Briefly, for those of you who were curious, the lack of any updates for the last week is an example of what I mentioned previously. When I'm doing things for my own sake, I have a tendency to ignore them if I feel like I'm busy or am not really up for it or any other minor excuse. I just found myself going to bed without writing up an new post.
This is a habit I want to break. Too much of my time goes to waste because I just didn't feel like doing something. In my pursuit of becoming a better martial artist, I can't keep doing things the way I have. So, from now on I'll be trying to update here M-W-F at midnight. Feel free to pester me if I fail to meet this schedule. Now, with that out of the way, onto what I wanted to talk about a week ago! It's gonna be a long one to make up for my laziness.
Many martial arts styles have a core code of conduct that is taught to the students. These teaching are intended to create the mindset and moral rigidity expected of practitioners of that particular style. Therefore, in order to be as great of a martial artist as I can, it makes sense that I would have to follow such a creed. My personal martial arts foundation is Tang Soo Do, so it is only natural that I use that styles teachings as my starting point.
In Tang Soo Do, there are two sets of moral doctrine: The Five Codes, which describe behavioral rules, and the Seven Tenets, which are traits that a practitioner should strive to achieve. Because of their more vague nature, I'll be devoting more time to the tenets individually, but today I want to outline the Five Codes. They are:
1. Loyalty to Country
2. Obedience to Parents
3. Honor Friendship
4. No Retreat in Battle
5. In Fighting, Choose with Sense and Honor
I would like to note that these are as they were taught to me, in English, in a school unaffiliated with any of the international organizations. Being a Korean style, that means there is a chance that someone reading this has been taught 5 slightly different translations, which could have different meanings. It happens.
As a student of TSD, it is my responsibility to understand these codes and internalize them as part of my own world view. That isn't to say that it's always cut and dry, though. I'm going to break down how I, personally, interpret each code.
The first code, loyalty to country, is pretty interesting. As a kid, the idea that you could be disloyal only really manifested itself in the concept of treason, someone who goes out of their way to betray their country. However, as I am now (supposedly) and adult, the intricacies of this statement are a little more numerous. I'm not a soldier, I am a citizen. As a citizen, yes, I shouldn't commit treason. Duh. But I also shouldn't ignore my country. Being a loyal citizen means taking an interest in what is going on in my country, and caring about how I can help. I'm a good little sheep most of the time. I pay my taxes, I obey the law, I avoid selling nuclear secrets to Iran. But I also believe that our public schools are in need of a structural overhaul, I believe that your ability to be treated at a hospital shouldn't depend on your income, and by the first code, it is my duty to try and help my country be the best that it can be.
I am not an overly political person. I won't get on here and rant to you, my few, dear readers, about what I think is right or wrong in America, but I do feel strongly that, especially to adhere to the first code I must not only care but act on what I care about. That is what it is to be a loyal citizen.
The second code, obedience to parents, is much less vague. Historically speaking, eastern cultures have put a significant amount of emphasis on filial piety (go high school world religions and cultures class!). In the context of growing up learning TSD and having to recite the codes every class, I can also understand why a martial artist should respect and obey their parents. Being indignant and disrespectful to your parents can in many cases, but not all, lead to immorality, something which should be the antithesis of someone studying something as structurally rigid as martial arts. Teaching bad kids how to better beat up on people just sounds like a poor life choice. I did specify that this is not the case 100% of the time, as it's not uncommon for the parents to spread harmful habits to their children, but even if your parents aren't the most perfect of human beings, it is usually a good call to listen to them. Though, I will say that you should trust in your judgement. If you think they're telling you to something that you shouldn't, sometimes you're right.
Now, onto the third code: Honor Friendship.
Many of you reading this who know me well already know how strongly I care about my friends. We all do, on some level. That's what being a friend means. However, a lack of honor in friendship is something I've had the unpleasant experience of dealing with in the past. I have yet to find the source of the quote, but it sums up the concept quite nicely: "The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies... It comes from friends and loved ones." To be a friend is to give someone the gift of trust and violating that trust is one of the most heinous things you can ever do to someone. I like that this code exists, but I really don't like that it would ever be considered a necessity to spell out for people.
The fourth code is another one that can be misleading. No retreat in battle doesn't mean you aren't allowed to take a step back. I've found that a lot of what we think of as "running away" isn't really what we think it is. Got a hard class? Think you might fail? To drop a class, change your major, to change your careers isn't retreating from that battle, as much as it might feel like it. A fight and a battle are different. A fight is something between you and your goal. A battle is a few hundred things between you and your goal. Never lose sight of what your real battle is. The daily battle of life is to be happy. That has to be the first and foremost battle you fight. That could mean having the courage to talk to someone about why you're not happy. It could mean you have to stand up to a bully. It could mean you need to spend 10 minutes every day making silly faces at yourself in the mirror to make yourself laugh. Picking your battles doesn't mean picking when to back down, but what's just a fight in the bigger battle.
Finally, number five. In fighting, choose with sense and honor. This one is kind of self explanatory. Think about your choices, and when push comes to shoves, choose the right choice over the easy choice. That's all there is to it. Now, as a particular friend is fond of reminding me, there is no such thing as a fair fight, and I agree. If push comes to shove, you need to do what it takes to win, but winning honorably means, more often, that both parties get to fight another day. It means not bringing bystanders into your fight, and treating your opponent with the respect they deserve.
These five codes of conduct have been, for the majority of my life, a subconscious metric to which I've held myself. However, that doesn't mean I've always succeeded, nor that my interpretations of the codes and the situations were accurate. To be the best martial artists I possibly can, I can't assume I am already following the codes. A portion of my daily training will include reflection on the codes and how they apply to the things going on in my life.
I know this one was the longest post I've written, and kudos to anyone who stuck it out to this part. A lot of this particular post was my personal feelings on the codes, and I'd like to hear what you guys think. If you have any reflections on the codes, disagree with part of my interpretation, or have a story you'd like to share about trying to follow these or your own personal doctrine, leave a comment bellow!
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