By Master Hyong

Moo Do: The Foundational Idea Behind Tae Kwon Do

The ultimate goal of Tae Kwon Do can be found by examining the historical meaning of Moo Do, which we translate as “martial art.” In other words, we can discover the meaning of Tae Kwon Do by understanding what Moo Do, and thus martial arts, signifies. 

The Chinese character /Moo/ consists of /Guh/ and /Ji/. /Guh/ means "spear, attack, disturbance, and aggression" and /Ji/ means "to stop". Thus /Moo/ means "to stop the attack, disturbance, and aggression." Moo originates from the practice of halting and pacifying war or disturbance. 

In the context of modern life, we are involved in continuous disturbance. Even if we are not currently facing an extreme event such as a war, we still must live as finite human beings, and we must all face death. Thus we must accept that we cannot be totally free from disturbance. 

However, we can learn to manage the disturbances that plague us. We can view them as challenges to our lives. But to do so, we must enhance our capacity to deal with them. Understood in this way, the practice of Moo is relevant to our everyday lives, since it is the practice of cultivating our capacity to deal with the inevitable disturbances that arise in our lives.

We can identify three major sources of disturbance: external, internal, and a combination of both. 

• External disturbances are those which arise due to circumstances outside oneself. They include the threat of physical violence to oneself or one's fellows, or any obstacle that stands in the way of accomplishing one's goals. External disturbances also include societal problems such as oppression and discrimination.
• Internal disturbances are those which arise from within one's own mind or body. They can take the form of basic physical needs or desires, such as food, shelter, and sex. Or they can be related to one's personality; for example, a lack of respect for others, a lack of ethics, irresponsibility, laziness, passivity, overconfidence, and aggressiveness can all contribute to conflict situations.
• Finally, the source of disturbance may be both internal and external. In many cases the causes of disturbance are not separate but interactive. An external disturbance may provoke an internal response, which causes conflict. Further, the effects of external disturbances usually become greater for those who are burdened with serious internal disturbances. For example, economic difficulties can cause the person of weak conscience to steal.

In practicing Moo Do we are training to develop a strong self in order to overcome both external and internal sources of disturbance. The attitude of the student determines the nature of his or her character development. We are practicing not to passively defend against every disturbance, but to approach disturbances as personal challenges that, when overcome, contribute to personal growth.

Again, this can be seen etymologically. The Chinese character /Do/ encompasses /Ji/ and /Su/. /Ji/ means walking, behaving, and bodily practice. /Su/ means face, head, mind, thoughts, and ideas. Thus /Do/ means “the way to live a life within a harmonious unity of body and mind.”

Do deals with becoming the ideal self in relation to the entire dimension of living, including our relationships with nature, others, and society as a whole. The path of Do is grounded in the ethical; the mode of life one aspires to while reconciling our relationships with the latter. Thus Do is a bridging principle between the individual and the larger social context.

As a result, the path to Do demands philosophical self-reflection, an understanding of “Who am I?" and “What is my moral relation to nature and society?” That is, Do involves understanding oneself as an individual as well as part of a larger whole. By articulating the meaning and value of nature, others, and society, each individual is able to create his or her own way of life. This ethic must become routine, and eventually subconscious, as the martial artist progresses to his or her full potential. That potential is realized when the martial artist fully knows him or herself and in turn transcends that self for the good of society. This is the art of living, and the goal of Moo Do.

Additional Implications of This Understanding of Tae Kwon Do

Based on the above interpretation of Moo Do, we can expand our concept of Tae Kwon Do to include the following  characteristics:

• Tae Kwon Do is harmony: Physical, psychological, and philosophical exercise brings one's life into accord.
• Tae Kwon Do is art: The mind and the body, usually separated in everyday life, work toward their reconciliation and unification.
• Tae Kwon Do is aesthetic: Unity of mind allows practitioners to experience the beauty of their unification and to actualize their resulting potential power.
• Tae Kwon Do is ethics: Experiencing this beauty and power contributes to a different understanding of ourselves and our existence, which further motivates us to lead harmonious lives with others and to work for the development of our community.
• Tae Kwon Do is universal: It pursues a strong and beautiful self; it strives to understand the objective of life and its trials; it attempts to overcome the yoke of mundane things. As practitioners of Tae Kwon Do, we are in essence a community of artists, helping each other in the process of realizing our aesthetics and values.

