5th Dan Promotion Essay 2008

The Enrichment of My Life
Through Taekwondo

By

Master Daniel J. H. Rogers, M.S.
4th Degree Taekwondo 05911693
International Poomsae Referee 003-0027
International Referee 046-0002

January 6th 2008

            It has been nearly 15 years since I first decided to start learning the Korean martial art of Taekwondo. At that time I was a college student at Iowa State University. I had just retired the previous year from over ten years of competitive wrestling. I started wrestling as a young child. I continued with fair success for all of my primary and secondary schooling and also for the first part of my college years. Up to this point I had spent considerable time being dedicated to the sport, so when I decided to retire from wrestling, I soon knew that I needed to replace it with something new and worthwhile. In 1993 I became aware of the opportunity to learn Taekwondo at my university. I decided to enroll in the classes with no idea of what to expect, whether I would like it, or how long I would persist at it. However, what I did know was that I wanted to try a challenging, new activity that would broaden my experience.

            To this end, I enrolled in the Taekwondo/self defense classes that were offered at Iowa State University taught by the U.S.A. National Collegiate Taekwondo Association’s President, Grandmaster Yong Chin Pak. This pivotal life altering decision turned out, unbeknownst to me at first, to be the beginning of a new way of life and thinking that ultimately has had a tremendous influence on the path my life has taken and continues to do so to this day.

            This path is one of self-enlightenment, a never-ending quest of learning, of broadening my experiences, of sharing these experiences and teachings and of being the best person, the best role model, the best teacher, the best at everything I can be. It is not that this ideology came to me at first but as I look back on the years and re-read the essays I wrote, it shows that I unwaveringly started on this path beginning from the day I made the choice to become a student of Taekwondo.

ISU’s National Collegiate Team coached by Master Seung Hyeon Nam.


            In regard to this I look back at the initial years of my Taekwondo training. This is the best place to start the examination of my enthusiasm for learning and teaching Taekwondo. When I came to the first class, my experience in organized sports for the majority of my life dictated that I physically give 110% at every practice. This was something that was popular when I was involved with high school and college athletics. So of course I started into Taekwondo practice with the same mental philosophy that I would do my absolute best at every practice. Initially, this was enough. I did my best to learn the physical skills. However, before long I was discovering that I must also learn a new mental philosophy as well. Taekwondo training at its best includes a well-rounded training of the mind as well as the body. I feel that I was extremely fortunate to have been introduced to the art through one of the best collegiate Taekwondo programs in the United States at Iowa State University. The Grandmaster Instructor Yong Chin Pak has a great program of well over 30 years that constantly produces some of the best martial artists of the world. This is due to the philosophy he instills in his students. The philosophy that a real martial artist is not a person that only knows how to kick and punch, but is a person who lives by the tenets of Taekwondo: “Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit.” That it is far more important to be a good citizen, a good spouse, a good student, a good role model, than to be a person that can physically or mentally “hurt” other people.

            This was how I was taught my basic understanding of the ideology of Korean martial arts. I am extremely thankful for this solid, basic understanding of the Korean cultural philosophy on which the martial art of Taekwondo is based. Taekwondo is a cultural philosophy that was developed centuries ago by the people of South Korea. It continues to be respected and followed to this day. An example of this is the meaning behind the eight Taegeuk poomsae. Each of the eight taegeuk poomsae represents one of the eight Kwaes (divination signs). (Poomsae & Poomsae Competition Rules, The World Taekwondo Federation, December 2004.)

·      Taegeuk il jang - "Keon", Which means Heaven and yang.
·      Taegeuk ee jang - "Tae", Which signifies inner firmness and the outer softness.
·      Taegeuk sam jang - "Ra", Which represents hot and bright.
·      Taegeuk sa jang - "Jin", Thunder, meaning great power and dignity.
·      Taegeuk oh jang - "Son", Wind, meaning both mighty force and calmness.
·      Taegeuk yook jang - "Kam", Water, meaning incessant flow and softness.
·      Taegeuk chil jang - "Kan", Mountain, meaning ponder and firmness.
·      Taegeuk pal jang - "Kon", Yin and Earth, meaning the beginning and the end.

