Taekwon-do has become so compromised that rank and status have become more important than honour and integrity. 

    I've trained in Taekwon-do for more than 40 years now and I’ve made it my life. All I ever wanted to do was train.

    Ranks were never my primary goal. They were never that important to. They still don't drive me.

    A belt is simply a piece of cloth we wear around our waists. It doesn’t measure the quality of our character and today

    in my opinion it certainly doesn’t measure the true skill of the wearer.  Many students who have a Dan/Degree rank often

    believe they’re better than the rank they're wearing when in fact they are barely scratching the surface of true knowledge.  

    I’m considered a Grand Master in Taekwon-do but when I sit and talk to GRAND MASTER PARK JONG SOO, I am a mere

    white belt in comparison.  I would gladly give up every one of my degrees that I've earned over the last 45 plus years and

    wear a white belt with pride to train with a man of his knowledge, skill, qualifications, ethics and integrity.

    I’ve tried my very best to instill a similar code of ethics into each and every one of my students.  I do not claim to be of

    superior ability to anyone nor do I claim to be a gifted martial artist.  I am a mere mortal trying his very best to teach not

    only the skills but also develop the character of the students who are willing to learn the true meaning of Taekwon-do as it

    was intended by our founder General Choi Hong Hi.

    The ultimate goal of any martial arts practitioner should not be one of gaining status of rank or position, but in the

    development of one’s own virtues and character. General Choi once said, “Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to

    go to his class.”

    Let’s all who train in Taekwon-do put the meaning of the Tenets of Taekwon-do back where it belongs, within each one of us.

    Train not power, not for rank and not for position, for these things will come with sweat, hard work and most importantly

    with time.  I’ve been tested by the best Grand Masters and Masters in the world. I’ve earned my ranks and paid

    with real blood, lots of sweat and many many tears. We should be judged not by our abilities but by the choices we make.

TENETS OF TAEKWON-DO

Ye Ui   •   Yom Chi   •   In Nae   •   Guk Gi    •    Baekjul Boolgool

GM Park, is one of the original 12 Masters who brought Taekwon-do to the World.

He taught Mr. Richard Parris Taekwon-do. Mr. Parris taught me Taekwon-do.

So here we have 3 generations of TAEKWON-DO