| Philosophy of Taekwon-Do | Taekwon-Do Chul Hak |
| Be willing to go where the going may be tough and do the things that are worth doing though they are difficult |
| Be gentle to the weak and tough to the strong |
| Be content with what you have in money and position but never in skills |
| Always finish what you begin, be it large or small |
| Be a willing teacher to anyone regardless of race, religion or ideology |
| Never yield to repression or threat in the pursuit of a noble cause |
| Teach attitude and skill with action rather than words |
| Always be yourself even though your circumstances may change |
| Be the eternal teacher who teaches with the body when young, with words when old and by moral precept even after death |
| Moral Culture | Joongshin Sooyang |
| Everyone, as social beings, desire to live in a world of peace, without suffering. It is our obligation to fulfill that desire and build such a society for the people. Confucius said, "to promote the sense of morality, one must treat others with faithfulness and sincerity based on righteousness and to eliminate completely vicious thinking." Lau-Tzu defined an ideal society as one in which the ruler has such high moral character that s/he rules naturally, not by interference or fear, but by appealing to the good nature of the people, merely doing their duty can live freely, in peace without fear and anxiety. Close enough to the people that rules and laws do not separate the classes and without manipulation, trickery and deception. |
| Practices of Moral Culture |
| Travel | Yo Haeng: Patriotism can be gained through visiting historical or noted areas. |
| Mountain Climbing | Dung San: This develops the leg muscles, nourishes the spirit and promotes a feeling of victory and triumph. All too often one claims it is too high to climb without making the attempt. |
| Cold showers and baths | Naengsoo Machal: by taking cold showers and baths or exercising on snow-covered ground in bare feet, students build tenacity and pride. |
| Public Service | Sahwe Bongsa: By contributing labor to the community, especially to the poor or disabled, students learn charity, humility, comradeship and tolerance. |
| Etiquette | Ye Jol: Western and Oriental cultures value practices of etiquette and social norms. Students should practice both inside and outside the dojang. |
| Virtues of a Good Leader |
| Humanity | In: The ability to feel sorrow for the misfortunes of men and women and to love them equally as a parent to a child. |
| Righteousness | Ui: Feeling ashamed of unjust acts and to do one's duty to others. |
| Propriety | Ye: Offer another persona a piece of bread even though both were starving out of respect and good manners |
| Wisdom | Ji: The ability to judge right from wrong, not necessarily in others but in oneself. |
| Trust | Shin: The ability to be honest, not just to friends, but to everyone. |
| Man vs. Human Nature |
| Man occupies two positions: Everything man has (including life) can, and will be taken away. Yet, in all things man is eternal. |
| Greed is insatiable: He who is content with what he has is the richest man in the world, yet one who has everything and still more may yet be poor. |
| Be humble: A weed holds up its head in arrogance while a mature grain bows its head in humility. |
| Self-Criticism: We have many faults and are prone to make mistakes. Once having acquired knowledge, we learn to correct these shortcomings. |
| Be soft: Light is formless and soft bringing illumination to the darkest corners. One who claims strength will meet someone who is stronger. |
| Respect of Elders: Mencius said there are three things of value in human society: position, honor and moral integrity. This is what separates man from beast. |
| Respect the rights of others: To help others develop and succeed in life is a reward in itself and has a true value only if nothing is expected in return. |
| Be just: Old sages used to say, "to common men, life is most valuable, and death, most fearful." However, a righteous man would value justice above life itself and would be willing to die rather than submit to injustice. |
| Be frugal: Excessive luxury and pleasure caused the downfall of many kings and nations without exception throughout history. |
| Be discreet: a person must not be impulsive or reckless but be patient and thoughtful. |
| Know true happiness: Misery can only come from having been happy once and sorrow from joy. |
| Let your actions speak for yourself: A man of virtue expresses himself more through deeds than through words. |
| Develop peace of mind: We can attain peace of mind through meditation, by emptying our minds of all petty thoughts and returning to the natural state of man. Meditation in Taekwon-Do is an active moment to reflect on our past mistakes in silence and in the privacy of thoughts, through penitence to continue our self-improvement. |
| Be of firm mind: A person of strong conviction is unsuspicious and unafraid, being humble when wrong and admitting to mistakes, while standing up to the mighty if he believes him/herself to be right. |
Be devoted: A person's unflinching dedication to his own interest and duty is the source of life and power. Cultivation of mind is no monopoly of any one person. |
