In Taekwon-Do the task of teaching has a strict way to follow, otherwise it’s impossible to attain the goal.

In a previous note  I’ve explained the unsuccessful method of the self taught, however, I’d like to enter upon other elements that can confuse and block the acquisition of the correct knowledge or an approach to the real capacity.

It’s already known that the institutions control the practitioners’ evolution  to avoid the self taught negative’s effect, because these people don’t acknowledge the necessary hierarchy order established by the Taekwon-Do’s Founder, Gral. Choi Hong Hi, since its beginning.

Nobody can lead an army being a Sergeant, the circumstances will demonstrate in the short or middle time the absolute need for  the Generals.

Besides this reality, some places are occasionally held by a non competent person, regardless of the category he has.

Taekwon-Do is where the knowledge is, besides the race, religion or the political actions that may try to hide that truth.  But, in Taekwon-Do, knowledge has a characteristic that differentiates it from other signatures, pedagogical instruments or professions. Here you only know what you can do.

The fact that you  have read the Taekwon-Do’s literature and remember it in detail, doesn’t make you  an expert or a critic of the art, you are only a well informed reader.

There is no doubt that literature will be needed in addition to the assistance of a «well trained» instructor/Master in order to achieve the right domain of Taekwon-Do, the only way for managing with the body the theory’s mandate.

If your body can’t do it, you don’t know it, you’re just a reader in this matter.

The several organizations that call themselves ‘officials’ and pretend to represent  the style without being such a thing, have allowed that some high hierarchies try to transfer a knowledge that their bodies can’t demonstrate.

In other words, they rigorously repeat the details they read or watched done by other but they can’t do what they’re teaching , establishing a dissociation between the explanation and the real personal knowledge.

The real handling demands a constant practice, without it all knowledge is an utopia.

Without the permanent training of the tools inherent to the art, is impossible pretending its domain.

In Taekwon-Do the physical evidence of the training is at the sight of everybody.

It’s impossible to teach about the great effectiveness of a punch if your hands don’t show any sign of the necessary work to attain the knowledge in this matter. In this case that instructor or master wouldn’t be different in his knowledge than the student that also has read about the item. It cannot be acquired with money or from our seniors but only through constant practice and sweat.   

The bibliographic reference  cannot be avoided or minimized because the training would be erratic and without a definite destiny, however, only knowing the theory is a hidden form of fraud to himself and to the people attending that «teaching».

Some people try to imitate Gral. Choi in their style of leading a seminar and with the details rigorously required by him, though none of them take into consideration that he taught what he had trained with his body. His hands showed the hard job done and gave him the authority to talk about that item. He moved his body in syntony with his demands. The movements were done by him and not using other’s body as an example.

The theoretical explanation about the geometrical references on which are built the stances, don’t indicate an expertise in Taekwon-Do. Deep knowledge is only acquired by the practice.

Imitation and repetition is the way that a disciple has to follow in the learning procedure. Because of this, a MASTER has the unavoidable compromise to show what he is teaching.

The right method demands a theory and practice communion, with a strong emphasis in the last one. The physical example will prevail over the theoretical consideration or any other intellectual speculation.

The permanent training is the way of the art in itself, without it , the art doesn’t exist.

To recognize an instructor or a master in Taekwon-Do and beyond his unavoidable handling in patterns,  look his hands. These have to show the evidence of the necessary job to be effective, the opposite is the obvious nonexistent knowledge.

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone    

 To be actualized read again the previous notes

The permanent training is the way of the art, without it, the art doesn’t exist

It is evident that our Taekwon-Do is not the same as those practiced many years ago. The time and the perseverant effort of it Founder carried on a progress on its bio-mechanical.

This improvement were not only in the technical part but has also affected other areas  which are intrinsically related with that knowledge.

All technical improvement needs the Instructors’ presence to be implemented. The Instructors have to be updated with the last upgrading incorporated by the Founder until his last active seminar (Buenos Aires, October 2001).

No other modification will be accepted if the legacy is going to keep its meaning, on the contrary we would be talking about of another instruction but not about a legacy.

Is this commandment utilized today by all and each one of the institutions that call themselves representing of Gral. Choi Hong Hi?

