AMERICAN IRON FIST TANG SOO DO / TAIJUTSU PHILOSOPHY
First is Tang Soo Do Philosophy
Principles:
1. Responsibility
2. Sincerity
3. Justice
Ten Creeds:
1. Be loyal to your country
2. Be obedient to your parents
3. Be loving to one's husband, wife and children
4. Be cooperative with your brothers and sisters
5. Be respectful to your elders
6. Be faithful to your teacher
7. Be faithful to friends
8. Defend yourself or others, only in justice and with honor
9. Never retreat in battle
10. Always finish what you start
Eleven Points of Emphasis on Mental Training:
1. Reverence for nature
2. Physical concentration
3. Courtesy
4. Modesty
5. Thankfulness
6. Self-sacrifice
7. Cultivate courage
8. Chastity
9. Be strong inside and mild outside
10. Endurance
11. Reading ability
Ten Points of Emphasis for Physical Development:
1. Vocal exhalation, for thoracic strength
2. Focus of sight
3. Continuous balance during movements
4. Flexibility of the body
5. Correct muscle tone for maximum power
6. High and low speed techniques
7. Exactness of techniques
8. Adjustment for proper distance
9. Proper breathing for endurance
10. Conditioning of hands and feet
Five Requisites on Mental Training:
1. Oneness with nature
2. Complete awareness of environment
3. Experience
4. Conscience
5. Culture
Matters That Demand Special Attention While Training:
1. Purpose of training should be enhancement of the mental and physical self
2. Sincerity is necessary
3. Effort is necessary
4. Consistent schedule during practice
5. Do your best when training
6. Train in the basic spirit of American Combat Taijutsu
7. Regularly spaced practice sessions
8. Obey without objection the word of instructors or seniors; look and learn
9. Don't be overly ambitious
10. Pay attention to every aspect of your training
11. Get instruction step by step in new forms and techniques
12. Try to overcome feelings of idleness
13. Cleanliness is desired when practice is finished
Key Concepts:
* Courage
* Concentration
* Endurance
* Honesty
* Humility
* Control of power
* Tension and relaxation
* Speed control
Taijutsu Philosophy
Natural movement:
The Budo Taijutsu of the Bujinkan works in the opposite way of some martial arts, by working to naturalize body movement and remove awkward tendencies that my have been picked up unknowingly over years. We do not attempt to mold the student’s body into a pre-set form but work to find the movements within the body’s natural tendencies. Students sometimes find their untrained sides are able to apply the movements with a lot more power; this is because the untrained side has more natural movement or is able to apply the whole body easier. True knowledge comes from within and you can only help someone capture it for themselves.
SHIKIN HARAMITSU DAIKOMYO - There are no ordinary moments:
This phrase translates to 'The sound of the words in our reach for enlightenment creates the divine cosmic light.' 'In every encounter experience, there is the potential for gaining our enlightenment, the possibility of finding that one missing piece of the puzzle that brings about illumination. It is our own mind that determines the experience to be positive or negative.'
Shikin - Shikin is the sensation and the harmony perceived by the sense of hearing and heart. It is the creative sound result of polar opposites uniting (in/yo, yin/yang, man/woman, etc...).
Haramitsu - Also known in Sanskrit as 'Paramita' (one of the Ksanti-Paramita) which is a Buddhist’s Satori, or permanent state of spiritual awakening, that transcends the limitation of life and death. The general idea behind the Six Paramita is freedom from bearing grudges, pain, jealousy, and building endurance in a relationship with the world outside of you. This idea fosters sincerity, loyalty, and faithfulness.
Daikomyo - In Buddhism, it's the big bright light of the Buddha. For us it's the illumination from your inside to your outside. This can be experienced as the light of your heart on the physical plane, bringing light to an otherwise dark world.
The word 'Shikin' has four dimensions. The first dimension represents having a merciful heart that expresses love for everything. Second is having a sincere heart to follow what is right. Third is having a heart that is in tune with natural order. Last is having a heart dedicated to the chosen pursuit. Combined, these four elements produce great wisdom, 'Haramitsu', yielding a powerful aura, 'Dai komyo'. The true martial artist must penetrate the depths of knowledge for complete understanding, bringing light to a darkened world. For the less spiritually inclined, this phrase can mean ‘with every action, there is the opportunity to learn’.
