Rocky Mountain Taekwon-Do
Teresa Green - 2nd Dan USTF
Buena Vista, Colorado USA
Taekwon-Do
Taekwon-Do - Information
Five Parts of Discipline
During training the student of Taekwon-Do should constantly develop mental and physical discipline. The following activities, which are listed in the Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do, should be considered an integral part of training.
TRAVEL (Yo Haeng)
Patriotism can be gained by traveling to noted or historical areas. An American student once remarked after visiting Gettysburg and the site of General Pickett’s famous charge, “the fighting spirit and courage they possessed to attempt to conquer an unconquerable position must have come from a loyalty all officers would like to achieve.” Students should seek out these monuments, study and attempt to learn from them.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING (Dung San)
This form of exercise not only develops important leg muscles, but also nourishes the spirit and promotes a feeling of victory and triumph, as illustrated in the well known Korean poem; “No matter how high the mountain is, it can be compared to a small tomb under the heaven. There is no reason why man cannot succeed if he desires to climb it. All too often, however, one claims it is too high to climb without even making the attempt.”
COLD SHOWERS AND BATHS (Naengsoo Machal)
By taking cold showers and baths or exercising on snow covered ground in bare feet, students build tenacity and pride.
PUBLIC SERVICE (Sahwe Bongsa)
By contributing labor to the community, especially to the poor and disabled the student learns charity, humility, comradeship, tolerance and a sense of generosity.
ETIQUETTE (Ye Jol)
A high degree of etiquette should be observed by students, both inside and outside of the do jang. This should be applied by lower ranking students to senior students while training, by higher ranking students to elder students outside of the training hall (do jang), and by all students when visiting another do jang. In all cases, emphasis should be placed on correct and proper salutation. It is a form of respect and courtesy in Western as well as Oriental societies.
It is indeed poor taste for a black belt to slight a beginning white belt who might very well be the instructor’s senior both in age and situation. Students visiting other do jangs, whether they are Taekwon-Do or other martial arts, must pay proper respect and observe the traits of modesty and courtesy at all times.