Tae kwon do: Artistry in motion

Tae kwon do may be the most maligned of arts. You are asked to believe that it was created for the destruction of one man by another. You are entertained by the smashing of boards and are told that this power is the goal of tae kwon do. You hear high-pitched incantations and are led to believe that somewhere within these sounds lies the mystique of tae kwon do.

That is not tae kwon do. Tae kwon do was created by non-violent men to discourage violence. It does give power. A power of self-defense far more frightening than the mere shattering of boards. But it never once suggests an offensive use of this power. It does bring physical well-being, for there is no discipline of man which trims, shapes or conditions the body as well.

It does bring a fluidity to motion, a grace to movement, and physical harmony. And it does more. It brings self-strength, self-knowledge, self-confidence and self-control. It reaches towards ki – the development of a total being capable of meeting any challenge with calm and success. It brings one to himself. It is a way of life.

The philosophy of tae kwon do is to build a more peaceful world. To accomplish this goal, tae kwon do begins with the foundation, the individual. The art strives to develop the character, personality, and positive moral and ethical traits in each practitioner. It is upon this foundation of individuals possessing positive attitudes and characteristics that the end goal may be achieved.

Tae kwon do strives to develop the positive aspects of an individual’s personality: Respect, courtesy, goodness, trustworthiness, loyalty, humility, courage, patience, integrity, perseverance, self-control, an indomitable spirit and a sense of responsibility to help and respect all forms of life. This takes a great deal of hard training and many do not reach far enough to achieve perfection in all these aspects. However, it is the physical, mental, and spiritual effort which the individual puts in that develops the positive attributes and image of both the individual and how he or she perceives others.

By helping mold an individual into a well-rounded and responsible person, the individual can pass onto others, through both his teachings and personal actions, the principles he has learned through his tae kwon do training. Individuals unite and become a family, families come together and form a community, communities merge and develop into a nation, and nations are what make up our present-day world. In order to help build a more peaceful world, tae kwon do starts with one person at a time. Gradually, groups emerge, organizations develop, until tae kwon do’s philosophy has influenced, in a positive way, enough persons, families, communities and nations, to someday bring about, or at least help bring about, the unification of nations dedicated to helping each other.

That is why Korean giant Samsung Electronics came up with the Best of the Best Taekwondo Championship. With this event, Samsung aims to tap the talents and energy of the Filipino youth and challenge them to excel in their abilities.

"This tournament is the annual gathering of the champions. Those who were invited to come here are only the champions from the different regions in the country. Whatever the outcome, all the participants here are already considered as winners," Samsung president Sang Youl Eom explains.