The Tenets of Tae Kwon Do
Courtesy (Ye Ui). To be thoughtful and considerate of others. Tae Kwon Do practitioners (both students and instructors) should be polite, and show consideration for others.
Integrity (Yom Chi). Integrity describes how you should interact with others. To be honest and good, earn respect and trust.
Perseverance (In Nae). This basically stands for your internal drive. Challenges allow us to improve ourselves and should therefore not be avoided.
Self Control (Guk Ki). To have control of your body and mind. A Tae Kwon Do student should practice controlling his actions and reactions.
Indomitable Spirit (Baekjool Boolgool). To have courage in the face of adversity. A Tae Kwon Do student should never be dominated by, or have his spirit broken by another.
Tae Kwon Do is the most popular martial art in the world, practiced in 165 countries. There are two primary governing bodies for Tae Kwon Do worldwide: The World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF), led by Dr. Un Yong Kim, and the International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF), founded and led by Gen. Hong Hi Choi. The Korean government only recognizes the WTF. For this reason, due to its involvement in the Olympics, World Games, and the World Tae Kwon Do Championships, the WTF is considered politically the more powerful of the two.
Tae Kwon Do is action philosophy. “Tae” is ‘kicking, jumping, or using the feet’. “Kwon” is ‘striking or using the hands’. “Do” means ‘A Way or Path through Life’. Tae Kwon Do is therefore “The way or Art of striking with the hands or feet”.
It is a martial art that promotes physical, mental, and emotional growth through life, respect to elders, helping the less fortunate, and betterment of one’s community.
Tae Kwon Do can help a person develop good coordination, while gaining strength, flexibility, and improving cardiovascular conditioning. A person can also build self-confidence, gain better judgment and improving self-control.
While developing a strong body, along with a sound mind, it is important to learn valuable lessons offered by Tae Kwon Do. Tae Kwon Do has three lessons, which are:
The way to be honest, always standing for justice
How to respect and help others
The meaning of loyalty and courtesy
Incorporating these aspects and lessons in one’s personal life will help them become a disciplined, strong, humble and gentle person. It will also help promote in developing self-respect for themselves and others.