            As I wrote in my essay for my promotion to recommended black belt, “What I feel is the most important thing to remember when we are promoted…is that we are role models. ……As black belts we provide the role models for those who follow, for those who will lead in the future. …. Being a role model does not begin as we enter, and end as we leave the dojang. It is a quality that we must strive daily to uphold in every aspect of our lives.” (Black Belt Paper 1st Recommend, Rogers 1995). I came to realize the extent to which being a good role model is and the importance of developing an appreciation and full understanding of the philosophy of the teachings I was receiving. This realization developed through the ideals that were being taught to me from two different sources. These included Taekwondo classes and the studies I was undertaking in my graduate studies in psychology. Taekwondo contributed the objectives of my training and life, and Psychology theories defined the importance of their affect on my life.

            My personal development and understanding of the Taekwondo philosophy included the learning and application of the five basic tenets of the martial arts which were taught to me from the beginning of my training; Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control and Indomitable Spirit. In my first published article titled “Developing Self Discipline In Martial Arts & Life” (USTU Taekwondo Journal, Rogers, Fall 1995) I discuss the way in which Taekwondo encouraged my development of both mental and physical discipline. In this paper I elucidate the fact that my involvement in the Korean martial art of Taekwondo greatly encouraged me to consciously work on improving my mental discipline. At this time in my life the emphasis was on improving my study habits and developing better focus and concentration during my training and competing in Taekwondo events.

            In regard to my higher education studies in Sport Psychology, my development of the mental aspects of martial arts was paramount in my attaining successful completion of my graduate studies. Furthermore, the fact that I was a student of Psychology made the mental aspects of Taekwondo of great interest to me. The study of Korean martial arts entails the inclusion of mental discipline that is deeply rooted in Taekwondo and derives from the roots of the Korean culture. Examples of this in Taekwondo include the various basic tenets and creeds taught at virtually all Taekwondo schools. Our student creed from the university Taekwondo program at Iowa State University reads:

·      I intend to develop myself in a positive manner and to avoid anything that would reduce my mental growth or my physical health.
·      I intend to develop self-discipline in order to bring out the best in others and myself.
·      I intend to use what I learned in class constructively and defensively to help my fellow man and myself and to never be abusive or offensive.
·      I will be the best I can be.

As previously mentioned, the five basic tenets of Taekwondo are:

·      Courtesy
·      Integrity
·      Perseverance
·      Self-control
·      Indomitable spirit

            From these basic tenets and creeds that are taught we can see that the defining characteristics in Taekwondo are the underlying principles of developing good character and discipline. It has been a belief of mine during my tenure as a Taekwondoist that as martial artists we need to continually guide our actions by the tenets and the creeds throughout our lives to become “The best we can be!”

            The importance of this can be demonstrated by my unique view on when my students are supposed to “use” their Taekwondo skills. I have been to many Taekwondo schools during my career and it is very common to see instructors teaching the tenets to their students. It is also common for them to re-enforce them, most often with the parents support, that they should never use their Taekwondo except in the school, at tournaments, and if in jeopardy. I have always challenged this belief.

           Why? Because to me, Taekwondo is not only about being able to kick and punch. More importantly, it is about character and discipline. Therefore, if acting in a responsible, respectful manner is the primary focus behind a true Taekwondoist, then it follows that as a good Taekwondoist we MUST “use” our Taekwondo skills at ALL TIMES! Especially outside of the school! I tell my students that you must follow the tenets all the time, forever. First and foremost in importance is how they represent themselves, their parents, and the school. They do this by incessantly practicing the philosophy of Taekwondo outside of the dojang, at such places as school, at retail stores and at home. As to the physical techniques and skills, yes, they should be limited to the proper setting and situation. This distinction is critical. I think that pointing it out and teaching it in this way re-enforces my students’ understanding of what it means to be a student of Taekwondo.

         It was from my involvement in Taekwondo at Iowa State University that my trek for continued learning was prompted. I completed my graduate school studies with the culmination of a Master of Science degree in Sport and Educational Psychology. Additionally I became a 1st dan black belt the same spring, a little over three years from my first Taekwondo class. As I looked towards my graduation date and obtaining my 1st dan rank, I was more ready than ever to start my real learning of life and Taekwondo. This was my first realization of the truthfulness of the statement, “Obtaining the rank of black belt is just the beginning of your training.” My eyes were opened to the fact of how little I actually knew.

