Bensalem TaeKwonDo
Traditional and Olympic-Style Korean Martial Arts
Tae Kwon Do is a way of life.
Students are encouraged to live according to the tenets of Tae Kwon Do.
Tae Kwon Do is:
An Artistic Discipline
Tae Kwon Do is an artistic discipline. The techniques are done with graceful and powerful movements. Students continuously strive to improve the artistic presentation of each technique. The art of Tae Kwon Do develops posture, graceful movement, excellent coordination, and attention to detail. We believe that everyone can benefit from exposure to this artistic discipline.
An Olympic Sport
Tae Kwon Do is an Olympic sport. It was introduced to the Olympics in Korea in 1988. Unlike many of the other sports that young people are involved with today, Tae Kwon Do competitors are required by rule to demonstrate respect for officials coaches and their fellow competitors. What a concept!
Other benefits of Tae Kwon Do:
Self-Defense Training
Self-defense skills are safety skills. We believe that it's important for everyone to learn these self-defense skills. When a person learns and develops self-defense skills, the chance of sustaining an injury due to a fall or an attack is greatly reduced; and the chance of escaping from a mugging, a rape or an abduction attempt is greatly increased! Learning these safety skills does not promote violence; rather, it enables one to avoid becoming a victim of violence and to minimize injury during a fall.
Develops Self-Confidence
Success in a personal development program, such as a TaeKwonDo class, where the students experience noticeable increases in strength, flexibility, memory, coordination, and self-defense skills, as the result of a dedicated effort, is an excellent foundation for self-confidence. It is self-confidence based on physical and mental self-improvement, as opposed to self-confidence based on one's athletic performance. This self-confidence is deep; it is not subject to the results of tomorrow's game. It is not reserved for the best players on the team; it is available to everyone, because everyone experiences improvement with TaeKwonDo training.
Tae Kwon Do is Excellent exercise
When exercise is done consistently, invaluable physical and mental improvements occur. Students develop real and lasting self-confidence. TaeKwonDo students do exercises which develop strength, flexibility, endurance, speed, balance, memory, concentration, coordination and self-control; to name a few. One of the keys to the success of TaeKwonDo is that the exercises are fun, the students see results, and they are inspired to do more.
Courtesy: To be thoughtful and considerate of others. TaeKwonDo students and instructors should be polite, and show consideration for others.
Integrity: To be honest and good. TaeKwonDo practitioners should live by a code of moral values and principles
Perseverance: To never give up in the pursuit of one's goals. Students should welcome challenges, because challenges cause us to grow and improve.
Self-Control: To have control of your body and mind. A TaeKwonDo student should practice controlling his actions and reactions.
Indomitable Spirit: To have courage in the face of adversity. A TaeKwonDo student should never be dominated by, or have his spirit broken by another.
- I shall observe the tenets of Tae Kwon-Do.
- I shall respect the instructor and seniors.
- I shall never misuse Tae Kwon-Do.
- I shall be a champion of freedom and justice.
- I shall build a more peaceful world.
The Korean flag symbolizes much of the thought and philosophy of the Orient. The symbol, and sometimes the flag itself, is called T'ae Kuk.
Depicted on the flag is a circle divided equally and locked in perfect balance. The red section represents the Yang (plus) and the blue section the Um (minus), an ancient symbol of the universe which originated in China. These two opposites express the dualism of the cosmos: fire and water, day and night, dark and light, construction and destruction, masculine and feminine, active and passive, heat and cold, plus and minus, and so on.
The central thought in the T'ae Kuk indicates that while there is a constant movement within the sphere of infinity, there are also balance and harmony. Three bars at each corner also carry the ideas of opposition and balance. The three unbroken bars stand for heaven; the opposite three broken bars represent the earth; the two bars with a broken bar in-between symbolize fire; the opposite is the symbol of water.
