IN
- HUMANITY
Humans must understand the way of humanity in
order to maximize our human potentials. We must understand the
qualities, which distinguishes us from other living creatures - the
essence of our being and our connection to the natural order of the
universe. Most all religions and moral philosophies have professed the
following tenants concerning the "Way" humans should live:
Be good, be selfless, be courteous, be just, be obedient, be
respectful, be loving, be trusting, be virtuous, be wise, be
responsible, show filial piety, cooperate, and be compassionate. An
understanding of these moral traits is necessary for human society to
be harmonious.
The martial artist must deeply understand
these principles because as well as being a part of human society, he
or she is also a part of the identity of their particular martial art.
True courage and strength is necessary for the practitioner to
dedicate themselves to the welfare of their martial art. Humans are
not isolated. We need each other, and in return, we must give service
to our community, our art, and ultimately our humanity. We need to
give our services and cooperate in a respectable manner for the
benefit of our art, and for the benefit of the future generations.
All things are governed by rules and
procedures. In order to create harmony and order, we must give
attention to the rank and title of the members in the art. There are
many principles one must understand in order to achieve true harmony,
which we hope will be revealed after this discourse. Harmony is
achieved through understanding the weaknesses and strengths, the likes
and dislikes, and the understanding of how the "self" can
better the "whole." Then, one must create structure and
order in one's life to fulfill their goals with unswerving moral
rectitude. First, the individual must seek harmony within the
"self." Then, the individual must apply the same methods of
self-discovery into the community and then realize the individual's
connection to the natural order of life. However, this does not take
place in such order. This is the dilemma.
Wisdom is gained much later in our lives,
after much experience, hardships, and heartbreaks. This is why it is
so important to have good teachers in our lives. Those who understand
the ancient wisdom, value of tradition, the need for change for
growth, and most importantly, posses the vision of the future. They
are the ones who will guide us in the proper path and either expedite
our growth to reach our full potentials or forever trap us in a futile
existence. In a true martial art, this growth is accomplished through
rank and title, as does any civilization. Rank and title should not be
used as a means to suppress growth, but it is a means of fulfillment.
By fulfilling the tasks, requirements, and challenges of each rank,
one comes to understand and value their position as well as the
position of others. Without challenges, trials, and hardships, one
cannot grow. Moreover, it is through this maturity that a person can
come to appreciate his/her responsibilities and thus gain a greater
sense of humanity. Our ranks and titles reflect the position we have
among our art's community as well as our society. The more position we
have, the greater our reasonability to others and humanity.
Of course, one can be a self-proclaimed
teacher, champion, or even a prophet. No true title can be
self-proclaimed. Even though, a person starts a company and makes
him/herself president, such title will only gain value by the work
he/she accomplishes. True titles are gained, earned, and/or presented.
Some modern systems of martial arts have disbanded the ranking system
entirely. This cannot be seen as a martial art and should be given a
new name, such as martial sports. However, even in sports you have
different levels, depending on skill and performance. Hence, it is
hard to escape ranking because it is the way to keep order and without
order, there can only be chaos. Respect and be proud of your ranks and
titles, if you have sacrificed to earn it. The value of each rank or
title is determined by your own actions. Just having rank means
nothing, if you do not act accordingly. Stay true to the rank you
earned and what was given to you by your founder or master. Do not
deny true ranks and titles. False ranks and titles are a dishonor to
us all, to the memory of what was, and brings shame to the way of the
martial arts and its community.
UEI - JUSTICE
Rules exist within the natural universe that
governs the way the universe unfolds. For every positive, there is a
negative. Positive is often associated with goodness and negative as
evil. However, positive and negative refers to energy or natural
forces, which must both co-exist in order to create balance. The
control of the responses to these natural forces determines the
achievement of harmony and whether there is good or evil. Religion,
society, governments, and families are all governed by their own set
of rules. It is these rules that provide the framework for life to be
harmonious within these specific communities. Then and only then, can
one start to discover the "True Law."
If these rules are broken, the balance of
life is damaged and harmony is destroyed. As an individual member
among your particular society, it is necessary to follow human
morality to live an honorable life, and to further benefit the next
generation. However, these moral laws are different from the laws of
the land. When you break the laws of the land, one can be imprisoned
and punished, but moral law is governed by honor. If one commits an
act, which is morally unjust, there may be no formal punishment, but
the consequences can potentially be greater. As a martial artist (a
warrior), one has to be motivated by honor itself - not because of
fear of punishment. "Doing right for right sake," is what is
most noble. No one, no police, no government need to discipline our
action, but our own conscience. You might ask, then why should we do
what is right, when there is no one to force the consequences of our
actions? For honor itself.
Furthermore, there exists a greater law than
the laws created by humans. For each of us, depending on our faith, it
varies. However, the underlying principles of conduct are the same. It
is this truth, which every individual must seek. The martial artist
must constantly strive to understand these truths by continued study
and self-reflection, incorporate them into their lives and uphold its
value by sharing with others. The martial art is one of the last
disciplines in which honor is held at such high regard and it is our
duty to ensure its longevity.
One must respectfully follow the natural laws
of human morality. As a member of a particular martial art society,
you must also follow the laws set forth for your particular martial
art. Training in a martial art is not only about the study of fighting
techniques. Every martial art has specific guidelines that reflect
basic principles of human morality. By following these guidelines, an
individual will live harmoniously and honorably within this world. Be
brave, modest, loyal, obedient, respectful, honest, and stay true to
the principles of human morality. That is living justly.
YAE - COURTESY
Courtesy is the way in which one human treats
another. It is hard to understand courtesy without knowing respect,
confidence, and kindness. Being courteous requires one to be modest
and modesty cannot be attained without selflessness. In order to be
selfless, one must know "the self," with all of its
strengths and weaknesses. Then, learn to become at peace with who and
what we are. In so doing, one should gain a greater appreciation for
being human and how we interrelate with others. Being courteous is the
best way to create harmony within human society.
