Courtesy
Tae Kwon-Do students should attempt to practice the
following elements of courtesy in order to build their noble character and conduct their training in an orderly manner.
1) To promote the spirit of mutual concessions
2) To be ashamed of one's vices
3) To be polite to one another
4) To encourage a sense of justice and humanity
5) To distinguish instructor from student, senior from junior, and elder from younger
6) To behave oneself according to etiquette
7) To respect others' possessions
8) To handle matters with fairness and sincerity
9) To refrain from giving or accepting any gift when
in doubt
Integrity
In Tae Kwon-Do, the word integrity assumes a looser
definition than the one usually presented in Webster's dictionary. One must be able to define right and wrong and have the
conscience, if wrong, to feel guilt. Listed are some examples, where integrity is lacking.
1) The
instructor who misrepresents themselves and the art by presenting improper technique because of a lack of knowledge or apathy
2) The student who misrepresents themselves by "fixing" breaking materials before demonstrations
3) The instructor who camouflages bad techniques with luxurious training halls and false flattery to
their students
4) The student who requests rank from an instructor, or attempts to purchase it
5) The student who gains rank for ego purposes or the feeling of power
6) The
instructor who teaches and promotes the art for materialistic gains
7) The student whose actions does
not live up to their words
8) The student who feels ashamed to seek opinions from their juniors
Perseverance
There is an old Oriental saying, "Patience leads
to virtue or merit", "One can make a peaceful home by being patient for 100 times." Certainly, happiness and
prosperity are most likely brought to the patient person. To achieve something, whether it is a higher degree or the perfection
of a technique, one must set their goal, then constantly persevere. Robert Bruce learned his lesson of perseverance from the
persistent efforts of a lowly spider. It was this perseverance and tenacity that finally enabled him to free Scotland in the
fourteenth century. One of the most important secrets in becoming a leader of Tae Kwon-Do is to overcome every difficulty
by perseverance. Confucius said; "one who is impatient in trivial matters can seldom achieve success in matters of great
importance."
Self-Control
This tenant is extremely important inside and outside
the DoJang, whether conducting oneself in free sparring or in one's personal affairs. A loss of self-control in free sparring
can prove disastrous to both student and opponent. An inability to live and work within one's capability or sphere is also
a lack of self-control. According to Lao-Tzu, the term "stronger" is the person who wins over oneself rather than
someone else."
Indomitable
Spirit
"Here lie 300, who
did their duty." A simple epitaph for one of the greatest acts of courage known to mankind. Although facing the superior
forces of Xerxes, Leonidas and his 300 Spartans at Thermopylae showed the world the meaning of indomitable spirit. It is shown
when a courageous person and their principles are pitted against overwhelming odds. A serious student of Tae Kwon-Do will
at all times be modest and honest. If confronted with injustice, they will deal with the belligerent without any fear or hesitation
at all, with indomitable spirit, regardless of whosoever and however many the number may be. Confucius declared; "it
is an act of cowardice to fail to speak out against injustice." As history has proven, those who have pursued their dreams
earnestly and strenuously, with indomitable spirit, have never failed to achieve their goals.