CTI Student Manual

It dawned on me late last week during my Taekwondo classs that it was time to purchase the Student Manual. I'd been working on my latest poomse, taegeuk il chang, and my instructor, Mr. A mentioned something about the three lines pattern of movement. It thus was obvious that I was neglecting my studies.

Last night, I purchased the manual before class, and before going to bed, I spent some time reading it. I mostly read about the history of martial arts -- that they originated in China, Korea and Japan -- and that Taekwondo can be traced through three dynasties to as early as 37 BC. Though practiced for thousands of years, the name Taekwondo was not defined for this version of martial arts until 1955. Here are some other new things that give TKD a little more meaning to me:

Taekwondo is "the Korean art of smashing with the bare feet and hands."

Thought: Smashing things was not my motivation for signing up for TKD. What attracted me to the artform was the beautiful movements of the poomse. Still, I am beginning to think that breaking a board is not impossible for me. What I continue to enjoy about TKD is the rigorous workout coupled with the disciplinary expectation and mental concentration.

Moo Sul Kwan means "martial arts school"

Thought: My son and his friends have mentioned a desire to learn Moo Sul Kwan style Taekwondo. The next time they bring it up, I will share this piece of translation.

Taegeuk il chang has 16 counts and should last 16 seconds. It stands for "the force that is in living things. Originating, correct, advantageous, and firm."

Thought: What I like about practicing poomse is the feeling of focus and centeredness. I like that there is symbolism to the form. I had not been practicing it with a clearly defined idea. I will have to keep these words in mind from now on.