The already mentioned technological improvement must be those inherited from the Founder and not another.

Until his passed away there was only one Institution and only one system to apply, but today we know that there are many who uses the same name but under different administrations and rules.

The pass of the time also brought another phenomenon which involve the people in charge of teaching.

Curiously some instructors and Masters only give examples of moving using the students’ bodies as references. Because of that and due the imitation procedure, the way to follow will inevitable has the student’s mark and not the Master’s one.

Some people like to use a phrase included in the Philosophy of Taekwon-Do:

Be the eternal teacher who teaches with the body when young, with words when old and by moral precept even after death (Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do Vol I by Gral. Choi Hong Hi).

The key of the sentence is with words when old. In none place is mentioned which is the precise age to be consider old. Taking into consideration the Gral. Choi’s example, we have to be present that he was active at his 84 years of age. Some instructors or Masters probable read the numbers in the inverse way and they consider themselves old at 48 years of age.

In the army there is a very solid line in the consideration of a person who hold a Grade.

Doesn’t matter if others have the same grade, the real importance is in the proper use of the Grade and the honorable behavior of the person who hold such position.

In Taekwon-Do the times enforce the same consideration. Some instructors or Masters has abandoned the regular practice to became in an administrative representing. Many Black belts like to use his goals won in the past in the sport area, to sustain their actual inactivity and out of fitness. Past is past and it is very important to understand that the experience in that item belongs to that area only.

The pass of the time is inevitable, however, it’s necessary a permanent and reasonable activity to keep oneself in good health and also to keep the good health of Taekwon-Do and it representing.

Nobody is asking for a champion of the world to be an instructor, however, it’s necessary the minimum physical aptitude to occupy such a place.

Imitation and repetition is the behavior that a student have to assume in the learning process.

Because of this, the Master has the unavoidable compromise to show what he is teaching.

An instructor (doesn’t matter the grade he has) who is out of training has not enough qualification to be in front of the class, because the student wouldn’t has a reference.

Just giving orders is not the right way to use in the task of teaching Taekwon-Do. This Art was taught in its beginning by people who doesn’t speak the national language of the country involved, however could be transferred by the permanent demonstration of the movements.

The mentioned process will determine the success or failure in the teaching job and will justify the place occupied by the Master.

Would be healthy to actualize the qualification of the people in charge of teaching. Their presence in a seminar only guarantee that the people was present there and  listened the items treated, but not their understanding, physical aptitude and qualification.

In Taekwon-Do the only record is today.

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone

To be actualized read again the previous notes 

In the fall of 80’s the only written theory and illustration about Taekwon-Do’s philosophy and technical details, was the encyclopedia of General Choi Hong Hi in its English version. Then and knowing the increasing requests from the students, I begun writing a Taekwon-Do’s book in Spanish.

Different obligations as an Instructor and the administrative demands as President of an Association, in addition to the Taekwon-Do’s political turbulence, postponed the publication of my book. Seminars, press conferences, TV interviews and different magazine notes occupied me as the official translator of General Choi Hong Hi in all his visits to Argentina.  In the meantime and because the Founder’s necessity,  I was requested to translate his condensed version into Spanish. With the collaboration of other Argentine Masters, this Spanish copy was published in 1995 with General Choi’s approval. Due to the mentioned reasons, my own book kept waiting for a better opportunity. Many years passed and different actualizations were done to comply with the last details taught by the Taekwon-Do’s Founder until his passed away. In the meantime my book stayed in the drawer.  It’s publicly known the fact of the atomization of the institution founded by him after his physical departure, which propelled me as one of its protagonists in the leading movement, in the vain intent of pulling all its parts together again.

Today and after 26 years from the initial text of a Taekwon-Do’s Spanish version about the complete development of the Art, containing the exact technical details of the legacy, I am finally able to present my Encyclopedia of five volumes. It is made in a light and useful carrying version, easy to be consulted for students and Instructors in all the Taekwon-Do techniques and in its 24 patterns.

This presentation was made in the Juana Diaz Wellness Center and was supported by prominent figures of Ponce Health Sciences University and relevant Plastics artists of Puerto Rico.  Members of ITO from USA, Puerto Rico and Argentina sent their notes of salutation and support.

