"What is the strongness?"

"......<Pointing to a nearby stream with a finger>"

There is no enemy in Taekwondo. Its implication is very profound so it implies not merely that Taekwondo is mighty but also that no one is to be regarded as an enemy. Thus, everyone should consider this proposition carefully.

Then how come it is possible that Taekwondo man has no enemy in spite of so many oppositions and conflicts given in human life? It is because Taekwondo is like a herb growing on the earth of opposition and conflict while the herb's process of obtaining the minerals and water and of growing for itself is not a battle against others but a process of overcoming itself. TAEKWONDO is the way of overcoming everything that goes against you. Although the opponent is an important part in that whole process he cannot be everything. Taekwondo man fights in an entire balance and opposition among all things inclusive of himself, opponent, the circumstance, and even the enemy in himself. This is not the fight that causes quarrels with oppositions yet rather an aspect expressed out of the intrinsic vital process everyone has. This essence of Taekwondo results in its strongness, through which we can confirm that Taekwondo is ultimately not for war but for peace.

How is Taekwondo strong? That you are strong means that you can win all the time, and this implies that you can get what you want, that you can do what you wish, and thus, that you can accomplish your own meaningful life. When you cannot win you will certainly fail. Then, you, who continue to fight with yourself through Taekwondo, want one thing, i.e. to overcome yourself, and your opponent is neither more nor less than a companion who helps you. It's because the meaning of your life depends only on yourself, so, only you can and must be responsible for your decision and accomplishment between you and the world.

Although someone may regard such a Taekwondo man like you as his enemy, he is still not an enemy to you. This reason enables Taekwondo man to keep perfectly calm with daily mind even in an extremity. Knowing the truth you can see that the ultimate enemy always lies in yourself, and this is related to why a Sage wanted to save the people by way of Moksa()¹⁾. Everything of Taekwondo man performed in self-discipline is getting bigger and stronger infinitely, which has no limit. Therefore no enemy can defy the strongness of Taekwondo.

On the other hand, there can be no enemy because no enemy can remain as an enemy ultimately against Taekwondo man. So it is said that there is no 'Enemy' whom Taekwondo man contends with, yet only there is 'Opponent'. Since Taekwondo is ultimately a process where you grow up in the battle against yourself your enemy, if any, is in the opponent as only a part of your opponent, and is in yourself as only a part of yourself.

Not taking your opponent for ultimate enemy you, a Taekwondo, man can make every change open to everything accepting all. Spirit changes beings. Since the opponent is not your enemy there is no ultimate conflict, so, it can be possible for you to go into your opponent and put him in you.

1) "Moksa"(or Moksha) is "the final liberation of the soul when it is exempted from further transmigration; the bliss attained by this liberation. Also called MUKTI." I got this term from Buddhism. In many cases this term is understood with relations to reincarnation, for this term is uttered in the religious dogmas. But its philosophical meaning is closer to; giving up life or struggle of life. Most of our restrictions on us come from our attachment of life, many Sages said. So they suggested we give up struggle for life to get full enlightenment. The Buddhistic name of this full enlightenment is Moksa. Of course, Buddhism talks of reincarnation in their religious doctrines, but I think we can understand it out of the shades of religious doctrines.