The Seven Tenets Part 1

Earlier, I talked about the Five Codes of Tang Soo Do and how I interpreted them. While the Codes serve as rule of conduct, the Seven Tenets list the traits that describe the ideal practitioner of TSD. They are a little more vague at times, but I find that to make them that much more fascinating to talk about.

The Tenets are as follows:

Integrity
Concentration
Perseverance
Respect and Obedience
Self Control
Humility
Indomitable Spirit

I  mentioned the 7th in my last post, and I'm going to spend the next few posts talking about these traits in more detail, how they apply to TSD, and what it means to adhere to them in daily life.

The first Tenet is integrity. The dictionary gives three definitions of integrity:

1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles.

2. The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.

3. A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.

I personally believe that the first definition is the one meant in the Tenets.The ideal TSD practitioner should be moral, inside and outside of the dojang. By its nature, martial arts is something violent, and like a gun or a knife can be used to hurt others. What differentiates the martial artist from a a thug is understanding and respecting violence. My instructor was fond of the saying "Karate doesn't teach you how to fight, it teaches you how not to fight." What we learn in the dojang is a skill that one avoids using. It is the last resort, to be used when words fail, or when you don't have the option to run. That's right, run. Just because you can put that person in their place with your fists does not mean that you should.

This ties closely to self control, the fifth Tenet. No matter how angry you get or how badly you want to hit someone, Doing so for such selfish and petty reasons isn't right. A proper martial artist does not bow to their own whims and always remains in control. Like the gun or knife, an accident or unintended abuse of martial arts can have severe consequences.

Integrity and self control aren't reserved for the dojang, though. If you avoid immoral use of violence seriously, but are otherwise predisposed to bad behaviors, you have only taken the surface of the Tenets to heart. If you keep your use of violence in check, but are not otherwise disciplined, you haven't truly learned self control. 

This is the hardest part of the Tenets. It can be easy to just keep the good behavior in the dojang, never use your skills at all, but outside of practice you are rude, angry, and immoral. I've seen it dozens of times, even by those who reached the rank of black belt. A belt, a uniform, and a few years of doing drills in a class doesn't make you a martial artist, it makes you a dabbler, or at best just an athlete. 

I've internalized integrity very strongly. I have a distinct opinion of right and wrong, and I do my best to stick to it. Self control, however, has never been my strong suit. I am a lazy glutton who likes to sleep. But I'm working on it. The key to the Tenets is that they give you something to aspire to. No one is born with a complete martial artist mindset. It is something grown, nurtured, and maintained over time. 

Next time, I'll try to cover concentration, respect and obedience, and humility.