The International Taekwon-Do Organization (ITO) is adding with this significant publication, another relevant event and have since this precise moment a written reference to follow and to be actualized with the General Choi’s legacy.

[email protected]

To be actualized, read again the notes before

Attending to the invitation extended by Dr. Yaritza Lopez Robledo and Dr. Eunice Alvarado Diaz in representation of the Department of Forensic Psychology and Behavioral Science in the Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU), Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone as President of International Taekwon-Do Organization, offered his conference on Taekwon-Do and its effect on Physical and Mental Health. The speech was followed with particular interest by a group of students pursuing their PhD. in Forensic Psychology as well as by students from the Medical School. Once more ITO offers an event that places Taekwon-Do in an outstanding academic level: in 2014 it was at Tufts University in Medford Massachusetts, today at PHSU. Academic growth is priority for ITO, as the Organization holds as one of its objectives the theoretical and intellectual acquaintance of all of its members. General Choi personally  described the ideal instructor in his Encyclopedia (page 87, Vol I): » a qualified instructor must combine the qualities of a scholar and a soldier if he is to produce pupils of noble character and outstanding skills».

It is of great importance the teaching of technical capabilities together with the intellectual competence . The improvement in both areas give a hierarchical level to the student and to Taekwon-Do, therefore it  Masters cannot dedicate exclusively to the simple explanation of its attack or defense techniques, leaving aside the knowledge that makes this Art a relevant one.

SGM Desimone’s  detailed description to the Forensic Psychology post-degree students about the benefits of Taekwon-Do on the mental and physical benefits for those who practice the Art was received enthusiastically.  They manifested that they had never before listened such an explanation of  this Martial Art benefits, since it is normally advertised as a sportive variety of combat, leaving out the scientific aspect in which it was created and its direct influence in the human relationships.

The sportive rules restrictions leave out most of the Taekwon-Do techniques and minimize  the self defense usefulness. Both physical and mental health are closely related to its conception and are the ground from which Taekwon-Do evolved. The complete knowledge of the body, its biomechanics and vital spots are  unavoidable for the proper technical handling . It is undeniable the influence of protocol and culture in the human relationships, then its application have  direct impact in self defense. 

The success of the speech can be measured by the warm welcome given by the crowd followed by repeated requests for information about the schedule and location of the classes. In response to their demand, ITO offered to assign  a qualified instructor to teach the Art in the University grounds. 

[email protected]

To be actualized read again the notes before

The Taekwon-Do’s evolve in the entire world and the technology development in the communications’ field,  has allowed the flourish of some people with a wrong attitude, the self taught.

Taekwon-Do is a Martial Art whose existence is sustained by a theory and its practical application, both acquired in hands of a qualified Instructor only.

To preserve that combination, different courses are organized to unify concepts, sport possibilities and different structures that will sustain the activity in the entire world.

Regrettably, some people with an erroneous attitude proclaim that their knowledge and skillfulness were developed unaided, without an Instructor or Master’s support.

They say that such a thing is the result of their great talent to acquire information, away from the normal circuit used by the institutions and avoiding all dependence of the hierarchical structure. They call themselves independent and advertise in this manner. However, in the Art doesn’t exist such a thing.

This idea emerges when the excessively flexible institutions authorize a non member to participate in their upgrade courses without any control of their record and belonging.

Part of this wrong thinking of some black belt holders is to consider that all higher degrees are not necessary and convince themselves that with their actual knowledge is enough to handle a structure. Nothing more illogical and absence of experience.

There was not and will never be a Taekwon-Do’s practitioner who can progress under these parameters.

The Taekwon-Do’s Founder wrote that everything can be replaced in a Dojang except the qualified Instructor that justifies its existence.

Books, videos and other sources of information are just aids or complements in the long way of learning, but never a replacement of the Instructor.

The danger is that such impostors use their supposed knowledge to teach as real instructors.

The true principles in Taekwon-Do establish the respect and exaltation of fundamental values as really helpful tools in the daily life. The unquestionable observation and loyalty to whom has dedicated his time and knowledge to educate us, also exist in other professions. Then: teach with the example is the way to follow.

