A weapon always possesses its own will and
differs in no way from your hand or foot or from yourself.
This weapon is already a part of Taekwondo-Een’s body.
It is a law of natural that all parts of your body always
move together as one, even when only a small part makes
any perceptible move. You should follow this principle when
using a weapon. Thus, when using a weapon you should handle
it not merely with your hands but with your entire body.
This means turning your body the way of the weapon so that
it finds its proper place based upon your body’s movement.
It makes no difference whether your body moves more than
the weapon or vice versa, for such a superficial difference
of a motion is not important in TAEKWONDO. Given the perfect
harmony between the weapon and your body it is neither the
hand nor the body but the mind itself that truly moves the
weapon. The ultimate reality of Taekwondo is nothing but
the mind.
The position of the weapon, which is controlled by your
mind, should be between you and your opponent, and it should
protect you while attacking him at the same time in the
entire distance between the two of you. This betweenness
refers not only to the spatial gap between you. That your
weapon exists wherever and whenever you need it in boundless
change, so that it is free to move and change and find the
optimum time and place to protect you and attack him, this
is the full meaning of saying the weapon must exist between
you and him. With a trained and skilled mind you as a Taekwondo-Een
can find this way.
In this way every weapon, whether hand and foot, sword
or spear, moves under the control of the mind, and though
it possesses various distinctive figures it has only one
essence. Thus, an enlightened Taekwondo-Een uses all sorts
of weapons without difficulty, just as Do controls everything
without difficulty. With sword in hand Taekwondo would serve
just as well as a technique of sword fighting if you regard
that sword merely as an extension of your own hand or foot.
Given a stick Taekwondo would prove a perfect technique
of stick fighting if you regard that stick as extension
of your own body. This is why TAEKWONDO contains the suffix
Do. If there is something that cannot include the best technique
of using a sword or using a stick in its oneness it cannot
be perfect TAEKWONDO. Do penetrates everything to its oneness.