Ch'ang-Hon Taekwon-Do philosophy
Ch'ang-Hon is the original name of the
style of Taekwon-Do that we practice. The ITF style patterns are all
based on the original martial art of Taekwon-Do that was developed
by Choi Hong Hi in the late 1940’s. The name Ch’ang-Hon derives from
General Choi’s pen-name, which he named the Chon-Ji pattern set
after. Ch’ang-Hon literally means “Blue Cottage” & originates from
the Chinese characters Cang & Xuan. This pen-name was
possibly given to Choi by his calligraphy teacher when he was a
young student, under the tutelage of the Calligraphy & Taek-kyon
master, Han Il Dong.
The various elements of the
badge were chosen for their symbolism or their historic/cultural
importance. The most obvious elements are the blue dragon & the
white tiger. These were chosen, as they are both important creatures
to the Eastern people, including the Koreans. The initial
inspiration for these characters were taken from a mural that was
painted on the wall of Kangso Tomb, the resting place of an
important Korean, who lived during the 7th century.
The dragon
is deeply rooted in Oriental culture, they
also symbolised the King or Emperor. Dragons were described
visually as a composite of parts from nine animals: The horns of a
deer; the head of a camel; the eyes of a devil; the neck of a snake;
the abdomen of a large cockerel; the scales of a carp; the claws of an
eagle; the paws of a tiger; and the ears of an ox. The dragon was
credited with having great powers that allowed them to make rain and
to control floods (by striking the river with its tail, causing it to
open and thus divert the floodwaters), for this reason they were
viewed as a rain-spirit. They had the power to decide where and when
to have rain. The Eastern people believed the kings of the water
dragons lived in the dragon palaces under the oceans.
This connection to the water
element holds further symbolism. The calm appearance on the surface of
the deep lakes that the water dragons resided belied the strong,
powerful undercurrents that flow deep in its waters. This is how a
good martial artist should be; calm and serene on the surface but
concealing power and strength ready to be unleashed, just like the
breaking of a dam where the sudden release of pressure destroys all in
its path.
The undercurrents can shift even the
biggest boulders and the flow of water can shape the lay of the land,
demonstrating just what a powerful force it is. But even with the
immense power that the rivers and oceans hold, they are soft and
yielding and will flow around obstacles placed in its path. This
reminds the student that not all things must be met with strength, but
sometimes a softer, yielding approach may prove to be more provident.
The element of water can never be destroyed it will just change state;
heat it and it will turn to steam, freeze it and it will turn to ice.
This tells the student to be flexible and open minded, and to
implement changes when necessary.
The white tiger is probably the most popular image in Korean folk
painting & decoration. It remains as a symbol of power, king of the
animals & according to popular myth, can change into human form.
Because of the tigers fierceness & courage, its image was sewn onto
the breast & back panels of the military & court dress of high ranking
civil & military officers. It was often seen as the Mountain Spirit,
or San-Shin, which the Koreans believe reside in each mountain
& are often worshipped at the village shrine.
The white background surrounded by the black border represents the
Eastern concept of Yin-Yang (Um-Yang in Korean). The white
background symbolises purity or having no ego; this is the traditional
colour of the Taekwon-Do dobok. It serves to remind the student of the
art to act with modesty, humility & to strive to become a strong
person without becoming arrogant or a bully. The black border
represents the students’ goal of trying to reach perfection &
competence in the art of Taekwon-Do. This also directly relates to the
white & black belts, which are the beginning & the “end” of the
students’ training. The black belt, however, should not be viewed as
the “end” of the students’ training career, more as a beginning of the
next stage of learning; an infinite journey on the path to
perfection.