          It was at this point in my life that I sought out the continued broadening of my experience and understanding of Taekwondo by obtaining an opportunity to learn first-hand about the culture from which Taekwondo originated and about the martial art itself. This came about through my application for an English teaching job in the majestic metropolis of Seoul in the summer of 1996.

            My first two years of living in South Korea were two of the most personally enlightening years of my life. I spent my first year in Seoul, working in a hogwon (private English academy) and practicing Taekwondo. During this time I explored not only the country of South Korea but also the people and their culture. This opportunity continued into a second year by an employment change from the hogwon in Kangnam Gu, Seoul to Kyungnam University in Masan as an English professor.

Master Daniel Rogers teaching English in a South Korean Hogwon.

            My first year in Seoul involved more of my acclimation to the culture and visiting the historic sights of the country including, of course, such places as the Kukkiwon, the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ), Namdaemun, I’taewon, Kwangju, Seoul Tower, etc. I also spent a good deal of time learning the language, Hangeul, something that I felt was necessary as a foreigner living in Korea.

            During my second year in South Korea at Kyungnam University, I continued my cultural exploration and studies into the roots of Taekwondo and its philosophy. Concurrently, I significantly increased my physical practicing time of Taekwondo, working out with the Kyungnam University Taekwondo club on campus 5-6 times a week for two or more hours a day. I found during my sojourn in Korea that the Korean people were extremely pleased with my involvement in the Korean National sport of Taekwondo, my endeavors to learn the Korean language, and my great love for Korean Spicy Foods such as tak kal-bi, (spicy chicken) my favorite Korean dish followed next by dok-bokki, (spicy rice noodle cakes). The little family run restaurants and street vendors are one of Korea’s greatest experiences, especially for someone who loves great food, as I do.

            It was towards the end of my second year in South Korea that I promoted for my 2nd dan in Kyungnam Province in November of 1997. These two years of cultural experience and Taekwondo training greatly enlightened me in the ways and philosophy of the Korean people which is a guiding force behind Taekwondo. By the time I returned to the United States in the summer of 1998, I had truly obtained a greatly expanded understanding of the Korean culture. As one of the few people who get the opportunity to travel the world, I proceeded to write and publish an article titled “An Experience of Taekwondo in Korea” in the USTU Taekwondo Journal, 1998. It has been my goal to pass on the experiences and ideals that I had the opportunity to participate in and learn during my travels to all those interested in hearing about them. Following this two-year sojourn in South Korea, we come to the next period of my life that has continually included the passion for Taekwondo.

            My return to the United States included the adjustment of returning to temporary unemployment. While I had been sending out job applications quite extensively for several months, nothing had availed itself. For the time being I took over responsibility of running my family’s farming operation and started my own Taekwondo School. Being in a small rural community the number of students tended to be on the small side but I felt that I had learned too much in the previous six years to not continue my involvement in Taekwondo. For the next three years I taught Taekwondo classes in my small hometown. It was not an easy undertaking to run a Taekwondo studio, albeit small, by myself. It meant never being too sick to teach and to give up most other activities since no assistants or substitute instructors were available to help. While in reality this never seemed a burden, I felt then and continue to feel today that as a Taekwondo master it is my duty to teach everything I have learned to my students regardless of the challenges. It is imperative that I promote and pass on to others the art of Taekwondo that has had such a tremendous impact on my life ever since the day I first started lessons over 14 years ago.

Master Rogers’ Taekwondo class in Minnesota, 2000.

            As I wrote in my promotion paper of July 2000 for 3rd dan, “…I am not so sure at this point that Taekwondo influences my life, but that my life influences my Taekwondo…..Taekwondo is not part of my way of life; it IS my way of life.” By these statements I am referring to the fact that everyday, all the time, I am a Taekwondo master and therefore I have the great responsibility of being a role model citizen to my students and to all people. The way I present my actions and myself defines what people come to believe martial artists and specifically Taekwondo is. Therefore, the responsibility of being a lifelong practitioner of Taekwondo is a great responsibility that absolutely cannot be taken lightly.

