TKD and spiritaulity

[terryl965]

How many of our good folks here live with the tenets of TKD and practice them on a day to day basis, please give some examples of each tenet if you don't mind.
Terry

 

[MartialIntent]

How many of our good folks here live with the tenets of TKD and practice them on a day to day basis, please give some examples of each tenet if you don't mind.
Terry

Terry, as a non-TKD practitioner, I'd be interested to know a bit more of what the spiritual tenets of the art are. Would you say there are some spiritual aspects that are specific to TKD and maybe not found in some other arts? :asian:

Respects!

 

[terryl965]

Martial Intent I would probaly say no for the purpose of these thread I would like to see other people views before I post some of my own. Later today I'll post an answer to your question and give what I believe to be my answers, right now the wife is saying we have to leave for church and the things we do for our wife.
Terry

 

[IcemanSK]

For the non-TKD folks, the tenents of Tae Kwon Do are:
1) Cortesy
2) Integrity
3) Perserverance
4) Self-Control
5) Indomitable Spirit


For me, integrity has to be the one I keep going back to in my life. Maybe because its the one that is the most often ignored in our society. Terry has mentioned 2 instances when he could have easily sold integrity for $$ or status in the last few months. Yet he choose to keep his integrity. That stregnthens my resolve & helps me to keep my integrity when issues like that come up in my life.

 

[Kacey]

And to add to what Iceman said, the Student Oath is as follows:

- I shall observe the Tenets of Taekwon-Do
- I shall respect my instructors and seniors
- I shall never misuse Taekwon-Do
- I shall be a champion of freedom and justics
- I shall build a more peaceful world

I wandered into TKD at a time when I wasn't sure where I was going with my life. The Tenets and the Student Oath had a signficant impact on my instructor's life, and that of the senior students in the class I joined, and this impact showed in their behavior and the example they set for all of us. Watching that example (rather than the mere repetition of the words in class) had a similarly profound impact on me, which in turn helped me decide that I wanted to use these ideas as a guideline for my life, and the example that I set for others. Does that make me perfect? Far from it. But it provides a guiding set of principles that helps me make moral and ethical decisions, and influences how I teach (both TKD and middle school). In addition, while many people I know decry the formality of traditional TKD as out of place in today's world, I find that it spills over into my everyday life and has positive benefits there as well - in the middle school where I teach, for example, I find myself habitually calling everyone, students and staff alike, "sir" or "ma'am", and being habitually respectful of other people - and I have fewer problems with student behavior than many of my peers. I think that the courtesy and respect I show my students is given back by them to me, and that that is a key factor in their behavior in my class.

 

[FearlessFreep]

I admit that as a Christian my spirituality comes from my spiritual beliefs, not from my Taekwondo. I usually find that most 'tenants' of Taekwondo that I've heard in various forms are both compatible with my Christian beliefs but also only provide a subset of my personal ethical beliefs of personal character and spiritual focus. So on the one hand I am able to fit Taekwondo into the larger picture of my life, including the spiritual components of my life, but on the other hand, my prime motivating factors in my behavior come from my Christian beliefs, not my Taekwono practice

 

[Gemini]

I believe strongly in the tenets, though I do not perceive them to be strickly in TKD, nor based solely in the Christian world. I believe them to be common sense and common courtesy among peoples, though not (to all) a natural thing. I'm known in the business world to be both ruthless and cold hearted, yet feel I adhere to the tenets (for the most part) religiously. I do not lie, nor do I bare false witness, but I'm exrtremely calculating and far-sighted and am seldom caught off guard. People often get these confused when they wind up on their proverbial hiney's with a black eye. Sucks to be them, but don't blame me.

 

[Marginal]

I don't beleive morality and spirituality are necessarially linked, and the TKD tenents don't seem especially spiritual no matter how you slice 'em. (No moreso than say, chanting "USA! USA! USA" at sporting events at least) I try to keep 'em in my mind since they're good advice. (And I don't like reciting oaths if I don't intend to follow them)

 

[TigerWoman]

I admit that as a Christian my spirituality comes from my spiritual beliefs, not from my Taekwondo. I usually find that most 'tenants' of Taekwondo that I've heard in various forms are both compatible with my Christian beliefs but also only provide a subset of my personal ethical beliefs of personal character and spiritual focus. So on the one hand I am able to fit Taekwondo into the larger picture of my life, including the spiritual components of my life, but on the other hand, my prime motivating factors in my behavior come from my Christian beliefs, not my Taekwono practice

I agree with that. I joined at age 47 and there wasn't a point in my life that I didn't believe in God. Also my ethics and morals were formed way before as most adults who joined TKD. BTW, it is "tenets" of Taekwondo. Not that it doesn't strengthen those that are slipping because I have seen it in many adults, then again I have seen others disregard the true meanings too--when the going got tough.

Courtesy, integrity, self-control, perseverance, indomitable spirit.

Courtesy is easy--it is just treating others as you want to be treated-be kind and respectful.

Self-control is banishing anger with thought before you speak or do, and perhaps a hard workout doesn't hurt either.

Perseverance is setting your mind to something and not letting anything get in the way. God knows, it took me two years to finally achieve the last break for 2nd dan and that was after practicing for it for a year many extra hours as well.

Indomitable spirit- not letting anyone tell you or influence you in way so that you cannot achieve or go further in your journey.

And last and most important, integrity. Integrity cannot be bought and sold. But it does come at a price. Those that pay it, win their souls. Everyone has those dilemmas in life, the easy path and the hard path which to take? Take the one in which you can live with, that deep down you know that God is smiling and that you have made your best effort whether it is keeping by your word, being honest at a cost to yourself, standing up for another in the face of losing what you love the most. It is being self-less and in that we gain our self.

But these tenets are just way we live our lives. They add to, but do not describe fully our spirituality. TW

 

[IcemanSK]

I admit that as a Christian my spirituality comes from my spiritual beliefs, not from my Taekwondo. I usually find that most 'tenants' of Taekwondo that I've heard in various forms are both compatible with my Christian beliefs but also only provide a subset of my personal ethical beliefs of personal character and spiritual focus. So on the one hand I am able to fit Taekwondo into the larger picture of my life, including the spiritual components of my life, but on the other hand, my prime motivating factors in my behavior come from my Christian beliefs, not my Taekwono practice

Well said, Freep! I agree that my ethics come first from my Christian faith. Yet, both in Church & in the dojang I've run into folks who need a lesson in integrity. While I'll admit that I'd want no one to follow me around as my personal "ethics cop," I'm always amazed when someone is schocked when I (or others) act ethically. It should be a big part of both Christian & MA practice. Shouldn't it?

 

[hong kong fooey]

mine is


respect

humility

honesty

trust

loyalty

 

[White Fox]

This is one thing I really like about TKD. You want to be a better person not just some thug.

 

[Tony]

I have a friend who practices taekwondo but I don't think he follows any of the tenets! However I study kung fu but even i know the value of humility and only using my skills only when there is no over option. I respect everyone in my class and if while sparring i get beat, I don't become resentful of my opponent, I merely compliment him on his performance. However my friend is not like that and is very aggressive, so much so he has been banned from sparring for 2 weeks. He has no interest in the spiritual side, only in becoming deadly! A pity as i think you cannot be balanced if you don't have both the mind and body connection.

 

[matt.m]

I believe that it is honor, courage, commitment. Intergrity, is the capstone for me. If you don't have integrity then you cannot build a belief system.