The wrong use of the information and publicities permitted the misuse of certain concepts.

Raising the leg high is not a high kick. Spinning several times or showing fancy air maneuvers are not a handling of the art, just sportive abilities. Taekwon-Do’s knowledge is the real dealing with self defense under actual combat.

All places in the Taekwon-Do’s teaching process have an specific utility.

A Coach is just that, a trainer. He programs a routine for a student who wants to participate in a sport competition. He will enhance the student’s sportive performance. In some cases he trains a team to coordinate the participants’ movements and strategies, but he is not the Instructor.

The Instructor is the one who teaches, who gives his assistance every day, who supports the student with the technical parameters, who advises with the philosophy of the Art and the student’s doubts. The Coach helps in the sport area to those competitors sent by the Instructors. Sometimes Instructor and Coach are resumed in the same person.

For a better understanding, it’s necessary to remember your beginning, the first time you arrived at a training center, when you dressed your first uniform with a white belt shouting that you  knew nothing. Who taught you the first steps in the Art and helped you to evolve in it, was your Instructor, not a coach.

You could participate in many seminars and tournaments, however, who is always to your side in each training session is your Instructor.

Of course he needs to be actualized in his knowledge to assist you in putting into action the information acquired in seminars and courses.

Your Instructor is who has helped you to walk and run in the Art. He has included you in a system that contains you.

It contains you because you’re a result of that Instructor’s job, who is loyal to that system, not because your abilities.

Are you loyal to your Instructor? or have you placed him aside because you think that you know everything and you don’t need him anymore.

Your Instructor is included in the system because of his loyalty to the hierarchies that integrate it.

Your instructor and the system support you because you are not independent, if you were so they wouldn’t contain you.

Without this relation between system, instructor and student, the art and its evolution wouldn’t exist. Whoever breaks this chain is denying the Taekwon-Do’s Founder, its rules and it hierarchical structure.

What  are we calling the system? The system it’s not written with initials, it’s not an association or a federation. These are names for administrative structures, which use the system to evolve.

The system in itself is different parameters used to keep functioning the vertical martial structure and the knowledge transferred over the years . Taekwon-Do already had a vertical and martial system before it was administered by associations or federations.

Actually many Entities use different names but the same system. The loyalty is to your Instructor and to the system.

In the mentioned chain there’s no place for the self taught. If you want to occupy such a place you have to create your own technical development and hierarchical structure, in other words you have to build a system, your own system.

When a self taught is talking about his ability to avoid Masters or his skillfulness to gain information away from all method or system, he is saying that he can occupy the same level as the highest categories and their knowledge, experience and record, acquired over the years. It is because of this reason that the system cannot include them.

However, the self taught pretends to avoid that his students do to him what he has done to the system. He will try to evade that his students steal the capital that he thinks he has. In other words he needs a system to protect his job.

Some people dare occupy an unjustified place, without the time required for it and without the necessary experience.

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone

 [email protected]

To be actualized read again the previous notes

 The instruction and practice of Taekwon-Do is offered in different ways.

The name Taekwon-Do as a common factor allows them to occupy a place in the Martial Arts’ market.

Each one of these offers is an entity that groups some part of that market and regulate the activity of their members.

The way used to write the word Taekwon-Do will identify its belonging and its objectives.

For a better comprehension, it’s possible to say that there are details in the mentioned offers, that let us arrive to a rapid identification of which entity or group we’re talking about.

The uniforms are similar, but not the same. The commands are equivalent, but different, the history of each entity has something in common with controversial details; the competition rules are dissimilar.

The variation in the competition rules establish that the world champions of each category only can be considered in such top place in the entity where he or she obtained the title. It’s clear that different rules cannot guarantee the same result.

We also have: traditional Taekwon-Do, original Taekwon-Do, Olympic Taekwondo, official Taekwon-Do, unified Taekwon-Do, sport Taekwon-do, Self Defense Taekwon-Do and all a Pleiades that have very few things in common with the version gave by its Founder.

He was personally in charge to unify the criteria in his countless trips around the world, to avoid what finally occurred, the diversity and atomization of his work.

I’ve been part and witness of the obstinate effort of Gral. Choi Hong Hi to avoid the rupture, the distortion.

