History
	Philosophy
	Three Reasons to Train in Martial Arts
	Eight Points of Ji Do Kwan Philosophy
	Five Tenets of Tae Kwon Do
	Three Criteria for Becoming a Black Belt
	Theory of Power
	Korean Terms
	Black Belt Tests
	June 2004 Newsletter (.pdf version)

 

TAE KWON DO AND JI DO KWAN HISTORY

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JI DO KWAN PHILOSOPHY

Martial Arts is a way of life. It is a combination of mind and body. Not simply a quest to develop physical skills, the Martial Arts is intended to develop an all-around ability to handle the everyday stresses of life. The higher a student climbs in rank, the more peaceful they become. Every student wears a white uniform (dobok). They are all equal, and they all are part of a Tae Kwon Do family. Students not only help each other to improve their physical skills, but they also tutor each other in other areas such as proper attitude, respect and humility.

The basic philosophy or our program is simple.

• We teach the history, art, sport and self-defense of the martial art of Tae Kwon Do.
• We offer a good, multi-dimensional workout in a safe, positive environment.
• We want everyone to have fun!

It is very important for all instructors and more advanced students to understand that new students may feel intimidated when starting the program. By remembering what it was like to be a new student, we can better assist them to get over this anxiety. Remember, nothing other than a willingness to learn is expected of any student, new or veteran.

The Tae Kwon Do philosophy is a guideline to assist the student in becoming a better Martial Artist. In learning any Martial Art, it is the student's responsibility to learn the philosophy as well as the physical skills. By learning the philosophy the student has a chance to view a little of the culture from which the Martial Art originated. Learning physical skills without understanding and applying the art's philosophical aspects could result in negative consequences for the student and the program, as well as for society.

According to the philosophy there are only three reasons to use the fighting aspect of the Martial Arts::

1) For defense of yourself and/or your family.
2) For defense of your Martial Arts school. (Typically this now refers to representing your your school at a tournament.)
3) For defense of your country.

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THE THREE REASONS TO TRAIN IN THE MARTIAL ARTS

1) It is a vigorous source of exercise for the development of a strong body.
2) It is an effective means to develop individual mental strength.
3) It provides a unique perspective of the importance of one’s role in society.

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THE EIGHT POINTS OF THE JI DO KWAN PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy encourages the student to achieve the spirit of solemnity which simply means to become serious about the training and philosophy, and to practice both religiously. For this reason, the Martial Arts and the philosophy is often misunderstood as being a religion which it is not! To practice the art and its philosophy religiously means to practice and hold the customs and beliefs of the Art as seriously and sacredly as you would your own religious beliefs.

To assist in understanding the philosophy, JiDo Kwan Tae Kwon Do has developed "The Eight Points" of philosophy.

PROPER PERSPECTIVE (View Rightly)
A student must develop a proper understanding of what Martial Arts is all about and how it relates to the rest of the world. This relates directly to the reasons for training and using the fighting skills (mentioned above).

EMOTIONAL CONTROL (Feel Rightly)
A student must be in control of his/her emotions at all times and apply the proper emotions at the proper time. It is important to avoid anger, and extreme levels of emotions, which can cloud sound and logical judgment.

THINK CORRECTLY (Think Rightly)
A student should always have a strong belief in doing that which is right. It should be completely against the student's nature to do anything immorally or socially wrong.

BE TRUTHFUL (Speak Rightly)
A student should never tell a non-truth or half-truth. This could result in a hardship to someone else or even to the person speaking a non or half-truth.

CONTRIBUTE (Contribute Rightly)
Whenever possible, a student should always contribute as much as possible to causes which have a positive effect on society.

ORDER RIGHTLY
Whenever in a position of authority, a student should never have others do something that is improper or unjust, nor should they influence others to act in a way that is improper or unjust.

GOOD CONDUCT (Conduct Rightly)
Always try to act in a manner which portrays proper conduct. Always set a good example.

HAVE ABILITY
Train hard and achieve your highest level of mental and physical skills development.