Martial art practitioners must strive even
that much more to be courteous. By the nature of martial arts, it
easily instills false sense of pride, which often times leads to
enormous egos. Unless these egos are contained through understanding
humility, the martial artist who constantly trains their body to be a
weapon becomes a detriment to society, injuring and hurting innocent
people. For this reason, martial artist must learn to abide by certain
rules of conduct and etiquette, which is inherent in most traditional
arts. The exercise of these etiquettes is a constant reminder of
humility for everyone who practices it. That is why the traditional
systems of martial art are deeply rooted to strict rules of etiquette,
which mainly emphasizes courtesy and respect.
JI - WISDOM
Social harmony is also dependent upon wisdom.
Wisdom is not only knowledge, but more importantly, it is life
experience. Knowing and understanding are two different things. It is
taking knowledge and applying it into life applications and
discovering its true meaning and value. It is the ability to make
decisions with the understanding of the past, the condition of the
present, and the consequences in the future. It is making choices with
the understanding that one's actions effect humanity and the state of
harmony within the universe. It is through wisdom that you will
achieve a successful life. Too many people assume that they know and
are too impatient to discover the truth. The search for understanding
is the means of obtaining wisdom.
Of course, people who have lived longer
should be wiser, but this is not always the case. A person could have
lived a long time, but never really took the time to reflect on their
actions or strive for understanding. A younger person who has the
proper frame of mind and the patience to gain understanding could be
wiser. Those who are wise do not proclaim to be so. Those who lack
this wisdom speak up and make louder noise in order to cover their
ignorance. All the wealth in the in the world cannot buy wisdom. It is
a gift of living to those who seek it.
The martial artist is not just a fighter, but
should be a student of life, striving always to better oneself in
every aspect. Within this world, there is much to learn, but often
humans are like a fish in a small pond. To that fish, the pond is the
entire universe. However, there is much more to life outside the
boarders of the pond. So if you are training in a martial art make
sure it values the search for wisdom. Once you have carefully chosen
the art for you, you should never give up and quit. The proper martial
art contains more than just physical techniques; but tenets to live
one's life, hence, becoming a way of life. The attempt to study
multiple arts is like searching for a well and digging ten one foot
holes, when it would be better to find one good spot and dig one ten
foot hole. Carefully search for the art you will spend your lifetime
practicing, and follow that art to the highest honorable degree. That
is the way of wisdom.
SHIN - TRUST
Social progress and social harmony is created
through trust. Trust must exist between a wife and husband, a parent
and child, a teacher and student, an elder and youth, a friend and
friend, multiple societies, a government and its people, and also
between countries. Trust is needed to create a positive setting
between these social relationships. Social success requires adherence
to commitments and agreements between two parties. If these
commitments and agreements are broken by either party, trust will be
lost. Once these promises are broken and trust is lost, these parties
will no longer be able to create further positive progress towards
success. So if someone gives you this trust, you must be responsible
and follow through to maintain the way of trust.
By one's actions, he/she earns the trust of
others. However, trust must also be given and only the strong are able
to that. Trust cannot exist without a deep understanding of honor.
Hence, it is essential that as martial artists we live by honor and
build a strong character so that we can offer our trust to others
without the fear of getting hurt. In the modern world, "trust no
one" is the motto we follow. This is a sad state of affairs in
which each individual is afraid to trust anyone, because the norm is
the breaking of promises and taking advantage of others. This is
precisely the reason why the martial artists of today must be the role
models for such values and learn to protect the weak. This strong
moral character is developed through discipline. It is most important
that a student learns that there are immediate negative consequences
associated with negative actions. Many times, the breaking of promises
can be resolved by confronting the person one-to-one with mutual
intention for understanding and resolution. However, many people try
to blame fault rather then trying come up with a solution.
Trust is essential within the martial art
society. If trust does not exist between a teacher and student, how
can they build a strong sense of family? Also, how can an individual
teach these dangerous skills to someone they do not trust?
Furthermore, how can a student attend a school if they do not trust
the teacher? Students must trust their teachers, and teachers must
trust their students. Only then can they work together to develop the
honor of their names and the name of their martial art identity as
well. That is the main concern of the traditional martial art
founders. They brought their technical skills to the public under a
specific name and identity. They trusted their students to further
develop the reputation and integrity of their art's identity in order
to continue to pass the art generation to generation. One must have
loyalty to their one true martial art, and then the trust between
master and student can be maintained. Through their trust, their art
and its proud name will be positively developed, and passed on to the
future generations.
SUN - GOODNESS
Good and bad both exist in this world. But
humans have a natural tendency towards good. When we are born our
parents selflessly support and care for our well-being. Throughout our
lives we also have teachers that dedicate their lives to the
development and betterment of a positive moral mentality within us. We
can understand this proper mentality because these elders give us the
wisdom of their life experiences.
Of course, there exists bad within nature.
For the evil and negative mind, it is easy to go against the good
positive mind. This antagonistic relationship exists between the good
and bad, but remember that good develops goodness and bad develops
evil. Think about this, if you go to jail what will you learn? If you
go to your parents and teachers what will you learn?
Even though one possesses the innate nature
toward good, it is easy to fall toward evil. The evil disguises and
makes it seem attractive by promises of easy life, fame, and quick
fortune. However, in the end, it is using our human potential to its
fullest and hard work, which ensures our success. Remember this
saying, "The longest distance between two points is a short
cut."
It is imperative that you chose your friends
and your place of study carefully. If you have a positive mind and you
surround yourself with evil minds, it will be easy to lose your
goodness. There is a saying, "Even the cleanest person thrown
into a pig's pen, will look like another pig soon after." If you
want good things to happen surround yourself with good people, if you
want negative things to happen surround yourself with negative people.
