AN EXPLORATION OF TSD's EIGHT KEY CONCEPTS: YONG GI SBN Mary Cayte Reiland

An Exploration of Tang Soo Do's Eight Key Concepts: Yong Gi

SBN Mary Cayte Reiland

An Exploration of Tang Soo Do's Eight Key Concepts: Yong Gi

SBN Mary C Reiland, USA

There are two signs hanging in the dojang where I train. One of them is the Tang Soo Do Ten Articles of Faith. The other is the Tang Soo Do Eight Key Concepts. Starting today, and in the coming months, we are going to delve into the Eight Key Concepts and what they really mean.

The first of the Eight Key Concepts is Yong Gi, loosely translated to courage, or more appropriately, brave spirit. Look up courage in the dictionary and it reads "the ability to do something that frightens you." Obviously, this is "key" in Tang Soo Do for a number of reasons. It takes a brave spirit to do anything new. It shows courage to just walk into a dojang and take lessons. Martial arts are not easy, or everyone would do them, and showing up to train...period… takes great courage.

Think of your first test, your first tournament, and your biggest test, the test for your Cho Dan rank. Now I don't know about you, but my first tournament came before my first test. The thought of standing in front of five black belts, performing my forms and breaking, while they sat in judgement was terrifying, but I still did it, and each time I did, I grew as a martial artist. I didn't understand it at the time, but looking back, my instructors always said that to grow as a martial artist, you must experience different things, and take yourself out of your comfort zone. Doing so takes great courage, but the reward is worth it.

When I was an orange belt, there was this one instance at a tournament where I was injured, nothing gigantic. I was competing in breaking, and performing an axe kick break. My holder was inexperienced, and she tilted the board backwards towards her body, so I ended up hitting the board with my ankle before my heel. After that, I was very afraid of board breaking. I only broke when I had to, mostly at tests, and I never advanced in that skill. After successfully passing my Cho Dan test, I decided it was time to give breaking another try, so I entered in the next tournament. I practiced very hard, but all the other competitors were at a much higher level than I was. They were power breaking, doing advanced speed breaks, and I wasn’t, so of course I didn’t place in that division. After that, I didn’t break in tournaments, until very recently. Maybe two years ago, a senior master asked me why I wasn’t breaking. My answer was very simple, I told him I couldn’t win, that my breaking level isn’t on par with my rank. At that moment, he told me something that changed everything. He told me that none of that mattered, it doesn’t matter how many boards I break. He advised me to think of something, something that would “wow” the judges, and nail it on the first try. For example, this same senior master would do all of his breaking blindfolded, which is a very difficult thing, but assuming he got each break on the first try, he would always place. Sometime after that, a new master started teaching at the dojang, and from him I learned a very difficult kick, a spinning dragon tail kick. It basically acts like a back hook kick, but spinning on your knee, not your foot. I practiced and practiced this kick, eventually working up enough courage to compete again, and the best thing happened… I took first place, for the first time in a very long time. Everyone is afraid of something in life, whether it be martial arts related or not. Acknowledge that fear (and the reason why you’re afraid), and then move past it. That fear may have served you well at that point, but everything changes. No one ever accomplished anything by doing nothing. I implore you, show a brave spirit, try something new, put yourself outside of your comfort zone. It is the only way you’ll grow. Learn from my mistakes, your instructors’ mistakes, and your own. Until next time, take care and Tang Soo!

SBN Mary Cayte Reiland, USA