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Taekwondo Bible Vol.1
Preface to the English ver.
Introduction

Part. I

1. Oneness and ...
2. There is Do ...
3. The World, ...
4. Picturing ...

5. There is ...
6. The Principles ...

Part. II

7. In Taekwondo ...
8. Facing the ...
9. Erasing ...
10. Thinking ...
11. Doing TKD
12. Not Losing ...
13. Three ...

Part. III

14. Taekwondo's ...
15. Distinction ...
16. Doing Both ...
17. Questioning ...
18. Looking Out ...
19. Endless ...
20. Finding ...
21. Begining ...
22. Keeping ...

Part. IV

23. Moving ...
24. Controling ...
25. Attacking ...
26. Leading ...
27. Surpassing ...
28. Attacking ...
29. Capturing ...

Part. V

30. Having ...
31. Knowing ...
32. Filling Mind ...
33. Taekwondo ...
34. Hitting ...
35. Attacking ...
36. Making ...
37. Avoiding ...
38. Offense and ...
39. Winning with ...

Part. VI

40. Offense and ...
41. Having Softness ...
42. There Be ...
43. Controling ...
44. Being Able ...
45. Harmony of ...
46. Beautifulness ...
47. Able to Stab ...

Part. VII

48. Seeing Motion ...
49. Sparring with ...
50. Free in Strict ...
51. Having Poomsae ...
52. Perfection ...
53. Having Yourself ...
54. There being ...
55. Getting Everything ...

Part. VIII

56. Completing ...
57. Taekwondo Be ...
58. A Piece of String ...
59. Seeing New ...
60. Everything in ...
61. Begining Training ...
62. Seeing the World ...
63. Truth of TKD ...
64. Oneness and ...

Taekwondo Bible Vol.2

Taekwondo Bible Vol.3

Taekwondo Poem


 

History & Discuddion


 

TKD Culture Network

 



Part III. SAMJAE

Chapter 19

Endless Changes from a Simple Principle of Taekwondo  

   

"How long will it take me to master these many techniques?"
"There is only one skill."

 

 

 

The figure of Taekwondo is simple yet it is inclusive of various principles and changes. Although the simple figure of Taekwondo does not change, it can contain within it many principles and changes because man thinks of Taekwondo distinctively. Therefore, all things and their changes are generated based on Do, but because man came to distinguish and name all things change was divided into yin and yang, and its quality into kang (hardness) and yu (softness).21)

The distinctive factors of Taekwondo can be analyzed in terms of distance, tide and balance, each of which comprises a composite among the ways of Haneul (heaven), Tang (earth) and Saram (man). That is, Haneul and Tang when united make distance; Haneul and Saram when united make tide; and Tang and Saram when united make balance.

Haneul and Tang when united make distance because the way of Haneul is to situate all of yourself in the proper place while the way of Tang is to have your opponent opposed to the world to which you are harmonized. You can always find the best distance in Taekwondo whenever the unity of Haneul and Tang maintains you in your proper position while keeping your opponent opposed to the world to which you are harmonized.

Haneul and Saram when united make tide because the way of Saram is to preserve your core and balance and to not lose yourself. When you maintain these ways you can be sure of keeping your spirit firm in the midst of every change and maintaining everything in its own place.

Tang and Saram when united make balance because the very balance in the motions of Taekwondo allows change to settle within your own harmony around the core that you have in the opposition of your opponent and the world.

In this manner, when following the ways of Haneul, Tang and Saram, the motions of Taekwondo are determined by the factors of distance, tide and balance. In turn, the most practical attack and defense is determined by them.22)


<footnotes>
21) For further commentary on the concepts of kang and yu, refer to Chapter 41 of this volume.
22) Tang (Earth) and Saram (Man) when united make balance. Why is this so? The reason is that balance is a result of your changes settling around your core in harmony, and this harmony should be attained in the opposition between your opponent and the world. This is the implication of the way of Tang. Here I conceive the balance not in a stable but in an active perspective.