What Does Humility Have to Do with Taekwondo?

[Millennial Martial Artist]

I have been training in Taekwondo for a decade now, and in my time I have had the pleasure of training with a multitude of people from different backgrounds. Many of which have been seniors to me. However, I've noticed from most of them, a certain trait that was very appealing. They all seemed very humble! Now, my instructors, both brothers from Las Vegas, have recently earned their mastership. One of them wrote a mastership thesis on what humility is. In it, he speaks of arrogance, and how it can destroy a leader. He says "arrogance is the opposite of humility. In fact, arrogance is having an exaggerated sense of your own worth or ability" (Master Travis Dillow, The Value of Humility as A Leader: A Mastership Thesis by Master Travis Dillow). Now, of course most martial artists have seen those instructors who have gotten too full of themselves. They haven't learned humility, which I think is necessary for any martial artist. I see it as a kind of flow; through training comes humility, with humility, we gain honor, and through honor, we earn respect. What experience have others had with humility?

 

[Tez3]

I'm trying to give it up.

Basically this is an advertisement for your school because when you click on to read the blog it also advertises the school, cheeky.

 

[Millennial Martial Artist]

Well it was an easy way to reference the blog so I didn't have to write out the entire thing!
As far as the topic goes though, I am curious as to what others have to say on it. Humility, I have found, is a pretty difficult topic to grasp at first. Because it is more of a trained trait rather than something that people just have.

 

[Tez3]

Because it is more of a trained trait rather than something that people just have.

I know plenty of people who have it naturally. What I detest is false humility usually signalled by people when they tell you how humble they are! I don't care much one way or another about 'humility', I like people who are confident and are easy in their skins, who stand up for themselves and others, humility doesn't come into it much as far as I can see. I think many like to think they have it but don't really know what it is.

 

[Millennial Martial Artist]

That is a good point. I think they both kind of go hand-in-hand though. Humility is defined as a modest or low view of one's importance; namely humbleness. Perhaps it isn't trained, and it would make sense that some people are just naturally humble. I say it is trained, more as a lifetime set of experiences. A person who is raised consistently being told that they can always do better will always be aiming higher for the standards in their life. Or, they will always look at themselves as not good enough, or not where they need to be. I think that this could lead to a humble mentality.

 

[Balrog]

Now, having said that

I know Master Dillow. And he is a very good example of humility. Unless it's in connection with his school, you would never know that he is a master instructor. He's an all around nice guy.

I like to say that humility is the brake that is put on ego. Or as a friend of mine says in a much more earthy manner: humility is the art of making other people believe that it is possible for the sun to shine out of their butt instead of believing that it actually shines out of your own. (Yes, I have strange friends!)

 

[JowGaWolf]

I don't think much of humility. Normally it's often confused with respect. In my mind Jow Ga Kung Fu is the BEST and a force to take seriously. Nothing would make me more happy than to punch those who doubt it. This is one of my mindsets that keeps my passion for Jow Ga strong. There's nothing humble about that. However, I don't talk to you guys and gals like this because of my respect for myself and for anyyone who may feel passionate about their martial art. on the outside I look sound and act "humble" but on the inside I have quite a bit of Ego and arrogance. I'm just good at managing it and making sure it doesn't take over.

 

[Tez3]

modest or low view of one's importance

and what if one's role is important? What if you are very important for example to your family? It smacks of false modesty then to say you aren't important, if you are, you should acknowledge it, however being modest would mean knowing it but not boasting about it.

A person who is raised consistently being told that they can always do better will always be aiming higher for the standards in their life.

Oh no. If you consistently tell children they aren't good enough and they can do better they grow to believe it. They won't be people who aim higher they will be people with low self esteem and confidence.

I don't think being humble and being modest is what you think it is. You should always be honest with yourself and know your strengths and weaknesses, you can work on the latter and enjoy the former. Being humble is not boasting, not making yourself out to be greater than you are it is not abasing yourself to seem less than others.

 

[Steve]

I think humility stems organically from the realization that there is a lot out there you don't know, and there are many things you cannot do. It's also a natural extension of genuine appreciation for what other people know and can do. You realize that nobody succeeds or fails entirely on their own.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

However, I've noticed from most of them, a certain trait that was very appealing. They all seemed very humble!

I always liked this part of the movie Manny, where Fredie Roach first meets Manny Pacquiao. [starting at 19:30]
Manny

Nazario (Pacquiao's manager): - "I hear your pretty good on the mitts".
Roach: - "I'm ok".
Nazario-"This is Manny Pacquiao, Will you work the mitts with him?"
Roach - "Sure."

 

[Tez3]

I always liked this part of the movie Manny, where Fredie Roach first meets Manny Pacquiao. [starting at 19:30]
Manny

Nazario (Pacquiao's manager): - "I hear your pretty good on the mitts".
Roach: - "I'm ok".
Nazario-"This is Manny Pacquiao, Will you work the mitts with him?"
Roach - "Sure."