For the benefit of yourself and your society work in a positive
manner, do selfless service, accumulate virtues, do good deeds, make
good use of your knowledge, know right from wrong, give proper
guidance, have good intentions, treat people kindly, have good faith,
have a charitable spirit, return good actions for evil actions, and
know that good will triumph over vice.
Most martial art instructors and masters are
practicing and teaching their Tao of good morality. All martial arts
have a good mentality. Their love is like a family that contains
selfless goodness for their art's practitioners and its identity. Even
between martial arts there is fair competition for whom best teaches
goodness to their art's students and who develops the best honorable
identity. Remember, a knife held in the hand of a chef is good to make
delicious food, however if someone with an evil mind holds this knife
it will only be used to damage other humans and destroy goodness.
Martial art skills are the same as this knife.
DUK - VIRTUE
Virtues are the good qualities that build up
our human society. We must possess virtue, cultivate virtue, and
practice virtue in our daily lives. Know what it means to have grace,
be charitable, be caring, and also understand moral teaching, moral
character, and moral nature. Then you will have the good traits that
provide the cornerstone for honor and well-being.
Martial art leaders must possess virtue,
because their students will learn the virtues of their teacher. That
is why it is so important that martial art instructors are properly
qualified. If an instructor cannot teach virtue, they are not teaching
a true martial art. Without virtue all a student will learn is how to
become a troublemaker or to fight like gangsters. If a martial art
wishes to maintain any kind of an honorable identity, they must make
sure their instructors are virtuous people.
CHOONG - LOYALTY
Within human society there exists many
different identities. First -there is a familial identity, second -
there is a community identity, and finally there is a country
identity. These identities define who we are as individuals, and as an
individual and member of one of these identities there are certain
duties that are required of us. The success of our identities and the
support we give to them is our honor. That is why we must have loyalty
to our family, loyalty to our community, and loyalty to our country.
Our lives should be dedicated to the betterment and well-being of our
larger identities. When the people of a country have strong loyalty,
their country will be strongly built. That is why a country first
counts its people's loyalty. The people must give their respect, their
pride, selfless service, selfless duty, selfless cooperation, and if
necessary their lives for the countries protection and benefit. Of
course, the leader must be strong and virtuous, fulfill their duties
to the people, and in return gain the support and loyalty of the
people. If society has strong loyal leadership then that society will
be strong forever. Loyalty must exist for the success and strength of
your identity, and also for your honor.
Parents, friends, teachers, and other role
models within our society should teach loyalty by displaying loyalty.
The mentalities of martial (military) arts and of military service are
the best institutions to learn and develop an individual's sense of
loyalty. Your martial art is also your identity, and its name is just
like a country's name. One should never break away from the art's
identity for selfish motivations. A martial art must exist under one
name and quality controlled by one governing organization. There has
been a trend within the martial art community for individuals to break
off from their original identity and form a "new" art or a
"new" organization. The only purpose of these new
manifestations is for the fulfillment of selfish desires or for the
profit of one man. Either way, their martial art identity is destroyed
as well as the integrity of the entire martial art community.
An individual's loyalty should be given
towards one's art and the honor of its name. Loyalty should not be
given to one man, but the art itself, just as a citizen of a country
should not give loyalty to the one designated leader, but to the
ideals of the nation. Even if your master makes a mistake, one should
not follow such bad example. Stand strong beside your martial art and
selflessly work for the benefit and honor for your next generation of
practitioners.
This dilemma between the self and the whole
is a widely discussed subject throughout the ages. Without the whole,
there is no self, and without the self, there is no whole. One needs
to make the individual strong and self-sufficient and then honor its
teachers and providers by serving the whole to maximize benefit for
everyone. If you have followed the trend of this selfish business
model, go back to your original art's identity. For each art's
identity there must only be one governing organization. The integrity
of your art's identity is your honor as one of its practitioners. If
you left, were expelled, betrayed your martial art, or simply went to
another martial art for any reason, you should give up your former
art's identity and stay true to your newly found art. You should never
use its name, your former founder's name, your former master's name,
and your former techniques. The other option of course, is to go back
to your original art and make peace to find a way to share your
beliefs, your goals to enhance the standards of the whole. One should
not mix the techniques of your former art with your current art's
syllabus, and should not display multiple martial art names in your
personal biographies. These actions only destroy the traditional
identity and the honor of both arts. If you find yourself in the
situation in which you are caught between multiple arts, you need to
make a decision and chose one. In the end, one must take a stand.
Stand for what you believe and what group you identify with. Find that
one art and give your loyalty and commitment to it. The success and
honor of that one art's identity is also your success and honor.
YONG - COURAGE
In the final analysis, there exist only two
things - the strong and the weak. To uphold morals and honor takes
much strength and courage. To fall into evil takes little effort and
suffices all the excuses and doubts of the weak-minded. One must learn
to stay true to the self and find a group, which most defines their
beliefs. Within the human mind, there are two types of courage. One is
brute courage, which resorts to violent force. This kind of barbaric
courage is a human enemy because of the damage it causes to human
society. The other type of courage is the courage of bravery. The
ability to endure against all odds, yet stay firm to one's convictions
no matter what the cost. This kind of courage is necessary for every
human society, family, and country. This is what develops the strong
mentality of a human being. Without this courage, there will never be
a strong country, culture, or an honorable identity. It is through
this model of bravery and loyalty that human society can stand
successfully against the decay of time.
It is imperative that martial art
practitioners develop this strong courage. Without this courage, a
weak individual will always change their attitude to sacrifice their
beliefs. Therefore, under any circumstance, show your confidence and
speak up about what is just! Always stand strong especially when in
the presence of others, and never speak behind their backs. One of the
models of strong Hwa Rang Do® courage is,
"IL GEE DANG CHUN" one horsed warrior against a thousand
enemies.
