Karate Angels
Sweat Shirts 

I don’t know if I chose it or if it chose me. I do know that the moment I walked into the dojang (Tae Kwon Do School), I knew this was where I wanted to be. Somewhere I read that when the student is ready, the teacher will be there. Well Grand Master Jun Chong was definitely there and ready for me.

Looking back on that day, I remember I wanted to take Tae Kwon Do because I knew it is an Olympic sport and I wanted to “go for the gold.” When I mentioned this to Grand Master Chong not long ago, he smiled and let me know that this was okay. In Tae Kwon Do we have what are known as the Tenets of Tae Kwon Do, and while they vary from school to school and instructor to instructor, the basic ideas are the same. Grand Master Chong teaches honesty in the heart, strength in the body, knowledge in the mind, integrity, modesty, self-control, and conviction of ultimate victory.

I didn’t know it then but I already had a head start, a Conviction of Ultimate Victory. I was determined that no matter how sore my muscles were, no matter what was on television, no matter what - I was going to go to class and I was going to work out hard. I was determined to be a black belt, one of the youngest black belts in the school. I really wanted to make Master Chong proud of me. The funny thing is he took me aside and told me that as hard as I was working and progressing, I was missing something. He didn’t want me to work hard for him; he wanted me to work hard for myself. If I was doing it only for him, he would rather I not do it at all.

You see, Master Chong says that we are responsible for our own selves. We have to do what is necessary to make ourselves happy and healthy. It’s okay to do things we know will make others happy, but when it comes to choices about our own lives, we are in charge. Living my life for someone else would eventually make me unhappy and resentful.

My master believes that Tae Kwon Do gives you the freedom to be the best you can be. By learning Tae Kwon Do I learned not only how to kick and punch, but how to apply what I learned in the dojang to my life outside the dojang.

One of the things I learned is “ Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect, Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.” How you practice is how you are going to perform, if you slack off in practice, you can’t assume that is how you are going to react in real life.

It takes a lot of dedication to practice the same things week after week. A lot of people drop out because they expect it to come to them immediately and they’re not willing to put the work into it. Tae Kwon Do has taught me to put aside some of the things I would rather be doing to take care of the things I have to do, like homework. Physical dedication, while one of the important lessons is not all we learn in class, one of our first lessons is respect. Respect works the same way. In the dojang I have seen people who bow to their instructors and others, but once they get outside our school, they become disrespectful to other people, like their friends, parents, teachers and others. Master Chong doesn’t put up with this, he says everyone deserves respect, whether you like them or not.

So what have I learned from Tae Kwon Do? I have developed my body well beyond what I ever dreamed, but most importantly I have gained the lesson Master Chong tried so hard to give me - self-confidence. And with this self-confidence comes the opportunity to be the best person I can be.

Just as doing flying sidekicks over obstacles when I wasn’t sure, but Grand Master Chong was there for me. And I learned to expand my comfort zone. I learned I can push the limits and develop my mind and body farther than ever before. Tae Kwon Do has taught me that I can go above and beyond what I ever thought possible. I can take my success from the dojang and take it to school with me or anywhere else I go in life. No one can take this from me, it will always be part of me. The only limits on what I can accomplish are those I set for myself.

This was written with the help of Ronda Sweet. We thank her so much. Ronda is a freelance writer.

Hapkido is a powerful and innovative Korean martial art. Literally translated, the word Hap means coordination of harmony, Ki denotes the essence of power, and Do means the art or the way. Hapkido incorporates powerful and fluid kicking techniques; highly effective and flowing throwing techniques; and precise and sharp hand techniques. This concise and practical martial art is the result of a 1300 year pursuit of the Way.

Thirteen centuries ago, the land currently occupied by North and South Korea consisted of 3 kingdoms - Kokuryo, Paikche and Silla. The people of Kokuryo were known for their military and intellectual skills (head). The Silla were craftsmen (hands). The Paikche were agrarian (feet).

During this time it was felt that the security of many, lay in the strength of a select few. This group of elite young nobleman developed “a way of life.” This “way” was based upon adherence to a strict code of ethics and disciplined lifestyle dedicated to living in harmony with the natural laws of the universe. This group came to be known as Hwarangdo.

Wars and insurrections were a common part of everyday life. King Chin-Heung of Silla, in concert with the Mongols, succeeded in overthrowing the rulers of Kokuryo and Paikche. The remaining royalty of defeated Kokuyro and Paikche Kingdoms fled to the mountains or to the neighboring islands. One group of people from Kokuyro sailed to the Island of Hokkaido, while another group sailed from Paikche to Kyushu and established some of the first ancient settlements of Japan.

Those that fled to the mountains established monastic order and carried on their traditions in secret for the next 500 years. During this time devoted Monks practiced and refined their Martial skills. Many of the monasteries developed their own fighting styles and concepts. The most effective and devastating style was known as Tae Kyon, primarily a martial art of kicking.

The Japanese Army invaded and ruled Korea from 1910 through the end of World War II. During that period it was not uncommon for Korean families and treasures to be relocated to Japan. During the Japanese occupation a young boy, Yong Sul Choi, was sent to Japan. By the age of 9, Yong Sul Choi was alone and living with a group of Monks in a Buddhist temple. Shortly thereafter, it became apparent to the Monks that Yong Sul Choi was not suited for monastic life.

At this time many great warriors, in accordance with ancient traditions, undertook annual pilgrimages throughout Japan to improve their martial arts skills. During their travels they visited local temples to offer prayers and donations. One such warrior, Master Shokaku Takeda, paid regular visits to the monastery where Yong Sul Choi resided. During one of Master Takeda’s visits, the resident Monks, seeing an opportunity, beseeched Master Takeda to take the young Choi as a disciple.

Master Takeda was taught the art of swordsmanship by his Father and Grandfather. Master Takeda taught a weaponless martial art known as Daito-Ryu Aiki Jujitsu. This art emphasized the use of joint locks, strikes and nerve attacks to neutralize an opponent.

The young Choi served as Master Takeda’s assistant and student. Consistent with the training methods of those days, Master Takeda’s training methods with the young Choi was both tough and rigorous.

Yong Sul Choi remained in Japan for 35 years training under Master Takeda. Near the end of World War II, Grand Master Choi returned to Korea and opened a small school in Taegu, the third largest city in Korea. He began training a small group of students informally. Yong Sul Choi is credited with the founding of modern day Hapkido.

###

Sarah's Corner
Watch Sarah's Corner for news dedicated to girls in the Martial Arts