Anthony_Boyd----21/08/2001 8:38 AM----Post Number: 1



THE WAY OF HAIDONG GUMDO

As a descendent of the Samurang,
Who represented honour and confidence,
I will seek truth and turn my back on untruth.
I will cultivate body and soul
in contiuous training and keep the spirit of
Loyalty, Filial Piety, Propriety and Justice*
deep in my heart so that I may contribute
to the welfare of all people.
This is the way of Haidong Gumdo.



*(Cheung, Hyo, Yea, Eui)

This piece has been deeply edited and altered by Anthony Boyd. Apologies (sorta) to the original author.

Well, i was just reflecting on this for awhile... and more or less here is what i came up with. Feel free to add, contest, affirm or just lurk.






As a descendent of the Samurang,
Who represented honor and confidence,
I will seek truth and turn my back on untruth.
I will cultivate body and soul
in continuous training and keep the spirit of
Loyalty, Filial Piety, Propriety and Justice
deep in my heart so that I may contribute
to the welfare of all people.
This is the way of Haidong Gumdo.


That is our Oath if you will, I suppose its become more of a motto but it is meant to have been an oath. This is the truth and the spirit behind the art, and it should not pass lightly by those who practice it. HDGD isnt just about ourselves and personal benefit and gain. It is about helping others, it is about raising your own state of being, ability, understanding, confidence, principles and knowledge in order to be able to contribute to and make the world a better place. Sure that seems to be a little bit broad, but it really comes down to helping those close to, or around you and leading all others by example. It is about slowly spreading principles and virtues, it is just as much about betting just a few people as millions of people. Even if we are only able to better one other person in some small barely significant positive way then we are still doing our duty. As long as we live in front of others what we learn on the inside then we are doing our duty. Sometimes though it all gets lost inside, and when we dont live our principles in front of others then it is us who looses and sustains the greatest damage of all. To master the art of the sword and still embrace untruth and dishonor only means that we have wasted much time and hard work and become a pit in which others now have a right to throw their disgust, faithlessness and ridicule. We must live our principles in our own lives in order to benefit from them and to help and set an example to the rest of the world. If we lie then we are seen as liars and we are judged harshest of all for we are to be of a higher standard.


There are 10 Articles of faith in Tang Soo Do
1. Be loyal to your country.
2. Be obedient to your parents.
3. Be loveable between husband and wife.
4. Be cooperative between brothers.
5. Be faithful between friends.
6. Be respectful to your elders.
7. Be faithful between teacher and student.
8. Know the difference between good and evil.
9. Never retreat in battle.
10. Always finish what you start.

Above all of them I would list Always live your life for God and in my own heart that ranks above all other articlesEven if I am not always about to abide by it But my point is that the art we study and other similarly taught martial arts benefit us most by the development they bring about for us on the inside. In our hearts, our minds, our principles and our honor. Being able to fight is insignificant when compared to being able to really live. Perhaps the greatest part is that we are taught how to live so we are able to know how and when to fight if we are forced to. To me strength of character is just as impressive as skill with a sword, and may even help translate into it. I believe that no one should train without knowing and understand the oath of Haidong Gumdo and that no one can truly progress without doing all they can to live the oath instead of just repeating it. After all, We are all that is left of the Samurang, and we shouldnt be proud of that because of how the Sanurang wielded a sword but why and with what principles they wielded it by

To be able to fight is not so difficult or overly respectable, but to be looked up to and worthily at that because of how you live everyday without fightingNow that is something more difficult and respectable