JONKYUNG - RESPECT
The first principle of human morality is
Humanity. A sense of humanity is one of the most important factors in
developing your character. It is this sense that will develop your
respect for life. An understanding of respect is so important because
this creates the foundation of your character. This proper attitude of
respect reflects an understanding of humanity, the inter-connectivity
of all life, and the fragility of human life.
There are three major spheres of respect. One
must have respect for yourself, respect for your parents (elders), and
respect for others. Respect yourself by loving who and what you are
and if there is something you do not like about yourself, then have
the discipline and the courage to change yourself to be the person you
want to become. "Know thyself," is used by all great
teachers and great leaders of the world. One must listen to their
inner voices and know who and what you are mentally, physically, and
spiritually.
Respect your parents and elders for they have
given you life and nurtured your growth. Their wisdom far exceeds
yours, so follow them and then take care of them. As your parents
brought you into this world and sacrificed part of their life to
nurture and protect, you must do the same as they grow old. Respect
others by being courteous and humble. Respect is given.
Even though a person displays bad human
character, find something within them, which is good, give compliment,
and respect them as another human being. This respect for others can
only come when one learns humility and to stop being judgmental,
knowing that even you are flawed. There is also a greater social
concern regarding respect. Without respect, society cannot be in
balance, which will cause many civil and criminal problems. Respect is
important so we can live in harmony, and create a positive society.
So, Be Modest - Be Humble - Be Polite - Be Civil - Be Courteous - Be
Precious - Be Just - Be Selfless - Be Responsible
Martial art practitioners must first learn
how to respect and be humble because they learn the skills to make a
weapon out of their bodies. These combative skills are dangerous to
the public, so all martial art practitioners must develop love and
respect like that of a family before they learn these dangerous
skills. This respect is defined by the philosophy of basic human
morality.
MYOUNGYAE - HONOR
What makes a human more than an animal? When
an animal dies all it leaves is its pelt, when a human dies all he/she
leaves is his/her name. Whether that name remains honorable or not
depends on our actions today. All we have is one chance to make the
most of our lives, and it is through our actions we maintain our
honor. What we do and what we stand for determine the quality of our
honor and our lives.
That is why it is so important to develop a
strong character. Our honor is our identity, and our identity is our
proud name. What we accomplish in our lives through our actions is not
only for our individual success, but also for our family and our group
identity. Our family names, country names, company names, martial art
names are all examples of this larger identity. We must work to
maintain and further develop these identities, and never destroy them.
Families, countries, companies, martial arts all have a group of
people that live under their name, which creates a specific identity
for that name. Each family has one name that all members are proud of
and develop to pass their proud name from generation to generation.
That is why one must spend their lifetime dedicated to that one
identity.
The martial art application to this is that
one must spend their lifetime practicing one art. Even if you have
learned other marital arts, you must choose one, and keep one martial
art identity for your honor. Then you progress through that art's
higher-ranking system by testing in front of the founder and testing
committee. This is earning a true dan degree rank. Martial Artists
should never self-promote themselves with a higher rank, mix their
original art with others, and never display multiple martial art names
at their school. When individuals commit these actions, they are
leading a dishonorable life and are not following the true marital art
way. An individual can only have loyalty to one art, and when people
mix different martial arts the meaning of both art names and
identities disappears and is destroyed. We must follow our one
tradition in order to build up that identity. That is living
honorably. All of our actions are for pride in our identity and we
must never do anything to destroy it.
SUNJONG - OBEDIENCE
Obedience is one of the most important
factors in preserving a martial art tradition. The life of humans, is
like a flower. A flower starts first from a seed, which then develops
a stem and leaves. Later the actual blossom reaches maturity, blooms,
and as the blossom wilts, it drops seeds to the ground. Then the rest
of the flower begins to age and die. When the stem and leaves finally
fall to the ground, it begins to decay leaving its nutrients for the
seed it dropped to use in order to grow up healthy. This seed will
then grow using its parent's life as the basis for its own.
One first must have respect for this process,
and an understanding of the relationship between the parent flower and
the child flower. The relationship of this natural process is the same
as the relationship of a family. Also a martial art master and
student's relationship is the same as a parent and child's. Parents
and art "DO" masters give and teach all of their experience
and knowledge to their children. This is for the sole purpose of the
benefit and success of the next generation. Because parents and
masters give their best to their children, the children must
positively obey their parents and master.
A martial art requires even more obedience
because the master makes a weapon out of the student. If the student
uses those weapons without an obedient, respectful, patient, and
self-defense purpose, they will go to jail and only learn bad things,
and then continue along a path of darkness. So without teaching this
philosophy, the martial art master will damage their student's life
and destroy a wonderful human society. That is why, Hwa Rang Do®
strongly requires obedience, patience, respect, loyalty, and honor
from the mentality of our wonderful martial art practitioners.
UEIMU - DUTY
Humans are different from animals because we
possess civility and duty is a natural component of human
civilization. Every society has duties: Duty for your parents because
they brought you into this world and gave you the gift of life and
selfless support; duty for your teachers because they have taught you
your knowledge and your strong morality, which in turn has given you
your present positions; duty for your neighbors in order to show
respect and love; duty for society because it gives honor and support;
duty for your company and your martial art governing association
because it creates your livelihood; duty for your country because it
protects you and your family.
All of these different aspects of society are
needed in order to create social harmony, and each one of these
aspects also has its own laws and moral principles that must be
followed. All individuals must give back to this family, society, and
country to develop its success. This giving back is all of our duty.
Therefore, our duties are a citizen's duty, family duty, community
duty, military and country duty. Duty is beyond responsibility. Duty
is an obligation, which must be fulfilled in order to maintain honor.