            It has been my continued endeavor to lead by example, to treat all people fairly and to represent the art of Taekwondo and the Korean culture that it is founded within as an ideology that deserves the utmost respect. Additionally, I teach these ideals to my students through consciously being an exemplary role model and then requiring them to be the same. During my tenure as a Taekwondo instructor there has been no greater reward then receiving the praise and thanks from my students and their parents for the positive results they see from being involved in Taekwondo. This sincere expression of thanks is worth thousands of gold medals, I would not trade this praise and thanks for even an Olympic medal. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the pride of your students’ success in martial arts and more importantly in their lives! Making this positive difference in their futures is what teaching is about.

            The following year, 2001, marked the unforgettable tragic event that has drastically changed the milieu of the United States and also the rest of the world, the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City. This event also marked the time at which I chose to return to South Korea to continue my cultural broadening and to further my Taekwondo training in the country of its origin. I applied for and accepted an English Professor position at the Catholic University in Bucheon, a Southwest suburb of Seoul. As I had learned in the past, living and working in South Korea allowed me the ability to stay for an extended sojourn and to immerse myself in martial arts and cultural studies. During the next two years I practiced adamantly to improve my Taekwondo knowledge and additionally took Hapkido classes. I continued my learning of South Korean culture and even progressed to teaching Taekwondo classes at the university I was working at to my fellow colleagues. Additionally, I helped some friends at their Taekwondo schools in South Korea. I worked with some of the best Taekwondoist in Korea, continually advancing my training and understanding of South Korean culture and of the evolution of the art of Taekwondo in its home country. I spent many hours in my pursuit of exploration and growth. With a lot of help from long time friend Master Hyung-Keun Park, National Demonstration Team Member and Leader Emeritus, and several of his close friends I continued to grow and expand my understanding of Taekwondo and South Korean culture. The goal of my continued studies was to be able to pass on the true meaning and ideals of Taekwondo and the South Korean culture to my future students through the continued teaching of Taekwondo.

            Taekwondo is by far no simple sport or art. Taekwondo has an in-depth philosophy of a way of living which is the true philosophy embedded within the art of Taekwondo, a philosophy that is founded from the roots of the Korean way of life and one that is honorable and respectable. This philosophy is a vital part of the art. I find it to be the most important aspect of being a Taekwondoist and imperative to pass on in my teachings to my students as well. I do this to insure that when my students come to the point in their lives of taking their place as a teacher of the way of hand and foot, that they too will pass on its traditions and importance, as has been taught to me by the numerous dedicated Masters and Grand Masters I have worked with over the years.

Masters Hyung Keun Park, Daniel Rogers, and close friend of the National Demonstration Team at the Kukkiwon, circa 2002.



After close to two additional years working, studying and training in South Korea, I found it time for me to once again return to the USA. Before leaving though, I did my final preparations and tested and promoted to fourth dan at the Kukkiwon on February 14th 2004. It was an incredible honor to test and promote in the Kukkiwon itself, a building full of amazing Korean Taekwondo history! During my stays in South Korea, I watched several Kukkiwon promotions, and usually there was a foreigner or two testing among the hundreds being tested that day. However, in reality it is only a small number of foreigners that have had the opportunity to test in the Kukkiwon. My opportunity to experience Taekwondo promotions as they are performed in South Korea is an experience that I am profoundly proud to be able to claim. Those few foreigners necessarily spent a minimum of six months living in South Korea experiencing the South Korean way of training and life. I promoted twice in South Korea. I feel that this has given me a very unique understanding of Taekwondo that few foreigners get to have. Some of the experiences I value the most include my meeting and working out with Korean Tigers Demonstration Team through Master Chang Young Jang, going to Taekwondo seminars of Master Seong Do Son in Daegu, learning taekwonmu (Taekwon Dance) with Master Mi Jeong Choi of the National Demonstration Team, spending time with the Yongin Daehakyo Demonstration Team and countless other experiences.


