Hello, Cynthia.
I haven't been actively participating here lately and I'm glad I took the time to do it now on your thread.
When I began studying martial arts, I seemed to know it wasn't only for self defense (I wasn't even sure if it was for that) or get fit or whatever. I knew there was a package and I liked the idea of taking many benefits at once. The point is although I didn't know exactly what was the art in taekwondo, my intent was to take the practice fully, so yes, I wanted and still want the "full art".
Today I'm still not sure about where this art is, but I seem to have some hints.
As I progressed between coloured belts, I began serving as an example (technically mainly) to the newer students. My GM always enphasised that in classes, so I couldn't overlook that. I haven't heard much more than taekwondo tenets or little stuff about budhist and taoist influences over the practice in the spiritual issue, but I felt I had to represent adequately the ideal of our art, even outside the dojang, so this gave me new energy to change things in myself, like stopping biting my nails (I'm definitely too old to do it, but I had never stopped before). I try to feed myself better, too. As for moral practices, I believe not much has changed because most of the "moral teachings" (regardless of specific religious aspects) of taekwondo are already present in every culture, and I was fortunate to have been teached about them before.
The taoist part also seems to fit taekwondo very well, really. The ideal of balance and relation between opposites. It feels right for me to try to keep balanced when practicing, although sometimes it's okay at times to become more loose or stay more rooted, as both should be present in a "tao" context. The idea of having muscles relaxed in most of time (except in the final momment of striking) seems excellent in this. So I take it as a direction in practicing, but maybe not heavily seriously. Why not? Because I believe some learnings do come with time, naturally, and being told about them is not the same as experiencing them. Anyway, the tenets are indeed a good incentive to strengthen our moral beliefs.
I think the physical exercise is already something that has a major influence in most of our lives (even intelectually), so this alone maybe is enough to be considered some kind of art, if the physical part is practiced fully (for example, poomsae is part of the physical). Maybe the other understandings come as time goes by. Anyway, I'm sure taekwondo is not a way to enlightenment, because I'm sure there are highly skilled practicioners that haven't been enlightened at all. But one can use taekwondo, certainly, to build their own way. Well, actually, I only heard about humans practicing taekwondo, so maybe there's nobody enlightened, simply.
Finally, I believe what's more important is to remain humble to be able not to completely ignore some aspect or the martial art, otherwise the person maybe missing just where the goldmine could be. I think it's okay we have prefferences, and dedicate more on them, but anyone should first try to learn about everything, instead of discarding some aspect before getting to understand it.
