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Koryo and Chosun Dynasties

Hongik-Ingan stresses respect for all human beings. The Korean people throughout the Koryo and Chosun periods were taught in their daily life to respect their superiors and treat their inferiors kindly. During this time, scholars were expressing various philosophical theories. One of the scholars, Great Scholar Yi Toe Gye, favored the theory of dualistic spiritual energy, which is represented by the four moral minds of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom and the seven sentiments of joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, love, vice, and avarice. Another scholar, Great Scholar Yi Yul-Kok, said in his writings, "I endeavored incessantly to achieve self-restraint until I could reach a realm of a saintly life," "I do what is to be done with all sincerity," and "Cultivation of the mind and learning should be continued without slowing down the tempo." These sayings partly reflect the spirit of Taekwondo. One of the most significant ideals of the time was that of Chon-do (doing the right thing or following the right way), which has become an integral part of Taekwondo philosophy.

Spirit of Hwarangdo

The Hwarangdo spirit was based on the idea of Seon along with the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It contained the three virtues, the five principles of the world; and the three virtuous conducts.

Three Virtues

• Chung (loyalty): refers to loyalty to the nation.

• Hyo (Filial piety): means the filial piety to the parents.

• Shin (Trust): means to have trust among human beings.

Five Principles of the World (Sye-sok-oh-kye)

• Sa-kun-lee-chung: means to follow a nation and a king with loyalty.

• Sa-chin-lee-hyo: means to respect parents with filial piety.

• Kyo-u-lee-shin: means to make friends with trust.

• Lim-cheon-mu-t'wi: means to not withdraw on the battle field.

• Sal-saeng-yu-taek: means to not take another life, unless an unavoidable situation requires it.

Three Virtuous Conducts or Three kinds of beauty (Sam-mi)

• Modesty: means the virtue to know courteous refusal. That is, it refers to services done for society without personal interests or gains. Also, it refers to the idea of contributing to social development rather than to that of an individual.

• Frugality: means not to waste. If we live with the abundant materials without extravagance or waste, we will not suffer in difficult times. Also, such frugality generates the ability to help needy people in society.

• Restraint: refers to self-denial. It means to win over one's self or ego. Through restraint, people do not fight each other, rather, they live together in harmony.

Sam Jae and Eum/Yang

The philosophy of Taekwondo also is related to the principles of Sam Jae and of Eum/Yang. Sam Jae (Three Elements) refers to Cheon (the Heaven), Ji (the Earth), and In (the Man) and the principles uniting them. In oriental philosophy, these principles explain the changes of everything in the world.

In the orient, Sam Jae is central principle that explains the changes of everything in the world. Sam Jae and the changes of Eum/Yang constitute the Eight Trigrams for Divination in the Book of Changes The principle of Eum/Yang maintains that everything has an good and bad side. Taegeuk (the Great Absolute) represents the ultimate claim that Eum/Yang are actually one and the same.

At the core of this philosophy is the concept of duality in nature. Duality refers to the interaction of opposing forces, the Eum/Yang. The principle of Eum (the negative or darkness) and Yang (the positive or the brightness) maintains that everything has an opposite side and that the two work in harmony with opposing forces distributed equally. If one force dominates, the result is discord. For example, to defend against an aggressive hard attack, one should use a yielding soft defense to bring the situation into harmony. Taekwondo students learn to coordinate their actions and reactions with the forces of nature so they can overcome anything they encounter in life. By centering oneself and balancing the dual forces, students may begin to achieve the true goal of the aspiration to and application of perfection.

This principle explains various forms of changes. It comes from Taegeuk (the Great Absolute), which represents the ultimate claim that Eum and Yang are the one and the same thing. Sam Jae and the changes of Eum and Yang constitute the "Eight Trigrams for Divination" in the "Book of Changes."

Taekwondo is defined and the way of kicking and punching. Students begin Taekwondo training for various reasons, such as fitness, weight loss, discipline, and self-defense. Many stop their training when they think they have achieved their reason for initially beginning the training and others stop before ever reaching this point. If students continue training until the reach the "do" phase of Taekwondo training, then their initial reason for beginning the training is irrelevant. At this point, they continue training because the basic principles of Taekwondo have become an integral part of their lives. Through kicking and punching, they have achieved the way.

In today's society, there are relatively fewer chances to encounter a life-threatening situation. To spend several years of your life practicing Taekwondo would seem a high price to pay for the chance to defend yourself in the not-so-likely event of a deadly attack. Therefore, the spiritual part of Taekwondo is what should motivate everyone to practice Taekwondo.

Today's Taekwondo Philosophy

Today's Taekwondo Philosophy is best summarized by the tenets of Taekwondo that are recited at the beginning of most Taekwondo classes. Most students recite the tenets by rote without thinking about their meanings. If some thought is given to the tenets while reciting them, students would find many correlations between each tenet and what they have learned during their training and how it has affected their lives. Taekwondo philosophy is not preached at each class, instead, it is something the subtlety affects the thoughts and behavior of students over time and makes them better members of society.

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