What governs duty, the unwritten law of honor.
A martial artist's duty is closely connected
to the integrity of the art's name. Our duty is to proudly develop and
build our art's name in order to give honor to the next generation of
practitioners. Martial art styles are not business stores. Your duty
is to support your art's identity in order to maintain quality and to
leave a positive legacy. This duty requires that we build one
governing organization of our martial art like a country's singular
government. This way all masters and instructors can work together
under one roof to support their art's reputation and show their
loyalty. This type of cooperation will ensure that the quality of the
art will be passed on.
Because martial artists should be working to
strengthen their art, it is a master's, instructor's, and student's
duty to follow their art's laws, rules and regulations. This should be
done in a selfless manner and without a bad ego. In addition, they
should never compete with one another under their own art. Competition
of techniques and business practices between different arts is fine if
it is done justly and promotes positive values. However, competition
of techniques and business practices within the same art creates
disharmony between its practitioners. So under a particular art's
name, it is the duty of its practitioners to work together in order to
develop their strong and harmonious martial art identity.
INNAE - PATIENCE
As a human being we all have goals and
dreams. However, while most people believe that their goals and dreams
are an important component of their lives, only a fraction of most
humans achieve their goals and dreams. Why is this?
The achievement of goals and dreams requires
many things. Among these, they require a lot of dedication and hard
work or else they will never become a reality. The problem that arises
is that the achievement of goals and dreams takes time. And if it is a
very big goal or dream, it will take even more time. The factor of
time, and the ups and downs of life that undulate throughout it, is
the greatest force that stops people from achieving their goals. That
is why one must be patient. The ability to endure through these
difficulties and remain focused on the achievement of a goal is one of
the most essential qualities in actualizing the individual's dreams.
In the martial art world, there are many
people who say, "I want to be a black belt," or "I want
to be a master." Do these people really know how much patience
and practice is required before these dreams can come true? In
addition, how many of the people who say this, actually achieve these
true rank with honor? Knowledge and wisdom take time and dedication,
as well as great sacrifices. Just like all things, knowledge requires
time for growth. Knowledge alone without having the time for maturity
can be more of a detriment and becomes trite information, which only
takes up space in one's mind. It can take decades or even a lifetime
before someone understands this wisdom and truly becomes a master.
That is why without patience, these goals and dreams will never become
a reality. One of the realities about martial art training these days
is that one in a thousand black belts ever reach the true master
level.
This statistic is true even while a grave
situation has arisen in the martial art community. There are many
individuals who do not have the patience required to achieve a true
master ranking. So these individuals take an easy path by creating
their own organization and self-promoting themselves to a higher rank.
There are also many people who train from instructional videos, then
mix the techniques from all of these videos, making their own
"martial style." These "creations" are not martial
arts, and they destroy the public reputation of true martial arts.
There is no substitution for hands on training directly from your
teacher. Many little nuances is lost when one tries to teach
themselves something as complicated as martial arts. The books and
videos are all training aids, but cannot stand-alone. The philosophy,
the development of character, the controlling and channeling of
energies, the state of mind and spirit are all lost.
To truly earn a higher ranking, one must test
in front of their founder, and if they deserve the next rank, then
they should be presented with a certificate from their founder that
proves their honorable rank to the public. Of course, this does not
always ensure that they are great fighters, but it does ensures that
they have sacrificed and accomplished the requirements, demonstrating
their dedication, strong character, and perseverance. A soldier who
lacks in skill can make up the difference with his/her spirit. This is
art, not sport. The only thing that matters is not winning, but how we
live our lives and what benefit we can be to humanity. Individuals who
do not go through this true process and give themselves rank, are
fakers with false pride who destroy the integrity of the entire
martial art community. However, what if the techniques are not
effective and your goal is to be the best fighter. In all traditional
martial art systems, taken to its higher levels, the stress is on
mastery and when it is mastered there is no need to think or feel, but
it becomes a part of one's being. This should be our ultimate goal.
Think for a moment, we are born into one
family with one parents and whether we like it or not we must carry
the family's name until we die. For those of us who view the martial
art as another family, this is also true. It is our duty to make the
best of the knowledge we have gained. Of course, anyone can change,
give up, and quit, but this action is a dishonorable one. We are only
suggesting what is "Jung Do" or honorable way. What path you
take is your own, but choose wisely. Remember, the only way to show
that you are a true master is to have the dedication and patience to
endure.
BONGSA - SERVICE
Human society relies upon human service. It
is service that makes a better and strong family, community, society,
country, and the world. Every human has his/her own specialty. This
specialty can be natural or developed through training. Either way,
there is something unique that every individual has to offer this
world. Of course, these specialties are used to create your livelihood
and personal success, but there is another use for these specialties,
and that is in service. Volunteer service is very important to help
the growth of others, your family, your society, and your country. Our
specialties are for filling a space among this world and we must do
our best to serve this space honorably.
If you only use your specialty for your own
success the world can never be built better or stronger. That is why
we must serve others. Human beings have the potential for love and
selflessness without the motivation of money to direct them. Using
your specialty in this manner is what volunteering means. An
individual can do service for your god, service for family, service
for community, service for society, service for country, and service
for the world. All of these types of service are needed for yourself,
as well as others, in order to have respect for human morality.
Martial art service is like familial service.
If you love your martial art, then you should help each other and
share your specialty. It is important to have positive emotion, not
negative. Only through a positive way can you build yourself and your
art. So under one art's organization all black belts, instructors, and
masters need to volunteer their services and specialties in order to
selflessly build their art. That way, their art's name will be greatly
respected by the public and society, and their honor will pass from
generation to generation, forever. Furthermore, service and
selflessness is what is most noble.
