Loyalty

With links to both the Hwarangdo and the Samurai, loyalty in Taekwondo has become an important virtue. However, students should not confuse loyalty with blind loyalty. Being loyal to an instructor, school, or organization is easy during good times, but being loyal through bad times may be difficult, that is why it is a gauge of true loyalty. However, no matter how strong the loyalty has been in the past, once the subject of the loyalty is involved in anything improper, immoral, or illegal, the loyalty should end. Also, if the subject of the loyalty is found to be a fraud or imposter, the loyalty should end. Even a Hwarangdo or Samurai would not maintain his loyalty to a false master. Do not let your loyalty cloud your judgment, after all, for most students, the martial arts are just something they do for enjoyment.

Your martial arts "master" is just a teacher, a person you pay to teach you the martial arts. Your do not "worship" and declare undying, unconditional loyalty to your high school teacher, professors, your minister, the president of your company, or even to the president of your country; nor should any of them require it. Listen and watch, analyze what you hear and see, take and use what is useful, and reject the superfluous self-righteous "bull." Respect and show loyalty to your teachers and leaders, but apply conditions to the loyalty.