Masters Rogers and Mi Jeong Choi. 2002

            In addition to the Taekwondo activities, the cultural experiences of attending several Korean weddings, attending a friend’s son’s first birthday, and enjoying South Korean holidays such as Chusok, the South Korean Thanksgiving, were so very beneficial and interesting. These things I am very pleased to have experienced. Therefore, when I teach Taekwondo, I can teach my students about the traditions and the way of South Korean life as well emphasizing to my students that people are people everywhere; that is, people have the same feelings, ideas, and are really similar everywhere. The differences entail more how we have learned to express these feelings and ideas based on the culture in which we have grown up. We need to remember to take this into consideration when we meet people from other places, to be respectful and live by the tenets and the philosophy of Taekwondo. The world will then be a better place for all of us. I sincerely cherish every experience I had in my time living in South Korea and also of every other country I have visited in my life. The people I met in Korea during my time there drastically affected my life. I know I had a drastic influence on theirs as well. I am sure we all benefited but I believe I was the one that benefited the most from my stay there.

            My stay in South Korea was cut short by some unfortunate circumstances, so I ended up back in the USA on rather short notice and without a plan for my immediate future. Fortunately, I soon found the opportunity to head up the Taekwondo program at the International School of Monterey in Monterey, California. While it was a big move from my home in Minnesota and the program was small, it sounded like a fun challenge and one that I felt worthwhile; to continue a Taekwondo program where I would be able to contribute my years of study on the martial arts and South Korean culture in a school that valued the international community.

            The move to California proved to be difficult. There was the financial burden of the move, the organization of a program that was only just introduced a year before, the purchase of equipment and the recruitment of students.

            The challenges of running a relatively small Taekwondo after-school program are ongoing. It was my intent upon moving to Monterey, California to run this after-school program at the International School and expand into other schools, and hopefully to open a dojang downtown as well. I have discovered over the past three years that the cost of rent and real estate in Monterey are quite prohibitive for opening a new dojang. This has required me to be more creative in the methods of my Taekwondo instruction to obtain students and financially support my desire to be a full time professional Taekwondo instructor capable of promoting Taekwondo.

            My after-school program is an example of a different approach. Due to the fact that most all the other Taekwondo schools and other martial arts studios in the area do not offer classes immediately after school, I have chosen to meet this need of parents to have their children active in a quality activity to teach my primary Taekwondo classes. My after-school Taekwondo program at the International School of Monterey is run on the school premises. I pick up the kindergarten students from their classrooms.

After-School Program students at the International School of Monterey, CA, 2006.

The rest of the 1st through 8th grade students come to the multi-purpose room where we have our Taekwondo program four days per week. Since the area is a shared use area, every practice we organize and put down the 100 puzzle mats before practice and following the end of class we all work together to stack them away again. While everyone would prefer not to have to do this extra task of setting up and tearing down the mats, it has been the routine since the inception of the program four years ago. It does have many positive attributes as well. Teamwork of the students is a big one. When everyone helps it takes only a few minutes and each person has to do only a little. It helps with the teaching of the basic principles of Taekwondo such as respect and discipline. This program has been a great success for the students involved and an added attraction and proof of the diverse offerings and mission goals of the International School of Monterey. For information in regards to the mission goals, the programs and curriculum of the International School of Monterey, please refer to their website at: http://www.ismonterey.org/index3.html.

            The other approach I have devised to instruct and promote Taekwondo in my neighborhood has been to develop close relationships with the instructors of other Taekwondo schools in the immediate area. One school in particular, Blue Pacific Taekwondo, I have been very closely involved with for the past couple of years. Through this mutually beneficial relationship with the school owner, Miss Kathy Baumann and the Grandmaster Joon Kuk Nam, the cooperation of our two programs has allowed us all to see increased success, a higher level of quality, increased awareness and the presentation of a positive image of Taekwondo on the Monterey Bay. I was a regular guest instructor and promotion panel member for her school for quite some time, when last year Miss Baumann had the misfortune of being diagnosed with breast cancer. This was a very trying time for her and meant that she would spend six months undergoing a surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The good news is she had a very successful outcome from the treatments and is currently cancer free! However, in the beginning the future of her Taekwondo studio was in jeopardy since she taught a majority of her classes and had no one to fill in during her absence. Due to her misfortune I volunteered my assistance by instructing all of the classes she was not capable of teaching during that six month period of treatments. This made it a very busy time for me to take on the many additional hours of classes while maintaining the continuation of my own after-school program. However, it was a rewarding time and has strengthened the relationship between her school and my program, thereby increasing the positive roll of Taekwondo in this community and the ideals of being courteous and helpful to the community and others.