In light of these characteristics, we can see that the ideals of Tae Kwon Do practitioners are to become

•      an authentic person who can live a creative, imaginative life; 
•      a strong person who can master, overcome, and surpass all disturbance; and 
•      a concerned person who cares about social justice, right and wrong, and the welfare of others. 

This is the art of living, and the goal of Tae Kwon Do.

I must emphasize that my model is not intended to define the practice of Tae Kwon Do in every time and place for everyone. In order to stand the test of time, this model must be continuously revised and renewed by ongoing communication so as to make it more relevant to the contexts where Tae Kwon Do is practiced and to the people involved in it, regardless of ability, age, creed, race, or economic status.

Note: The growth in popularity of Tae Kwon Do, while being an occasion for celebration, must not be taken for granted. Tae Kwon Do’s inclusion in the Olympics presents us with a challenge, the challenge of developing it quantitatively and qualitatively in the future. To meet this challenge, we must reconstruct the foundation and the meaning of this martial art, borrowing from existing views and synthesizing them into a flexible framework that can be constantly renewed through continuing discussion, development, and refinement. In doing so, we will further Tae Kwon Do's growth as it continues to contribute to the many dimensions of its practitioners’ lives.

Critique of Competitional Tae Kwon Do

1. The exclusive emphasis placed on technical development in competitional Tae Kwon Do to the neglect of Do, which is the developmental principle of martial arts, leads to human alienation rather than human perfection.

2. Competitional Tae Kwon Do is adapted to the structure of contemporary competitive sports, diminishing the meaning of Tae Kwon Do to the shallow goal of winning.

3. Whereas the fundamental principles of modern martial arts should address the art of everyday living, competitional Tae Kwon Do facilitates and aggravates the existing trends of sports elitism. The members of competing squads, segregated from the rest, not only develop a sense of “a selected few” through the special training procedures, but become alienated by the very process of technical development. Sports elitism always leads to human alienation rather than salvation.

4. Most people come to Tae Kwon Do with the spirit of amateurism, looking for better health, discipline, self-defense skills, mental strength, etc. They practice Tae Kwon Do with a willingness to spend their hard-earned money on their own development. Thus the innate philosophical potentialities of martial arts can manifest themselves better through the efforts of these ordinary people. On the other hand, the single goal of the members of competing squads is to win, and all their training revolves around the development of the skills, attitudes, and strengths necessary to win points in the one-on-one competition.

5. Whereas competition is geared toward a display of superiority and strength, practicing of Poomsae is more concerned about the perfection of the form itself, which allows individuals to experience aesthetic satisfaction resulting in harmony between the individual and his or her environment. In contrast to the meditative effects of Poomsae, the hectic rush of competitive Tae Kwon Do is unhealthy.

6. The dynamics of competition are restricted by the rules imposed on competition, but the rules also have an effect beyond the structures of competition, restricting the development of new skills. The extreme emphasis placed on kicking skills to the neglect of hand skills is an example. Furthermore, the systems of the three three-minute rounds, eight weight divisions, points, medals, are all patterned after western sports. The restrictions of competition look trite to a serious martial arts student.

7. Competitive Tae Kwon Do is enmeshed in the logic of utility and profit. Winning is translated into all types of practical gains for the individuals who compete. Also, all kinds of political and economical interests are involved in the big tournaments offered by the large organizations. In contrast, the martial arts are concerned with human development; they avoid profit motives.