Whether that's humble or not depends on what Manny thinks he is, if he really thinks he's ok he's not humble just being honest. Of course he may really be ok on the mitts because his talent lies in fighting lol.

 

[TrueJim]

I don't think much of humility. Normally it's often confused with respect. In my mind Jow Ga Kung Fu is the BEST and a force to take seriously. Nothing would make me more happy than to punch those who doubt it...

Not disagreeing with any of this, but I don't think this pertains to a really useful definition of humility.

• I don't believe humility means that a person doesn't think they're the best. I think you can believe you're the best, and yet still be very humble about it.

I think humility can mean: "I know I'm very good, but I also recognize that in the grand scheme of things, that's not what's really important."

So I would argue that JowGaWolf may be the BEST, and may indeed be a force to be reckoned with -- and yet still be quite humble.


I believe that if a person is strong, their goal in life should be to make everybody around them feel strong.
If you're pretty, your goal in life should be to make everybody around you feel pretty.
If you're smart, your goal in life should be to make everybody around you feel smart.
That's why it's my goal in life to make all you guys feel like you're amazingly well endowed.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Not disagreeing with any of this, but I don't think this pertains to a really useful definition of humility.

• I don't believe humility means that a person doesn't think they're the best. I think you can believe you're the best, and yet still be very humble about it.

I think humility can mean: "I know I'm very good, but I also recognize that in the grand scheme of things, that's not what's really important."

So I would argue that JowGaWolf may be the BEST, and may indeed be a force to be reckoned with -- and yet still be quite humble.


I believe that if a person is strong, their goal in life should be to make everybody around them feel strong.
If you're pretty, your goal in life should be to make everybody around you feel pretty.
If you're smart, your goal in life should be to make everybody around you feel smart.
That's why it's my goal in life to make all you guys feel like you're amazingly well endowed.

Oh I wasn't trying to get a definition for it. I just wanted to highlight one of the difficulties when saying humble. I've met people who carry the act of being humble in an arrogant way. "I'm more humble than you" type thing, and it usually spirals into something that looks like who is the most passive.

If you look at the definition of humble as the dictionaries define it, then it doesn't exactly describe something that I really want to achieve. I rather be respectful and call it a day vs what the dictionary says. If I'm strong then I don't want people to be weak around me. If I think I'm smart then I want others around me to be smart, simply for the fact it means I can learn something even when I'm wrong. They don't have to have a lot of book knowledge but they have to have a mid to high level of intelligence. The way I want to be or the way I see myself is what I want to have around me. To always have that inspiration there. From experience, if I have to make someone feel strong then they really aren't learning to be strong strong. They are using me as a crutch for their strength.

But to each his own. If everyone in the world looked the same then you guys would be like me and the world would be perfect. Where the fun in that? lol

 

[drop bear]

In. Martial arts you constantly court failure. Being humble helps you deal with that.

 

[Tez3]

In. Martial arts you constantly court failure. Being humble helps you deal with that.

Is it being humble or is it not having a big ego? You don't have to be humble to deal with failure, just have your feet firmly on the ground and know that you learn from everything. It's just having common sense really.

 

[drop bear]

Is it being humble or is it not having a big ego? You don't have to be humble to deal with failure, just have your feet firmly on the ground and know that you learn from everything. It's just having common sense really.

I don't think the fear of failing in front of your peers is because of a big ego. That is a pretty common thing.

 

[Buka]

One should always eat humble pie. And it should sometimes be served with a large glass of fresh, whole awesomeness.

 

[Tez3]

One should always eat humble pie. And it should sometimes be served with a large glass of fresh, whole awesomeness.

Nah, cos when I'm good I'm good, but when I'm bad I'm even better!

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

The one time I had to be very humble was to avoid a fight. Before starting tkd lessons, I had been doing stretching for about 6 months (focussing on university at that time). Then when I started, I became friends with a guy from the class who had 10 years of Chinese Martial Arts, and we practised together on the weekends. The club was a university club, and since the instructor was 3rd dan, he didn't test; a student had to go to the local school to test IF desired. So I never tested.

So with 4 months of practise and good flexibility, I could do a pretty good turning kick as a white belt.

One day visiting my CMA friend at his university dorm, he introduced me to a guy by saying, "This is my friend Dan , the guy from taekwondo who I mentioned was pretty good".

The other guy said, "Taekwondo is useless. I could take you". Seeing where that was going I said, "yeah, I'm not very good. I just started."

And he repeated "yeah I could beat you up".

So I said, "ah, I'm only a white belt".

Still the guy came at me and started some bad grappling. I got away just based on strength, but then he came in again. And I got away again, and I said, "ok enough"

When he came in again, I pushed him away and did a roundhouse to his head, stopping just beside he head. And then he stopped seeing that I could actually kick him well if I wanted.

So for me, humility was just about not getting in a fight.

 

[JR 137]

Humility, being humble, etc. is an odd thing that I think is hard to really define. But my example of it works for me...

Being humble to me means taking what you do seriously, but not taking yourself too seriously.

Maybe I'm describing a different trait altogether.