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THE FIVE TENETS OF TAE KWON DO

1) Perseverance
2) Integrity
3) Indomitable Spirit
4) Courtesy
5) Self Control

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THE THREE CRITERIA FOR BECOMING A BLACK BELT

1) Character
2) Knowledge
3) Ability (Skill)

Character is mandatory. In adddition, a black belt candidate must have either Knowledge or Ability (Skill). It is optimal for all black belt candidates to be proficient in all three levels.

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THEORY OF POWER

Six elements contribute to the Theory of Power. When practicing any TKD technique you should always attempt to apply as many of these six elements as possible. The more you incorporate these elements into all aspects of your training, the more effective your techniques will be.

DIRECTION OF POWER
This element refers to the direction of the body and the direction of the technique in relationship to the target. If the technique is a straight-ahead technique, like sidekick, the body movement as well as the technique should both move straight towards the target.

STRENGTH
Having and developing the strength element refers to the muscle activity involved in performing the technique. The more strength devoted to the technique, the more powerful the technique will be.

SPEED
The speed of the technique has a great impact on the amount of power generated within the technique. The faster you perform the technique, the more powerful it will be.

CONCENTRATION
Concentration (or focus) is important in making sure your mind has control over every technique. In order to incorporate all elements of power, your mind must eliminate all other thoughts, focus on the target and direct all energies toward the target.

BALANCE
Without balance and stability, one cannot achieve optimum power.

BREATHING
Exhaling upon the delivery of the technique and inhaling in between techniques helps increase the power of each technique. Making sure you have an effective Ki Ap helps improve your breathing.

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TERMINOLOGY

 

BASICS
Thank you	Kahm Sa Hamnida
Yes	Ye
No	Anio

RANK
Rank	Keup
Degree	Dan
Grand Master	Kwan Jang Nim
Chief Instructor	Chung Sah Nim
Instructor	Sah Bum Nim
Teacher	Kyo Sah Nim
Senior Student	Sun Bae Nim
Student	Hak Saeng

COMMANDS
Attention	Charyut
Bow	Kyung Ya
Ready	Chunbi
Ki Ap	Ki Ap
Begin	Seijak
Break	Kayoh
Continue	Kyesok
Stop	Goman
Return	Baroh
Relax	Shiuh

NUMBERS
CARDINAL			ORDINAL
One	Hana		First	Ill
Two	Dul		Second	E
Three	Set		Third	Sam
Four	Net		Fourth	Sa
Five	Dasot		Fifth	O
Six	Yasot		Sixth	Yuk
Seven	Ilgop		Seventh	Chil
Eight	Yudol		Eighth	Pal
Nine	Ahop		Ninth	Gu
Ten	Yoll		Tenth	Sipp

STANCES
Stance	Sohgi
Walking Stance	Kuht Neun Sohgi
Front Stance	Ahp Sohgi
Back Stance	Dwi Sohgi
Horse Stance	Juchoom Sohgi
Fighting Stance	Pal Chagi Chunbi

BLOCKS
Block	Mahki
High Block	Eolgool Mahki
Low Block	Ahrae Mahki
Inward Block	Ahnuro Mahki
Outward Block	Bahkuro Mahki

PUNCHES
Punch	Chirugi
High Punch	Eolgool Chirugi
Middle Punch	Momtung Chirugi
Low Punch	Ahrae Chirugi
Reverse Punch	Bahn Dae Chirugi

KICKS
Kick	Chagi
Front Kick	Ahp Chagi
Side Kick	Yup Chagi
Rounhouse Kick	Dolyeo Chagi
Back Kick	Dwi Chagi
Axe Kick	Nehryuh Jeek Gi
Spinning Hook Kick	Dwi Dolyeo Chagi
Thrust Kick	Mil A Chagi

EQUIPMENT
Uniform	Dobok
Belt	Dhee
Head Gear	Muh Ree Bohodae
Mouth Piece	Eep Bohodae
Chest Protector	Hogu

COMPETITION
Forms	Poomse
Sparring	Kyoroogi
Round	Jeon
Point	Jeum
Blue	Chung
Red	Hong
Warning	Kyong Go
Point Deduction	Gam Jeum