            In addition to the importance of managing my Taekwondo program, I also have found it important to support the propagation of the art and sport of Taekwondo. This is true not only in the USA, but throughout the world via my active involvement as an International Referee for both kyrugi and poomsae. To date, I have served as a referee for close to 100 tournaments throughout the world. (See my Martial Arts Vitae.)

            It was ingrained in me from the beginning that being a Taekwondoist meant to give and to teach, not just to punch and kick. In other words, to serve and not just take. Consequently, I have done my best over the years to learn and develop my knowledge of Taekwondo in every possible aspect. As I develop my knowledge I must then take this knowledge and develop effective ways of presenting and teaching it to classes of various ages and levels for the goal of increasing their understanding of Taekwondo. In this way I pass my understanding of the martial arts on to them. Additionally, I serve the Taekwondo community by regularly volunteering my service as a referee for competitions throughout the world, and assisting in the training of other referees.

            Refereeing has allowed me to give back to the art and to broaden my knowledge of the sport and art of Taekwondo. It provides for continued, active collaboration between Taekwondo Masters and practitioners, combining our assets and experiences that are shared among us during our mutual association of refereeing and competing. This has been a particularly vital opportunity to recurrently gather and consequently has provided crucial experience in developing a vast knowledge of the art of Taekwondo. We all enjoy the opportunity to discuss our experiences and teachings of the sport and the history of the art. We work together to develop the best possible instruction we can to the younger aspirants of Taekwondo who are involved with the art. Becoming an International Referee has exposed me to the ideas of Grandmasters and Masters from around the world.

  Masters Rogers and Serbin at 3rd WTF Poomsae Seminar Stuttgart, Germany 2005

Recently I attended The Olympic Masters International Open tournament in Holland. It was an excellent experience for me to learn more about the continued development of the sport. Europe has very high quality technical (poomsae) competitions, a very good example of what my national governing body (USA Taekwondo) should be trying to move towards in regards to the poomsae competition side of Taekwondo. The experience of this tournament gave me an increased understanding of what the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) is promoting by standardizing poomsae and poomsae competitions. I was one of the first two Taekwondoists from the United States to attend a WTF poomsae referee seminar. Master Victoria Serbin and I went to the third one held in Stuttgart, Germany in January of 2005. Since that time I have been actively trying to get the USA to work on reforming our poomsae competitions to match that of the WTF. However, this has been a very difficult task to accomplish. Nonetheless, I continue to advance my knowledge of this aspect of the art and additionally continue to encourage all Taekwondoist I meet to demand a push for a movement towards reforming our poomsae competitions towards this International standard. I view myself as a more traditional martial artist due to my traditional training background both here in the USA and my four years of training in South Korea. As a result of this, I feel that the discipline and development of the mind is extremely important. I also feel that poomsae training is a very important aspect of this development. Due to these beliefs, I am a very strong advocate of increasing the importance of poomsae competitions here in the USA where I feel that it is being neglected. This is not to say I think that the Olympic Sport side of Taekwondo is not important. However, I feel there are numerous people supporting that aspect of the sport and the practitioners that are interested in the poomsae aspect of Taekwondo are being disregarded. This is something that I have an aspiration to help change. This is not an easy task with the current zeitgeist of USA Taekwondo being focused on the development of Olympic caliber sparring athletes. Only through the proper balance of the different aspects of Taekwondo can it maintain the stability and importance it deserves.

  South Korean Flag with the taegeuk or yang and um in the center.

This should be evident by the ideals ingrained in South Korean culture that are so predominant such as the yang and um in the center of the South Korean flag. This is a symbol that universally represents the importance of harmony and balance in the world. A practitioner of Taekwondo cannot focus on any one part of the art or they will certainly be an unbalanced person and, as a result, an incomplete martial artist. This in turn will prevent them from reaching the level of what I would call a true master of the art, a level that we all hope to attain someday through our continued studies, teachings and experiences throughout our lives.

