The Five Tenets of Taekwondo

Changs Taekwondo

In today’s blog, we will be discussing the five tenets of Taekwondo and why they are so important to becoming an accomplished and respected martial artist.

Students at all our schools in White Rock, Cloverdale/langley, Tsawwassen, Aldergrove, and Mission learn about all 5.

Martial arts is more than learning to defeat an enemy or protect yourself from a bully, but also teaches its practitioners a new way of life.

Taekwondo has done this by inducting the five tenets into its curriculum. These five tenets are Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, and Indomitable Spirit.

Courtesy

Courtesy is an essential part of becoming a martial artist. It is meant to be shown to anyone you encounter in life. At Chang’s Taekwondo, we show our courtesy to our school by bowing when we step in the door or putting our shoes nicely away on the shelf.

Courtesy should also be shown outside the dojang when interacting with others in public. This can be something as little as opening the door for the person behind you! Regardless of the act, we require that taekwondo students learn to show their courtesy and be kind towards others.

Integrity

Integrity is a two-sided blade and asks that an individual understands not only the difference between right and wrong but can stand up for what is ethically correct. At Chang’s Taekwondo, this can be demonstrated through training in class or with a partner. If the instructor asks you to complete 10 push-ups and you only finish 5, then stopping and claiming you’ve completed all 10 would not be showing good integrity.

Instead, we hope that our students will act with honesty and integrity when training but also interacting with others. The cliché saying goes “two wrongs don’t make a right”.

A martial artist knows that he might not be able to control those around them, but they do know that they can control themselves.

Perseverance

This is a hugely important aspect of Taekwondo and something that are black belts students are well aware of. It’s not an easy feat to learn the skills that martial arts demands. It takes a lot of effort and practice before a student can become a yellow belt, blue belt, or even black belt.

Taekwondo pushes students to struggle against their goals and persevere in the face of adversity. The rewards are definitely worth the effort!

Self-Control

Self-Control is essential to becoming a true martial artist. Classes teach our students skills that should be used in self-defence but never with ill intentions. We must learn to keep our emotions in check and act in a manner that is respectful of others.

At Chang’s Taekwondo, this can play a role in how students behave with each other. It can be upsetting if someone isn’t acting kindly towards you or playing unfairly in a game but that doesn’t make it right to retaliate in a similar manner. Instead, we can use our words and if necessary, ask an instructor or parents for help to resolve the situation.

Indomitable Spirit

An indomitable spirit can be looked at as an individual who never gives up or admits defeat. It’s someone who looks at any challenge or adversity with the belief they have the ability to surmount it.

Taekwondo works to foster this mentality and teaches its students that they are capable of anything they set their mind to.

Don’t let unreasonable fear or worry stop you from reaching your full potential. We know our students at Chang’s Taekwondo are capable of encompassing these five tenets into their daily lives and being good representatives of our school!