JASHIN-SELF-CONFIDENCE
Why are some individuals strong and have the
ability to stand for something, while other individuals are weak and
stand for nothing? Creating success and doing what is right, is a hard
task. It takes many things to achieve something great, like hard work,
practice, patience, etc. But, before it is possible to begin taking
steps to achieve success, one must have belief.
Having conviction in your beliefs is
essential to having the ability to stand by your beliefs. This
conviction is your self-confidence. Without conviction or
self-confidence it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to
endure through the obstacles that lie in your path or even the
smallest obstacles that directly confront your beliefs.
One must have strong positive emotion in
order to achieve success. Negative emotion will only drown your
self-confidence, leaving you with less than average results. Self
confidence needs to be present in all areas of our lives in order to
follow through with our true beliefs at all times. We need to have
self-confidence in our social, familial, personal, and especially
moral aspects of our lives. Otherwise, we will only be thinking about
what we believe instead of actualizing what we believe.
As a martial artist this self-confidence is
of extreme importance. Because we learn dangerous techniques we have
more responsibility to know what is right and live honorably. If we
cannot stand by these principles that make up our honor, then we are
weak and do not deserve to be called a martial artist. This
self-confidence and conviction in the principles that define honor is
our foundation. We must maintain a positive and strong mind in order
to better cultivate our success and our understanding of our true
convictions. If you can manage this, the achievement of any goal is
possible. If it is a goal related to your work, to your martial
skills, to your personal life, or your family, self-confidence needs
to be your starting point. Then combine this with hard work and
patience, and your goals and beliefs will become a reality and you
will know success.
CHEKIM - RESPONSIBILITY
Every human has the potential for greatness.
However, humans also make many mistakes. That is our natural order.
That is also, why human society has morals for people as well as laws.
As a component of human society we also have responsibility. All of us
are a part of a family, a group of friends, a company, a community,
and a country. All of these different aspects of our lives define our
position among the world. At the same time, we must also know what
responsibilities are required of us, depending on what our position
is. No matter what position we have, responsibility is required of us
and if we forget this responsibility, human society will fall into
disharmony and be destroyed. All people have commitments to others, at
work, to friends, and to our families. This is a part of our daily
lives, and these commitments are big, small, and everything in
between. However, they are all-important and cannot be forgotten. That
is our responsibility.
It is our duty to fulfill our
responsibilities and be accountable for our actions. When people
achieve success, it is very easy for most of us to say that it was
"I" who was responsible for that success. However, when we
make mistakes, it is hard for us and often brings great pain to say
that "I" was responsible. This is something that everyone
feels, but even though it is hard we must be responsible and accept
the consequences.
Martial artists must really be responsible
because their knowledge can cause great harm. Once you learn the
skills that can injure or kill others, they cannot be used at whim. As
well as teaching martial skills it is the responsibility of martial
art instructors and masters to teach human morality. In addition, as
well as teaching it, they themselves must act and follow these
teachings. Otherwise, they are making a weapon out of their students
that have no restraint. This will cause great harm to other students,
themselves, and the rest of society.
For example, a martial art has the founder's
philosophy. Combined with this are various rules and regulations that
govern the management, quality, and overall way that particular
martial art is identified. Masters and instructors must promise and
swear their commitment to these principles of the art. However, there
are always people who make this commitment and then do not follow
through with their responsibilities and break their oaths. These
people turn their backs on their martial art's responsibilities. Once
this happens, how can a student with an honorable character follow
these kinds of "instructors?" If we act in a manner that
disregards our martial art responsibilities, then we are really
destroying our martial art's identity.
Without this moral responsibility the martial
art society will turn into a group of gangsters. It will only be about
street fighting and human moral responsibilities will disappear. This
will cause the public to disrespect the martial art community and
create a bad reputation for our wonderful martial art identities. We
must constantly discover and then fulfill our responsibilities. This
requires reflection into the truth of our positions, as well as
acceptance of our actions. Only then will we be able to realize what
our responsibilities are, and be able to act honorably.
HYUPDONG-COOPERATION
A single chopstick is easy to break, but one
hundred chopsticks bundled together are impossible to break.
Cooperation is necessary for the further growth and betterment of our
human society. Of course there are times when fair competition is good
too, but cooperation is necessary to provide and ensure the success of
the next generation.
In nature, an animal dies to give their meat
to humans, but when a human dies, what do they leave? A human only
leaves an honorable name. That is why we invest our time and hard work
into building something. We can work to build a strong and successful
company, a strong government, and/or a strong community. We must all
work together in order to achieve these goals.
Without cooperation what will occur? Will a
family, a company, or a nation survive and know success? Think about
this analogy. Two people set out to climb a mountain. On their way up,
they fight and pull each other down only so they themselves can climb
further up. It is obvious that the entire climb will be a great
struggle filled with wasted energy and strength. However, if these two
individuals pushed and pulled each other up in mutual cooperation,
their climb to the top would be much easier.
Within a martial art, all masters,
instructors, and students must cooperate in a manner that maintains
the traditional and honorable identity of their martial art. However,
in present times there are many individuals under one martial art name
that are in competition with each other. There are many who are
working only for their own selfish motivations and personal gains. In
some cases the traditional martial art identity seems to have been
totally forgotten. Everywhere there are individuals who have made
their own "martial art" or their own
"organization." These actions have only caused conflict
between members of the same martial art and have more importantly
destroyed their martial art's identity. These arts have become generic
and now it will take great effort for the next generation to rebuild
their art's honor.
If these actions continue the public will
never trust the martial art community. The martial art community must
work together in order to protect itself from the many improper
organizations that exist today. We must protect our art's identities
against these dishonorable individuals. Then as a community we can
regain our respect and once again work to build a better society.
HYODO - FILIAL PIETY
Where did you come from? You were made from
your father and grown by your mother. Remember the flower that blooms
and then drops its seed to the ground. This flower then dies and gives
its body and nutrients for the strength of its seed, the next
generation. The same care must be given to a human's family name.
