| Taekwon-do is Korean for foot (tae), hand (kwon) | | | | But far more importantly, because of the ancient |
| and way, or art (do). It can thus be rendered, "the | | | | parallels with the Roman legions, the quintessential |
| art of fighting using the hands and feet." The word | | | | martial artists. |
| "do", essentially the key to the art itself, implies a | | | | Initially, worshipping Mars in his most brutal, |
| totally dedicated way of life, the pursuit of | | | | slaughtering aspect, as Ares, the legions' beliefs |
| excellence. | | | | progressed through Mars Ultor -" the Avenger"- to |
| Strictly speaking, the nomenclature, Taekwondo, is | | | | their ultimate devotion to Mithras, the Zoroastrian |
| relatively recent, being coined by the Father of | | | | god of battles and victory. However, for |
| Taekwondo, General Choi Hong-hi in 1957, but its | | | | Taekwondo, it's as god of oaths, mutual obligation |
| roots go back over 2000 tears to c.60 BC to the art | | | | between the king and his warriors, protector of the |
| of Taek Kyon. Taek Kyon was developed, like karate | | | | righteous, and arch-foe of the powers of evil that |
| and Kung-fu, as a devastating, surprise tactic against | | | | he's most significant. |
| the depredations of marauders, ironically, in this case, | | | | Ultimately, Mithras represented friendship, integrity, |
| Japanese pirates. | | | | harmony, and all that successfully maintains order in |
| The Japanese were both directly and indirectly | | | | human existence. He thus accords with the highest |
| responsible for Taekwondo's development. Indirectly, | | | | martial art principles, extolled by the ancient |
| as they banned martial arts during their Korean | | | | promulgators of Taek Kyon, the HwaRang - "the |
| occupation from 1909 until World War 2, forcing | | | | Flowering of Youth" |
| Taek Kyon, also known as Subak, to be pursued | | | | It's to this aristocratic elite that the latter 11 point |
| secretly in Buddhist temples. At the onset of war, | | | | honour-code of Taekwondo - respect, loyalty, and |
| the Japanese forced Korean subjugates, to learn | | | | fidelity i.e. deference, adherence to the law, |
| karate in Japan, where Choi, himself, became | | | | allegiance, and oath-keeping to country, ancestors, |
| proficient in Shokotan karate, later attaining the grade | | | | spouses, siblings, friends, and school - owes its origin; |
| of 2nd Dan. | | | | representing the most arduous task for the student. |
| To learn tae kwon do accordingly involves many of | | | | But it's the Buddhist respect for life, inherent in the |
| the rigours of karate, thanks to Choi, typically, | | | | HwaRang's oath never to take life unjustifiably, the |
| intense body-conditioning and muscular development. | | | | attainment of indomitability of spirit, and the |
| It's a hard style involving direct, forceful blocks, | | | | completion of whatone has begun that students will |
| powerful, linear attacks, and angular movements. Its | | | | derive the greatest benefit from. Plus taking to heart |
| also an amalgam of T'ai Chi, Kung-fu, judo, and other | | | | the HwaRang's Confucian directive that the noble |
| styles, incorporating spinning motions, punching, high | | | | man should study poetry, the arts, and play music, as |
| jumping kicks, dodges, and parrying with both hands | | | | martial arts are best left to the common, or even |
| and feet. | | | | inferior, man! |
| For Taekwondo students, its military background is | | | | SEO Solutions and one way link publicity services |
| crucial. Latterly, as it was incorporated into the | | | | provided by LinkAcquire. |
| military training of both the Korean, and US forces. | | | | |