Identity Crisis

Henry’s Corner July 2011(1)

IDENTITY CRISIS

Dear Friends

Whatever endeavour we are engaged in, our primary task is to lay the foundation by establishing the objective we are seeking to achieve. This objective defines our identity and provides a focal point for our efforts.

Whether as an individual or a social structure, possessing a clear identity provides us, internally, with the clarity of purpose and, externally, a well defined message about what we stand for. The psychosocial state of disorientation brought about by the lack of a clearly defined identity becomes apparent through the visible angst and incoherent expression of purpose by the individual or organization.

In general martial arts have been suffering from an identity crisis for a long time and Tae Kwon Do has not been immune to this state of confusion. This loss of clarity over what Tae Kwon Do actually signifies was not caused by a change in the original doctrine of Tae Kwon Do but because of two other reasons.

Firstly, the hijacking and bastardisation of the art by those who wish to profit from it by making pretences of purity but using the art as a vehicle for their selfish purposes.

Secondly, Tae Kwon Do has been allowed to stagnate by not keeping it in step with the changes in the world and thus maintaining its relevance. The spirit of the art does not have to be compromised for it to adapt to the real world.

In this hyper-materialistic world we live in, the desire to attain wealth far beyond what we require to fulfil our essential needs becomes the impetus for so much of human activity. Financial prosperity as a by-product of the proper instruction of Tae Kwon Do is a legitimate consequence but for too many instructors Tae Kwon Do is a business first and an art second.

Boxing has two main objectives, firstly, to knock out your opponent and secondly, to make money in the process. At least there is no pretence here. Whether you agree with the concept of pugilism as a sport or not, at least its proponents and practitioners do not attempt to deceive the public by pretending to aspire to higher ideals. Where is the integrity in a Tae Kwon Do instructor who forgets that the tenets of the art are its core values and simply pays lip service to them while focusing on being financially successful. The sad fact is that most of them are not even effective at making money and the irony is that living by the tenets of Tae Kwon Do would actually bring greater riches both spiritual and material.

Beginning with the introduction of Tae Kwon Do as an Olympic event, the prevalence of tournaments may have contributed to the popularization of the art but there is a real risk that these events will also trivialize the art if the “spectacle” is not supported by a clear demonstration of its tenets

Change is a certainty and the world is a different place now to what it was at the inception of Tae Kwon Do. The doctrine and the timeless tenets of Tae Kwon Do may remain unchanged but the delivery of its message has to be adapted to the changing environment we live in.

In an age of world-wide turmoil, conflict, insecurity, anxiety and breaking down of traditional institutions, what is the role Tae Kwon Do can play to deliver the peace and harmony which this art is supposed to help achieve? By demonstrating the inner peace we achieve through the practice of this art and by sharing our core values through proper instruction we can show others how through our art we can achieve stability and transcend the chaos that surrounds us.

Do we know what we are and do we know where we are going?