Generation after generation, parents selflessly give everything they
can to their children.
Humans are different than animals. An animal
grows quickly, and as soon as it can care for itself it leaves its
parents and sets out on its own. Once an animal grows, it forgets its
family because it lives an independent life. Humans on the other hand
are weak for a long time after birth. Children need constant care and
attention for many years, and the parent takes this responsibility.
This is the beauty of the natural order. The purpose of this is for
humans to understand the idea of interdependence. As in the Chinese
character for human, which is a single line, leaning against another.
This is to symbolize that humans cannot stand-alone. Because of the
nature of this relationship between parent and child, we must have
filial piety. A parent gives everything for the success of their
child. This is not just in terms of financial or material well-being,
but a parent also gives the concepts of humanity and morality to their
child.
Think about how much love you have given back
to your parents. If it were not for your parents you would not even
exist. Think about who gave you your life, and never disobey your
parents. Rich or poor, never blame your parents. If you follow their
teachings in a good manner, you will never lead a bad life. All a
parent wants is a better life for you. Always remember that you must
be the model case. Someday you will be the parent and your children
will follow your example. If you treat your parents well, then your
children will treat you well. Your children learn everything you do.
You can even hear the sound of your own footsteps from the sound of
your child's. That is why human morality first counts loyalty and
filial piety.
The relationship between a martial art
instructor and his students is the same as that of a parent and child.
The same manner in which a parent instructs their child in the way of
human morality, is the same manner in which a martial art instructor
must teach their student. Because the instructor is teaching dangerous
skills, they must maintain a relationship in which the instructor is
the parent and the student is the child. An instructor and student
cannot be friends, just as a father and son cannot be friends. We must
maintain the proper relationship and filial duties that our position
dictates. That way an honorable martial art can be passed
generation-to-generation, just as the family name is passed through
time.
JEONGJIK - HONESTY
Within human society there is a common rule
of honesty. Our society can be built in a wonderful manner if it is
done with an honest mind. In fact, if all humans were honest, we would
not need laws. Honesty is the foundation for trustworthiness. In order
to receive trust from others, one must be honest to oneself and tell
the truth. Telling truths are not always an easy matter, but it is
always the best way. Then, even being honest requires one to be
strong. However, one must understand that there should always be
consideration for time and place. What is appropriate at one time in
one place is not always true at another time and place. This requires
wisdom and compassion.
One should not lie because even a 1,000 lies
are not worth even a single truth. In addition, one should not lie;
because once you start to lie, you will find yourself covering up your
original lies with more false claims and stories. However, if you put
forth the truth, you will always find truth in what is given back to
you.
Presently within the martial art community
many falsehoods exist. Selfish egos have lead individuals to make
claims, which are simply untrue. For example, there are many lies
about their ranks, titles, and even years that they have practiced. In
the hopes that they can gain credibility for their business, these
individuals call themselves instructors, masters, and even
grandmasters when they have never received these titles from anyone.
Some of these individuals speak to their students about having one
loyalty to their art, when they themselves have broken off and
betrayed their original art. The hypocrisy that has been created by
lies is disgraceful. Stay true to the ranks, titles, and positions you
have truly earned. Then you will be respected by who you truly are and
after all, isn't that what we really want?
JUNGDO -RIGHTEOUSNESS
Within human society, there exists the right
path. In life there are many paths one can take to live their lives,
but there exists one path, which is in harmony with all things and
reveals what is true. It is this path that we must always strive to
discover. This is why humans must find an honest career for their
livelihood. If you follow the right path of your career, you will
always find success, but if you follow the wrong path, your house will
be that of a sandcastle on the edge of the ocean. Sooner or later it
will be all washed up. However, one should not measure success on the
basis of wealth or fame, but by their ability to maintain the right
path.
The martial art practitioner must know and
follow the right path. One philosophy of Hwa Rang Do®
is, "JUNGDO SUHEANG," which means, "Following the true
path is one's duty." Each specific martial art has its own right
path, which is defined in its syllabus. You must stay true and follow
the way, the "Do or Tao," of your specific martial art. One
should not mix the paths of multiple martial art styles, but stay true
to your own. They are different and contain within themselves their
own specific philosophy. When the paths of different martial arts are
crossed, the way is destroyed and becomes confused for the future
generation of practitioners. One may have their own specific
approaches, a variation of specific techniques, which one has
discovered after years of training. These discoveries can be taught
separately, but the main curriculum should not be changed. That is the
foundation of the art and should remain consistent throughout all of
eternity.
The right path for a martial art must also be
defined in relationship to its governing organization. The governing
organization exists as the means of enforcing and maintaining the
laws, rules and regulations of the specific martial art as well as
maintaining quality control. Now there are some individuals that
believe they can exist within their art, but outside of the
jurisdiction of their governing organization. These selfish
instructors embezzle a small amount of money for their own personal
profit in total disregard of their art's longevity or integrity. Now
these individuals also give and sell dan degree ranks and titles for
their own profit, again destroying their art's identity. The martial
art governing organization is the one body that has the authority to
define the right way for that particular martial art. This is not to
say that the organization is only for one man or a group of
individuals. The governing organization exists to help ensure that the
right way exists and is followed for all of its practitioners. Then
the integrity of the art's identity can grow and be honorable. This is
true for all types of organized groups.
Do not break away from your martial art's
governing organization. This organization will direct the spirit and
philosophy of your art throughout the entire world, and this will
provide great benefits to you as an instructor or practitioner. These
organizations are not for the profit of one man, and their efforts are
dedicated completely to those who are involved in their art. Rather
than finding faults, making complaints, creating negativity, one
should focus on how he/she can better assist the growth and
maintenance of the organization. In this way, everyone can benefit.