I had to assist him and translated his seminars and interviews during many years

I know his reiterated speeches about a unique Taekwon-do, a unique uniform, a unique biomechanics, a unique philosophy and a unique entity that include all these factors.

The first step to the feared atomization was done by those who wrote the word all together and said that the activity was only a sport.

Once the objective was reached and already inside the Olympics, they added martial details and records to be considered a martial art too.

The other atomization is from inside, different and with an enterprise’s context.

Here the word is written as it was originally conceived but with additional words to induce the public to adhere to a particular type of Taekwon-Do as the virtuous one.

These identifications permits a rapid conclusion about the objectives of each entity.

Many times these entities denigrate the others to gain students, but this only is a publicity strategy.

Of course there are people who add words to the name Taekwon-Do to justify their existence, their enterprises and with the only intention to conquer a greater part of the potential market.

To apply with it, some people add the word traditional to the name of the Art.

As it is explained in the etymology of the word, this would be only a static legacy without any change since its creation, to be transferred in that state generation to generation.  A pertinent question is: which is the old generation and which is the new one?.

This also is against the irreversible fact that Taekwon-Do is an evolutionary Art which exponentially evolved all over the world in his Founder’s hands.

Why teach nowadays the 50’s,60’s or 70’s Taekwon-Do if its Founder was doing all as was necessary to do to improve it.

To answer some occasional arguments about modifications or little changes implemented by him in the biomechanics, he laconically used to say ….I am the Taekwon-Do.

The old practitioners who accompanied that evolution knows that the uniforms, biomechanics and competition rules of the 60’s or 70’s had nothing in common with those used in the nineties.

Can we call it traditional? No, except if you want proclaim that you are teaching the old and primitive Taekwon-Do.

However it’s also necessary highlight that the mentioned evolution was in the Taekwon-Do’s Founder hands only. Then the unique Taekwon-Do must be that, the latest version of Gral. Choi’s research which became as a legacy.

Some people and under personal interests, add the word official to the Taekwon-Do’s name, producing an additional confusion and of course giving to the activity a non existing status.

To consider official some activity, this have to be economically supported with public funds and must be transferred in the name and representation of the Country involved.

Only the activity written as Taekwondo, all together, which actually is an Olympic sport, can be included under this consideration.

All the other are not officials, because none of them have the economic support and acknowledgment of the state involved. They are private enterprises which used to be called Association, Federation, etc., many times without a legal registration of this status and with none appropriate dealing with the federation rules and regulations, just private business which uses this status as an speculative name.

Some people like to use the word unified, an absurd, just another publicity. All and each one of the enterprises that exploit the name Taekwon-Do, have their own interests in all and each one of the mentioned divisions.

It’s impossible to think in a unification that include and accept the other with their individual terms, history, philosophy, competition rules and authorities.

Each of them can be included in the other if each one of them wants to do it, however, who takes that decision is losing his individuality in this act.

What kind of unification are we talking about? biomechanics?, competition rules?, philosophy?, promotion systems?. Nothing about this exist until today. Only Gral. Choi Hong Hi had such a power summarized in only one person. Actually, nobody occupy his place.

MacDonald and Burger King sell hamburgers, however, hamburgers are not enough to merge both enterprises.  Both of them fights to conquer the same market. Which of them would accept to disappear to be part of the other?

Until today there has been no merger agreement between Taekwon-Do’s entities, so a unified Taekwon-Do does not exist.

It is said that Taekwon-Do was born in South Korea on April 11th 1955 because Choi Hong Hi was a General of the South Korean Army in those moment, but it’s not a South or North Korean property because so was the written desire of its Founder. Remember the Founder’s words, Taekwon-Do is a universal Art which have not national boundaries and not belonging to any particular country (TKD Encyclopedia Vol.I pag. 10/11).

If somebody told you that the Art is better in Asian hands because in that way it will be transferred with the original spirit, you were kidded.

Gral Choi Hong Hi, Founder of the discipline, was always vigilant to his original purpose. To put the Art’s teaching in each Country national’s Instructor hands, and under this prerogative he gave the Instructor Seminars all over the world.

