The martial arts are centered around the personal development of the student. This development is for improving the quality of life for the student. Providing skills and techniques that provide the skills necessary to be successful at problem solving and leadership.
In order to accomplish this, the student needs to develop physical skills to introduce the principles and concepts that will guide them through the dangers. This is evident in the credos of Song Moo Kwan.
The Four Credos of Taekwondo by Supreme Grandmaster Byung Jick Ro are:
1. Yehsi-Yehjong: Begin with courtesy and End with courtesy
2. Solseon-Soobeom: Lead by example
3. Budahn -Nohryeok: Never ending efforts
4. Hasa-Bulseong: Nothing is Impossible
The dangers vary from student to student. Something as basic as an elementary school math test to a presentation to the board of directors. The physical techniques and the principles provide the base skills to fight these fights. These principles are the way to help create bravery within yourself. Only through bravery does the student learn to step outside their comfort zone. Each time the student does this they further develop their bravery.
The little guy in this video didn’t care about the size of the opponent but he was willing to charge in and help save the girl. He didn’t know that it was more play than threat and he didn’t care! That is bravery.
The unfortunate part is that bravery diminishes as we get older. We start playing it safe and stop taking the step outside of the comfort zone that we’ve created.
It is important to take the challenge. It is important to step past the things that you already know and step up to meet whatever is around the corner. Most of the time we under-estimate ourselves and our capabilities. After seeing students for the past 25 years, I have watched students rise to, maybe, about 60% of their capabilities. All because they still won’t push themselves beyond the last step they took.
If you look at any hero story, you find that they all follow the same story. Meet the challenges, fix the wrongs and make something better for those who follow the hero.
Whatever challenge arises, the hero will step up the engage it and succeed. The hero (and his help, whether it be a sidekick or comrades) push forward through the fear and doubt to accomplish the trial or task. In fact, several stories show that several attempts were needed to complete the trial or task (Budahn -Nohryeok: Never ending efforts). This only emphasizes that failure is only true if you quit (Hasa-Bulseong: Nothing is Impossible). Through their actions and continued efforts, they build bravery.
Seek to find the challenges that push you beyond your comfort zone. You will amaze yourself with what you can actually do and find true friends (comrades-at-arms) along the way.
In Taekwondo, they have spent the last months working on the new hyung (form) and one-step self defense and kicking requirements. For the Haidong Gumdo program, they have been working on new gumbub (sword form) and Focus drill and gyuk-gum (fighting drill). They have done them hundreds of times. They know the order of techniques and stances in the form. Usually, they can even tell you the order of techniques and which stance it should be.
This is where the concept of correct work comes into play. Students hear in my Taekwondo classes that a Front stance has certain parts that need to be in place to make the stance correct. They can even recite those parts to me, BUT…
Bruce Lee and other famous martial artists often talk about speed as one of the most important attributes of a successful martial artist. This is not untrue, though I would say that timing is more important than mere speed. It is certainly possible to miss the mark because one arrives too early or is too fast.
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