However, in order to have a voice, one must demonstrate and earn the
respect and trust of all the members of such organization. This
requires that one follow "JUNG DO". If you spend your
lifetime serving the benefit of your particular martial art, the
rewards are obvious. However, as it states in the "Tao Te Ching,"
"One should work hard and after the work is done, everyone says,
I've done it." As martial artists, leaders, teachers, and keepers
of old values, we should not work for reward sake, but for the
betterment of others and in so doing, we have enhanced the positive
energy of the universe. What greater reward can one receive than this?
This is your responsibility to your art's governing organization. That
way the "right way" of your art can flourish.
JUNGSHIN - SPIRIT
It is very important for human society that
its members have a positive spirit. With a positive spirit and
attitude it is possible to build anything. However, if you have a
negative spirit your accomplishments will be few and far between.
Positive or negative, the foundation of your mentality and heart
determines the results of you actions. This perspective of positive
and negative can be seen in the son who helps his parents in the
garden. The son with a positive spirit sees that he is helping his
parents to provide food and benefit for the family. However, the son
who has a negative spirit only feels that his efforts and position is
that of a slave.
If you join a group or association it is
important that you have a positive spirit. That way you will complete
actions that benefit the entire group. On your way to the top of the
mountain, never pull your partners down. If you work in a negative
manner, you and your partners will never reach the top of the
mountain. On the other hand if you cooperate and help each other up in
a positive manner it will be easy to reach the summit. Keep that
strong positive framework, and then it will be easy to achieve your
goals. Understand and feel the power of these virtues, and you will
know the positive spirit. Love, forgiveness, obedience, courtesy,
respect, trust, honor, loyalty, dignity, truth, duty, justice, wisdom,
goodness, virtue, bravery, patience, service, responsibility, filial
piety, and humanity.
This kind of spirit also applies to the
martial artist. If your master or instructor follows a negative path
and acts dishonorably, you must not follow his/her ways. Betrayal of
your art is unacceptable, and as a student it is your duty to correct
your teachers if they are following the wrong path.
The fighting skills of our arts are not
everything. Instead they are a vehicle for the development of our
characters and our spirits. Once you gain the knowledge of martial
skills, you should understand the fragility of life. Life is a special
gift and it is filled with opportunity. This realization greatly
influences the positive mind. Combined with the proper spirit an
individual who possesses martial knowledge, can then work in a
positive manner for the benefit of your identity and your society.
HUNSHIN - SELFLESSNESS
Humans cannot exist and survive by
themselves. This is because of the natural Um and Yang system that
exists within the universe. There is harmony between a man and a
woman, between child and parents, between friends, between families,
and between countries and societies. Through mutual respect and
cooperation humanity exists. If you think only of yourself without an
understanding of humanity how can society survive? This basic morality
and compassion for others is disappearing in modern society. Most
individuals are thinking of themselves, but ask yourself, "If a
child does not care for their parents in old age, how can they
live?" If a wife and husband only think of themselves, how will
their marriage last? If organizational members think only of
themselves, why do they need an organization in the first place? Can
any human being make anything without the cooperation of others? These
are pretty simple answers. Of course selfless action and cooperation
is necessary for survival and success. The other option is to act
selfishly, but this kind of action will destroy the world and society.
Martial art practitioners must also
understand the importance of selfless action. The skills of your art
came from your founder, who themselves received them from the
traditional way of passing these skills generation-to-generation. As
each individual martial art teacher understands this value and helps
their students to learn the same, it becomes the responsibility of
each student to continue the tradition of their martial art identity.
Yes, we have to make a living, but think again to yourself, are you
living or surviving? The world needs good teachers who can guide them
in the right path. "A teacher affects eternity." What
greater service can one offer to humanity, than to create a positive
path for the youth to follow in order to preserve the traditional
values of love, respect, and honor. When such selfless deeds are
accomplished, the rewards maybe be unseen by the individual, but it's
affect will resonate throughout eternity.
GONGBU
- STUDY
Everyone within human society needs
knowledge. Only then can everyone give something to the overall
benefit and well-being of society. There are many areas of study that
benefit the society. There is academic study, moral study, scientific
study, social study, study of the arts, and study of combat skills,
etc. There is a saying that can provide a framework for the martial
artist, "MUN MU IL DO" - one must study equally the
combination of academic and martial skills. Then you will truly
develop the qualities of a warrior.
There is another saying that describes the
way one must study. It is, "JEONGSHIN ILDO HASA BULSEONG,"
if you have mental concentration, nothing is impossible.
The study of martial arts requires patience
and a strong moral mentality. Most martial arts are proud of their own
skills. Nobody can say that their style is the best, because their
style has the best method for their particular techniques. However,
the level of study and practice are different between individuals.
Many martial arts have similar skills in their beginning levels, and
differ in variety in their advanced training. Presently there are many
people who spend a short time studying multiple styles. If a person
studies 5 different martial arts for a two year period each, would
they be better than someone who spent the same amount of time, 10
years, studying one martial art? The answer is no, because the person
who only studied one art would have learned the basic and the deeper
level of advanced techniques.
The study of multiple martial arts for short
periods is like licking the surface of a watermelon. Doing this you
will never know what delicious fruit lies within. Train hard and do
not lie about how long you have trained. Some people say they have
trained for ten years, but they have only trained once a week or once
every other week for that time period. Others may have only trained
for 3 years, but have studied six days a week. Who do you think has
real knowledge? Do not be deceived by the amount of time people
profess to have studied. Count their ranks and titles, and where they
received them. That is why martial arts have ranking systems. Your
honor and your position is reflected in the actions you have
completed. The position you have is what you deserve. Never lie about
who you truly are. Do not be lazy, know what you have done, know who
you are, and know who you want to be. Then all you need to do is
practice and study hard to achieve the results you desire.
