This was written by a Student of Christchurch Taekwondo club and it puts a 'Personal View' on how the tenets of Taekwondo can come into ones everyday life.
The Tenets of Taekwondo
“A Personal View”
The 5 Tenets and how I see them:
Etiquette A combination of politeness and a consideration
for others – Sadly one of life’s lessor known qualities these
days.
Modesty Having the confidence to know you can do it without
having to broadcast it – This is demonstrated very well during the
sparring sessions when the Blackbelts take the knocks.
Perseverance Not giving up when the going gets tough
– Difficult to apply, but worth it when you finally succeed.
Self Control Physically; this could be not striking out,
but equally it can mean controlling your anger mentally – The winner
of an argument is usually the one who stays calm and controlled.
Indomitable Spirit Having a positive mental balance –
Taking part in tournaments strengthens your character (winning may strengthen
your neck muscles depending on the weight of the medal!). Outside of Taekwondo
you should be confident about who you are and not try to be someone else
to please others
In my opinion the Tenets of Taekwondo are as important as the physical side of the art. You should attain a balance between body and mind to truly benefit from the training. As a more mature, (old), student of the art, I can probably apply the tenets to my everyday life more easily than most. It is true to say that most days at work I remind myself to “Persevere” or keep my self control.
My job entails frequent meetings, sometimes with strangers, but more
often I work with people I have worked with previously.
This tests all 5 tenets as:
• I don’t like everyone I work with.
• I have to convince people I am right.
• I have to face up to previous failures.
• There are many frustrating times where I lose out in the discussions.
• Corporate politics constantly gets in the way.
Outside of work keeping true to the Taekwondo tenets and other general martial arts philosophies can enhance your enjoyment of life. However we are all “only human” (well nearly all!) and it is not easy to grin and bare it all the time.
Just remember smiles are contagious and when you smile for no apparent
reason everyone wonders what you have been up to!
Click here to find out more about the history of Tae Kwon Do