If being Asian would be a prerequisite to become in an exponent of the Art and you have not this condition, why go through the effort? don’t you think so?

Taekwon-Do is where the knowledge is. Many Asian people are learning Taekwon-Do in Occidental hands.

In conclusion: each Organization has their own official Taekwon-Do and this Taekwon-Do is the traditional one of that institution. Each entity take the necessary steps to unify their internal criteria as the only unification possible.

Taekwon-Do has a unique truth, must be written as a composed word, it’s a martial Art with an sportive area and must be transferred by those who have the capacity and record enough to do it, independent of their race and religion.

Actually there are very good Masters and Organizations all over the world, however in that diversity and as occur in all human activities it’s possible to meet bad instructors or the wrong entity….it is your challenge looking for the right one.

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone

                        President

International Taekwon-Do Organization

[email protected]

To be actualized read again the previous notes. 

                                 Taekwon-Do’s Foundation

The word Taekwon-Do is a composed word because so was conceived by the Founder of this discipline. It is descriptive of the Martial Art developed by him and so was presented for it acceptance to the most prominent persons and authorities of South Korea.

Tae describes everything related with the lower extremities (movements, stances, kicks, blocks, jumping, etc) Kwon, all inherent to the upper extremities, particularly hands, and Do involves the philosophy, moral culture and protocol. This makes it distinctive from other Arts and fundamentally from a sportive expression as a unique intention.

All related with the physical actions is written together and separated by a hyphen, its philosophical aspect, which impose a particular behavior and a way of life.

Curiously, many years later of its creation, the word was written altogether by some people to name a sport that has nothing in common with the physical mobility and the philosophy originally intended by its Founder.

If the martial art is practiced in a nontraditional way, or if the priority is placed on the sportive aspect, the Do is being placed aside and easily degenerates in a dangerous pugilism.

The philosophical phase of a discipline makes it distinctive, so much as its characteristic biomechanics.

Five Tenets resume its Founder’s thought. The canon to apply by the members of the Art were established as a guide to improve their behavior as human beings.

As it is in any other activity, there will be those who will honor these parameters and those who will act against them.

Kicks, punches, jumps and other physical abilities acquired with the time and with the permanent practice are many times considered unique synonymous of this activity.

If so considered, the activity wouldn’t be a Martial Art with an sport area, but  just a sport.

If this would be accepted as a valid concept, we would also have to accept that the word Taekwondo written altogether wouldn’t be wrong.

Explaining the philosophy demands the gathering of various factors: place, time, the valid interlocutor and of course the people who already understood that this phase is absolutely necessary to be known, respected and in consequence proceed in accordance with it,  if they want to be part of this martial art.

Regrettably, the absence of these factors has induced most Instructors to use the class time only to develop the physical aspect, leaving out the philosophical knowledge. Under these circumstances the students receive a poor information about this essential item.

Many times I ask myself, why some people writes the Do together the rest of the word if they will use only the body? Why not calling it just Taekwon.

In Do inevitably are involved -between other things-, Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control and Indomitable Spirit, the five Tenets mentioned earlier.

How much do we know about these Tenets?; How much do we apply about that in our daily life?

Many times these are only named as a reply to a question done by a Test Board without a real understanding of each concept.

The questions are: Do we understand each  one of them?; Are we acting in accordance with them?

Some reflections could be pertinent.

If we do not pay respect for other people’s position or thinking, what kind of respect do we have for the Tenet «Courtesy«?

If we are not loyal, recognized and grateful with the person who has taught to us what we know, which is our «Integrity«?

If we are not ready to fight against the natural obstacles in our growth, how can we consider ourselves «Perseverant«?

Injustice or the absence of acknowledgement demand «Self control» as a previous step to solve it.

It is evident that to proceed permanently as it is demanded in the Tenets mentioned before requires «Indomitable Spirit«.

If we write Taekwondo altogether and we look the Art only as physical actions, we wouldn’t need the explanation mentioned above and we will be missing its philosophy.

Undeniably, the Tenets are very helpful in our daily life as human beings, and they go beyond the practice of this martial art.  Without doubt, these are also an unavoidable request in the sport area.  

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone  

                        IX Dan                                                                                                              

[email protected]

To be actualized read again the previous notes. 

