The Continental Tang Soo Do Federation
Tang Soo Do Philosophy

Philosophy of respect  

What is respect? The dictionary’s definition of respect is admiration for, or sense of the worth of excellence of a person.  Deference to a right, privilege or privileged position.   The condition of being esteemed or honored.

Respect is not fear, submission or patronage.  When you show true respect, you will gain all the strength from the person or group you respect.  This is because your respect will echo like sound off a mountain, and it will come back to you in the form of respect from others.  Before you expect respect from a specific person, you should show respect to the person who you want to get respect from.  The ability to demonstrate respect for human life is a vital part of your Tang Soo Do training.

In today fast-paced society, people seem to have forgotten the basics.  In order to be successful in your life, it is necessary to hold a high regard for all people, honor them, and be courteous to them.  Tang Soo Do teaches us oriental philosophy, in which respect plays a major role.  The act of bowing is a physical way of demonstrating respect for the person you are greeting.  The bow should also bend from the waist.  True respect comes from within.

  The Charter of Moo Duk Kwan

The aim of training is to achieve a reverence for life (i.e. Live and let live). We therefore are training not only to defend or attack, but also to go one step further and allow everything to live. It is also within the principle of our training to let even the enemy live. Thus, we follow the way of nature and train ourselves to achieve the goal of living and letting others live. Every aspect of Moo Duk Kwan emphasizes beauty, line, and speed based on scientific training, thereby contributing to the principles of life itself, or the reverence of life.

Philosophy Of Forms

To study forms one must be concerned with the application and meaning behind each movement and technique, both offensive and defensive.  One should find meaning behind each movement, the interrelationships among movements, and the reasonableness of each sequence within a meaningful whole.  As in all arts, we perceive greatness and perfection not by the addition of bits and pieces, not by the separate analysis of the elements, but by a realization that the whole seems greater than the sum of its parts.  That realization should be intuitive.

Twelve Characteristics Of Forms

1.    Form pattern: The set pattern of a form must be correctly executed.

2.    Power expression: Correctly applied and focused explosive energy must be demonstrated.

3.    Tension and relaxation: Each movement requires a smooth combination of breathing and timing along with the fluid movement before the release of power.

4.    Speed and timing: The execution of the form must be at rates appropriate to the movement patterns within a form. Some moves should be performed slowly, while others are performed quickly.

5.    Certainty of direction: Confidence in balance and movement while changing directions should be demonstrated.

6.    Enthusiasm / Confidence: Total self confidence and spirit should be demonstrated when doing a form.

7.    Strength of technique: An equal show of power must be maintained for the duration of the form. The power movements should be the same intensity throughout the form.

8.    Understand the form: Demonstrate in the form that the sequence of moves flows naturally and with ease of reflex responses.It should be like a “moving meditation”

9.    Expression of the meaning: Each form has a meaning.These movements are against specific kinds of attack, and against different directions and numbers of attackers.  This meaning must be conveyed to the observer during form execution.

10.  Exact finish: The last move of the form ends at the starting point and then remains frozen or fixed until the student is signaled by the judge or instructor.

11.  Beauty of movements: The movement of the form should be so skillfully combined and executed that the whole routine is more elegant than the individual parts.

12.  Focus:  The eyes should be directed toward and concentrated upon points of power.