Dan Shi Martial Arts Club

Tae Kwon Do as an art

By Neal Kuenne
2002

It seems like many people today, at some time or another, have dabbled in a martial art style. Of those, many have taken Tae Kwon Do (TKD) classes. They learned some of the basics for kicking and punching, and became familiar with saying "Sir" to whoever was instructing them. Yet, eventually, many of them stopped going to class, and went on with their lives, perhaps even forgetting most of what they learned. This should not be. TKD is an art, and like any art, it requires discipline, creativity, and a desire to improve not only the art being produced, but also the artist themselves.

Is Tae Kwon Do an art?

First, what is an art? It can be defined by its synonyms (as found in the Merriam Webster Dictionary) of:

· Skill - stresses technical knowledge and proficiency
· Cunning - suggests ingenuity and subtlety in devising, inventing, or executing
· Artifice - suggests technical skill especially in imitating things in a nature
· Craft - may imply expertness in workmanship

TKD is definitely a learned skill, because it requires hours of training in how to kick, punch, jump, and turn. Once when those skills are learned, the individual needs to have cunning in order to use them effectively when sparring. Artifice could be used in conjunction with board breaks, since the forces of nature are at work to succeed. And finally, the craft of TKD is its forms, an orderly demonstration of how well the skills have been learned. Therefore, TKD is most definitely an art.

Why is it important that Tae Kwon Do is an art?

Obviously, TKD requires physical exercise. So, why isn't it considered a sport? The main reason is that sports are generally for entertainment. Yes, TKD can be fun, but this art is martial. The skills learned can be used to seriously injure another human being, and should not be taken lightly. Therefore, it is imperative that anyone studying this art learn how to control those skills.

What does the artist learn?

A person needs to grow in mind as well as body to become a true Tae Kwon Do artist. To accomplish this, five tenets and statements of an oath were developed to help students grow and mature and be responsible for their actions.
The tenets are:

• Courtesy - respect for others
• Integrity - a life of honesty to ourselves and others
• Perseverance - never giving up for what is right
• Self-Control - being responsible for your own actions
• Indomitable Spirit - giving your best in all that you do

and the oath is (re-ordered to correlate with the tenets):

• I shall respect all instructors and seniors.
• I shall observe the tenets of Tae Kwon Do.
• I shall strive to build a more peaceful world.
• I shall never misuse Tae Kwon Do.
• I shall be a champion of freedom and justice.

The tenets and the oath become the cornerstone of growth for the artist who studies TKD. Therefore, they should be not only memorized, but internalized into our very being.

Tae Kwon Do and life

Like any art, Tae Kwon Do, if studied as intended, becomes a part of the artist's life. And, that means it flows into other areas as well. Just glancing at the tenets, it's easy to realize that those are useful qualities to have in anything we do. TKD gradually shifts from something that can be used to injure others, to something that challenges the artist. It's about training the mind and body to work in harmony with one another. It shows the artist strong and weak areas of their ability in the art, and of their life. TKD is an art that is healthy for the mind, body, and soul for the one who studies it.