Taekwon-do’s founder, General Choi Hong Hi, emphasized in all his seminars the importance of the correct use of protocol and recognition of titles or grades granted in the Art. Many reasons support and justify such emphasis.

Everyone should be aware that this activity includes close contact, and it implies the necessity of controlling aggressiveness. Without the correct use of protocol, the possibility of training and evolution in the discipline would be nonexistent. The absence of respect for Taekwon-do’s protocol and the loss of self control in sparring would bring upon the practitioner the possibility of sustaining serious wounds which nobody in sane consciousness would accept. A correct teaching method would impose learning of the protocol before any form of biomechanical martial training. A teaching method headed in the opposite direction would go against both the good health of the practitioner and the Founder’s mandate. As some would say, it would be equivalent to giving a knife to a monkey, expecting the primate to have good judgment to use it properly.

The correct usage of Taekwon-do’s protocol includes showing respect for socially established values that are permanently promoted, such as respect for parents, elders, a country and it’s symbols, emblems of the Art and an overall respect for all human beings.

Without the right usage of protocol, respect for the items above mentioned could be easily lost, and all contests would be given a violent and life-threatening nature. Evolution and improvement in self-defense would be null. In other words, it would be impossible to prevent the monkey using the knife in a wrong and malicious way.

Chariot Kiunne… Chariot Kiunne… a phrase uttered countless times in all training sessions. Coupled with an explanation by the Instructor, it compels the student to recognize other people and the place that they occupy. It pushes us to understand that we are “other people” to the rest as well.

Without the right handling of aggressiveness, a healthy social relationship between practitioners that runs parallel to the development of martial skill would be impossible. Aggressiveness is inherent to human beings, and is present in all human activity. Learning to coexist by controlling this aggression is the only way to progress.

It is important to understand that knowledge of martial biomechanics must not be transferred to people who don’t demonstrate a permanent respect for the social values mentioned earlier. Doing the opposite would be promoting bullying.

The adequate use of protocol inside and outside the place of practice (dojang) is essential, especially in championships. Many times, medals and trophies are considered more important than the mentioned values because the lessons were not transferred to the students in the correct way.

The Art is taught to children and adults, and the correct teaching method inevitably produces better human beings.

Titles obtained in the sporting area of the Art have practical use only in that specific field. Places obtained in a competition are only relevant in a competition.

Promoting the development of human intellect is a social priority.

In any field, titles are granted to denote proficiency and evolution in that specific area of knowledge. Academic titles obtained by practitioners indicate a special efficacy in a labor or, in some cases, their intellectual capacity, but not knowledge of Taekwon-do.

Knowledge of the Art, its protocols, its biomechanics and the experience acquired with time of the body working towards the mastery of self-defense, impose the use of grades or levels that every practitioner of the Art has to respect without exception.

As the Founder said, a superior intellectual capacity is a great help for a better understanding and a better usage of the Art. However, he insisted that practitioners, Instructors and Masters be named only by the grades obtained in the Art.

He explained that this is a way to avoid the wrong use of titles obtained in other activities that don’t necessarily denote a proficiency in Taekwon-do.

Practitioners with a college education owe respect and acknowledgement to those who probably have no academic grade, but have obtained a superior hierarchy in the Art due to their experience, discipline and physical ability. General Choi personally established in different seminars that only titles and grades granted in Taekwon-do would be utilized in meetings and places where the Art is being improved. This is why a particular salutation was developed and is only used in Taekwon-do.

Taekwon-do is a psychophysical activity. An adequate balance between the theoretical capacity and its correlative body handling must be present. The study of theory and the physical progress in the Art must be guaranteed for everyone equally.

The evolution demonstrated by the students will be equivalent to the grades granted to them, by which they will be recognized and named.

Grades granted to recognize the different abilities and knowledge in color levels (Gup) or in black belt hierarchies (Dan) were specifically established for the Art.

An academic title in other fields will not grant preponderance over other practitioners due to this condition. The addition of a title that does not belong to Taekwon-do to name or recognize practitioners, Instructors or Masters is not right, and must be not utilized.

Senior Grand Master Ricardo Desimone

                        IX DAN