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Taekwondo
a path to excellence
DOUG COOK
YMAA Publication Center
Wolfeboro, N.H., USA
Taekwondo—A Path to Excellence
YMAA Publication Center
Main Office: PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
1-800-669-8892 • www.ymaa.com • [email protected]
ISBN: 9781594391286 (print) • ISBN: 9781594392054 (ebook)
Copyright © 2009 by Doug Cook. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Cover design by Axie Breen
Edited by Barbara Langley
Photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.
YMAA Publication Center strives to conform this book’s editorial to the Chicago Manual of Style 15th edition with the following exceptions. Foreign words either common or uncommon have been italicized at their first appearance, with subsequent appearances generally non-italic. The words ‘do’ and ‘The Way’ have retained italics throughout. The word ‘Ki’ is capitalized throughout. Other uses of italics may be for author’s emphasis.
Publisher’s Cataloging in Publication
Cook, Doug.
Taekwondo : a path to excellence / Doug Cook. --Wolfeboro, N.H. : YMAA Publication Center, c2009.
p. ; cm.
ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-1-59439-128-6 ; ISBN-10: 1-59439-128-9
“Achieving physical and spiritual enrichment through disciplined practice.”--Cover.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Tae kwon do--Philosophy. 2. Tae kwon do--Moral and ethical aspects. 3. Martial arts--Moral and ethical aspects. 4. Martial artists--Conduct of life. I. Title. II. Title: Tae kwon do.
GV1114.9 .C668 2009 2009936408
796.815/3--dc22 0910
Disclaimer. The author and publisher of this material are NOT RESPONSIBLE in any manner whatsoever for any injury which may occur through reading or following the instructions in this manual. The activities, physical or otherwise, described in this material may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.
The author wishes to assure the reader that the use of personal pronouns “he” or “she” does not imply the exclusion of any person.
In an effort to avoid confusion, the author has chosen to conform to the Western custom of placing surnames last rather than first, which is routine in Asia. The only exceptions are General Choi Hang Hi and General Kim Yu Shin, since they are universally recognized by this iteration.
Contents
Foreword by Grandmaster Richard Chun
Part One—What is Taekwondo?
The Vital Elements of Taekwondo: The Three-Legged Stool
The Third Leg: Kyorugi/Sparring
Part Two—An Honorable History
The Birth of a Nation: The Ancient Myth of Tangoon
The Three Kingdoms Period: Battlegrounds of Honor
The Way of the Flowering Manhood: Hwarang-do
Stirrings of Buddhist Thought in Taekwondo: Wonkwang, Kwisan, and Chuhang
The Legend of Kwan-ch’ang, The Boy-Warrior
General Kim Yu Shin: Architect of Unification
In the Footsteps of Hwarang-do: The Influence of Ancient Warriors
The Koryo and Chosun Dynasties
The Politics of Taekwondo Today
Traditional Taekwondo in the 21st Century
Enlightenment through Disillusion
Part Three—Becoming a Steadfast Practitioner
The Practice of Purpose in Taekwondo
The Holistic Acceptance of Taekwondo
Part Four—Just for Beginners