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The Values of Taekwondo and How They Have Helped Me in Life

// August 6th, 2010 // View Comments // Blackbelt

By Wyatt Benson

This paper is about the values taekwondo has taught me and how it has helped me in life. Taekwondo gives me the confidence to do what is right.

Taekwondo is not an aggressive martial art, but it is a defensive one. We learn self- defense. We wear protective gear because we don’t want to hurt the opponent nor do we want to hurt ourselves when we are practicing.

Taekwondo is related to Confucianism and war. Taekwondo was invented when the Goguryeo kingdom was growing in power and the Silla Dynasty was growing weaker. The Silla Dynasty started to make a group of warriors that could fight back. They could start being trained when they were twelve. They were trained in the martial art that is called taekwondo. The martial arts started to fade away when Confucianism began. Confucianism didn’t encourage fighting so that meant it didn’t encourage taekwondo. People still practiced taekwondo underground. Then, the martial art came back.

The values of taekwondo are the things teachers and students believe in and the guidelines to life. Another name for values is ethics. There are many different guidelines or commandments in taekwondo. They include loyalty to your country, friends, and school, respect for your parents, brothers and sisters, elders and teachers. There is also faithfulness to your husband or wife. Students must never take another’s life unjustly, only in self-defense, and they have to finish what they start.

Taekwondo has a code of honor, because of its military background, called the HwaRang Code of Honor. The code tells students to serve their lord and parents with loyalty, trust friends, never retreat from a battle or a challenge, and be selective when taking an enemy’s life.

Taekwondo also has The Four Elements of Self Esteem. This means self-respect, knowing that you treat yourself and other people well. The first one is stay focused on reality and be honest about what you can do. Secondly, be cooperative and flexible with people. Do not put down people and learn from others. The third is stay clear about what matters to you, be responsible, and know your boundaries. Do not do things just because your friends are doing them. You need to set your own goals. The last one is stay kind, accept things and others without judgment. Enjoy the things that make us different and don’t try to make people see things your way.

The guiding principles, or tenets, of taekwondo are these:

Courtesy- Be polite to one another, be ashamed of your faults, and treat people fairly.
Integrity- Know right from wrong and have a conscience. If you’re wrong, feel guilty.
Perseverance-Be patient and steadfast in working toward goals. This means be determined and don’t give up.
Self Control -You need to have self control so things don’t get out of hand when sparring or just in real life.
Indomitable Spirit- Be honest and help people even if they are getting hurt or struggling, no matter whom they are. Don’t be beaten down. If you have a rough time, just never give up.

Taekwondo has helped me very much in life. It has helped me at home, at school, and in baseball. In baseball it has made me stronger. I’m better than I used to be because of taekwondo. I have been playing harder and I have been hitting better. I have good balance when I’m pitching, stronger legs for running, a stronger arm for throwing, and taekwondo helps me focus.

I’m able to do better in school because I concentrate. I try harder than I used to in school because I always want to finish what I begin. I feel more confident that I will do well. I have shown more effort in my work and that led to getting high honors all four quarters this past year.

At home, I think before I talk. I have shown respect to my parents and elders. I don’t make as many mistakes as I used to.

I know that I can always improve, so I plan to stick with taekwondo. I like teaching others, and I want to work towards my second degree. I have shown much effort in taekwondo and I am almost a black belt. I feel safer knowing that if anyone tries to attack me, I will know how to defend myself. It makes me feel good to know that taekwondo has helped me in so many other parts of life, too.

Bibliography

Found on June 1, 2009, Ethics, from www.barrel.net

Found on June 2, 2009, The Tenets of Tae Kwon Do, from www.mountainacademy.netfirms.com

Found on June 2, 2009, Four Elements of Self Esteem, from www.mountainacademy.netfirms.com

Found on June 1, 2009, Who Invented Taekwondo? from www.sportscomet.com

Protected: Tae Kwon Do Helped Me Personally

// June 15th, 2010 // Enter your password to view comments. // Blackbelt

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Protected: Kinder Kicks

// June 7th, 2010 // Enter your password to view comments. // Blackbelt, Instructors

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A Martial Artists Canvas

// June 7th, 2010 // View Comments // Blackbelt

A Martial Artists Canvas

By Imy Rich

White belt=the beginning, a student, a blank canvas. The instructors and peers have the paint that will then become the martial artist. A white belt may be the 4 year old kinder kick student with a bit of a bully issue or the 60 year old mother and grandmother who is just trying to find something to occupy her time.

Yellow belt=your knowledge is rising like the sun. At this point the student becomes more knowledgeable, He or she will become a teacher to the white belts by showing them how to tie their belts, show respect to others, can become a first contact to new students. There is now a bit of color on the canvas, you can see a person with a uniform right dab in the center.

Green belt=your knowledge is growing like the grass. By this point the student has been attending classes for approximately a year. They have made a commitment to the art. Green belts may be called upon to lead stretching exercises. A green belt may be asked to assist white and yellow belts in learning new things. A green belt has the skills to protect him/herself in a fight. Green belts respect their family/classmates/friends/teachers. On the canvas you can see the person standing on solid ground.

Blue belt=your knowledge is as deep as the ocean. Blue belt is an exciting time. The instructors at this point can look at a blue belt and know if that person has the ability and the skill to become a black belt. Most people will drop out at this point if they are not ready for the hard work to come. The student that holds a blue belt will see their skills change during this phase, going from a beginner to a martial artist. The canvas now has background and sky (a past and a future).

Red belt=you now have the knowledge to draw blood. A red belt understands what it means to walk away from a fight. A red belt has the ability to take over class if needed. A student who has achieved this rank understands that martial arts are an art form and not just a way to become strong and tough. The canvas now has detail: flowers, trees, clouds, friends and family standing around the martial artist.

Black belt=everything. I often say that black belt is when you really begin to learn. As a black belt you are expected to teach class when needed. Whether or not you are teaching, students will ask you questions, if you do not know the answers, you will need to find the answers. In order to answer a question from a lower rank, you need to learn it for yourself, which may require that you ask your instructor or take a class elsewhere in order to find the appropriate answer. Students will ask you why you do this technique this way instead of that way. Since you learned it this way, it may not occur to you that there was even a “that” way. Having lower ranking students asking you about your martial art requires you to keep up with your training. You must continue to learn and not forget the basics that you were taught years ago, otherwise your credibility as an instructor will be questioned. The canvas now has been framed and hung onto a wall, but now you have in front of you several other canvases in many shapes and sizes, representing your students, your school, and their growth.

You will notice that each student progresses at his or her own pace. A kinder kicker will take a year or longer to get to yellow belt, whereas it would take an adult 3 months. Some students will progress through the ranks quickly and then they are held back, either voluntarily or because one of the instructors decided that the student is not quite at that level. We see this often at red belt and green belt. At green belt we expect our students to show power, remember all of the forms and techniques, have respect, and have good stances, and if they don’t show all of the above that student may be held back 1 or 2 tests. At red belt we expect our students to be able to demonstrate everything that they have learned up until that point, plus be able to teach it to others. We expect a future black belt to be able to take over class at any point. There is so much to learn before you test for black belt, you must be able to show your peers that you have creativity and skill.

At this point in my martial arts career I have seen my “wall” fill with many canvases. Many never finish, those that are complete are beautiful in their own way. Each canvas is unique. Some students strengths lie in forms, others in step sparring, others are really great teachers. I thought that my canvas was finished, I have discovered that there is much detail yet to be filled in, so as I continue to learn my canvas changes..