006), Retrieved April 4, 2008, from: http://taekwondo-legacy.com/index.php Read More