            With this ideal in mind that we wish to reach a level of mastery in the art of Taekwondo, I come to the focus of my involvement in Taekwondo. I continually seek to improve my understanding of the sport, art and the philosophy that lies behind and within Taekwondo. I do this by partaking in seminars, attending Taekwondo events, reading literature and by traveling and conversing with all who may have a unique perspective of martial arts and cultural understanding. By continuing to be on a quest of learning we maintain open-mindedness and come to realize that we learn more by being involved with other practitioners, teaching and passing on our experiences, rather then sitting back being uninvolved or removed from the opportunities of learning. To promote the art of Taekwondo and ensure its continued flourishing into the future we must learn to balance the historic traditions of Taekwondo with the continued developments and changes that are a part of the ever-evolving cultural environments in which we live. Taekwondo’s traditions and roots need to be honored and respected while we adapt the art to the different situations and continued developments that present themselves in the art of Taekwondo in the future.

            I personally have a list of objectives of my martial arts training. These I have listed in my Martial Arts Vitae and are listed below. These are some general objectives that I continually strive to achieve:

·      To inspire a harmonious community through character development.
·      To promote and present martial arts in a positive fashion.
·      To develop an appreciation of martial arts as a sport and as an art.
·      To achieve physical fitness through positive participation.
·      To improve mental discipline and emotional equanimity.
·      To learn self-defense skills.
·      To develop a sense of responsibility for one's self and others.
·      To learn cooperation.
·      To learn self-discipline and self-control.
·      To develop one's potential.
·      To improve one's concentration.
·      To work towards one's goals.
·      To teach my students all of these same objectives.

            It is a great responsibility to take on all these objectives but one that I accept and feel proud to bear as a lifelong student of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo. I can only hope that my firm belief and commitment to the art will be apparent to the people I come in contact with and will encourage them to strive for similar goals and self enlightening throughout their lives. As I previously stated, I believe that we must act and demonstrate our beliefs and not just speak about them. Our actions are far more convincing and meaningful than our words.

            It is through the lessons I have learned and the experiences I have had resulting from the first time I walked into a Taekwondo dojang nearly 15 years ago that has set my life down this path, a path I am thankful I am on. Once again, “Taekwondo is not a part of my way of life; it IS my way of life!”

            In the process of writing this article it has been my sincerest hope that it will reach the hearts and minds of martial artist and inspire them to take a closer look at themselves and their goals; that is, these people will be as inspired as I have been in the pursuit of becoming a more balanced and complete person. Taekwondo for me has been a way to stay focused and motivated to continually improve myself and to live my life in a way as to be “The best I can be!”

Bibliography

Rogers, Daniel J. H., An Experience of Taekwondo in Korea. USTU Taekwondo Journal. Vol. 17(1)
Page 36. (1998).

Rogers, Daniel J. H., An Experience of Taekwondo in South Korea 2004, Six Years Later.
Submitted manuscript. (2004).

Rogers, Daniel J. H., Black Belt Paper 1st Recommend. Unpublished manuscript. (1995).

Rogers, Daniel J. H., Daniel J. H. Rogers 2nd dan. Unpublished manuscript. (2000).

Rogers, Daniel J. H., Developing Self Discipline in Martial Arts and Life. USTU Taekwondo Journal.
Vol. 14(4) Page 22. (1995).

Rogers, Daniel J. H., Okada Martial Arts Member Handbook, 3rd Edition. (2007).

Rogers, Daniel J. H., Okada Martial Arts Website. www.geocities.com/koryotkd99. (1998-2007).

The World Taekwondo Federation, Poomsae & Poomsae Competition Rules. (2004).

Thank you for your time and interest!!

Master Rogers runs a full time Taekwondo studio on the Monterey Bay Peninsula.

Master Rogers may be reached at:

MasterR@mac.com

OKADA MARTIAL ARTS

1780-A Fremont Blvd.

Seaside, CA 93955

1-831-899-1700

Masters Rogers and Serbin, 2007