The Duality of Taekwondo

Knife hand attack to the neck......side kick to the knee....backfist to the face.....Techniques we learn and teach everyday.

But what if we really executed these techniques on someone?  What kind of devastation would we cause?  Why do we teach and continue to practice such seemingly ugly, brutal, devastating techniques?

"Taeguk" is the concept of balance in Korean.  Also known as Ying and Yang in Chinese, it is the concept of balanced opposites:  Hot and Cold;  Light and Dark; Good and Evil.  It is symbolized by the red and blue half circles intertwined on the Korean Flag.  Each needs the other.  Neither can survive without its counterpart.  The circle created by the two halves represents completeness; infinity; wholeness.  If you take one half away, the balance is gone.

We have a dual challenge as martial artists when we practice and perform our techniques.  The first is to train and develop our  techniques with all the accuracy, power, snap and ferocity it was originally designed for.  Every time you perform a technique you should ask yourself:  "Would this really work"?

The opposite, complimentary challenge is to make them beautiful.  When we execute a knife-hand neck attack, or high-section side kick, someone watching should say...."Wow!"  The balance of devastating power, snap and accuracy coupled with the artistic beauty should inspire any onlooker.

The phrase "Martial Arts" in itself is a duality of words.  "Martial" meaning mortal combat based in warfare.  "Art" meaning something beautiful created from the soul or essence of man.  Here lies our challenge and responsibility as we train in Tae Kwon Do.  We practice techniques to carry on the tradition of the martial arts and to learn effective self-defense techniques.  I always say we are "preparing for the fight we hope never happens".  This is balanced with the "Do" of martial arts.  "The Way", we have chosen to follow.  A code of discipline, honor and respect for both ourselves and others.

We reach true unity of motion when we perform a technique not only with our bodies....but with our being.  When you put your heart, mind, spirit....your all...into a technique....then you have experienced the double beauty of devastating power and artistic beauty.

Keep training hard!