From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #130 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Wed, 21 Feb 2001 Vol 08 : Num 130 In this issue: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #127 Re: the_dojang: Re: ITF the_dojang: The Way the_dojang: RE: The journey the_dojang: . ========================================================================= The_Dojang, serving the Internet since June 1994. ~1111 members strong! Copyright 1994-2001: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The premier internet discussion forum devoted to the Korean Martial Arts. Replying to this message will NOT unsubscribe you. To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe the_dojang-digest" (no quotes) in the body (top line, left justified) of a "plain text" e-mail addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. To send e-mail to this list use the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of The_Dojang at http://www.MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Chereecharmello@aol.com Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:24:39 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V8 #127 I took the moral of the "One eye on the goal..." story to be: Lack of focus on the present leads to lack of gain in the future... Perhaps the point was that the belt is not the goal. I am very goal oriented, but rank has never been my driving force. At one time, I set my 'goal' as being able to kick over my head again after a hip injury. Another period, I consistently practiced doing a jump-back kick with the left leg because I was so (extra stress on the so) bad at it. I realize that the period between start and finish, were you actually do all the work, is what is important. ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 7:56:17 PST Subject: Re: the_dojang: Re: ITF > Yes sir. From the official ITF web site www.itf-generalchoi.com: I notice that the ITF seems to have two "official" websites, the above and http://www.itf-taekwondo.com. With the latter seemingly around the longest. ??? But hey, at least you're doing better than the WTF. The WTF website seems to have been down for a couple months now... Ray Terry raymail@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com ------------------------------ From: "Luc Nguyen" Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:24:39 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: The Way > IMHO "The Way" is not a path or a life style - it is a state of > effortless > harmonious existence. I have read that this state can be reached in many > ways, and from many directions. Martial Artists have no more (or less) > claim to "The Way" than flower arrangers. According to the official itf-taekwondo website: "Translated literally "Tae" stands for jumping or flying, to kick or smash with the foot. "Kwon" denotes the fist-chiefly to punch or destroy with the hand or fist. "Do" means an art or way - the right way built and paved by the saints and sages in the past." In Eastern thinking, religions are all various "ways" or "do". For example Christianity is translated literally as "The Way of Christ", Buddhism is "The Way of Buddha", etc. I even see "The way of Zen" and "The way of Flower arranging". In this sense, MAs are all "do". The goal of any "do", if there is one, is to be better at whatever "do" we take. Along this journey we might get to some mile posts, we might pick some flowers but those should not be the reason we go on our "path". Luc Sorry for some misspell words in my last post (MBA & Cuba instead of NBA and Cebu). That is what MS-Outlook spell checker can do to you :-). ------------------------------ From: "Atchinson, Kerry M" Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 13:19:01 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: RE: The journey > From: "Luc Nguyen" > Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 11:23:59 -0500 > Subject: the_dojang: Goal & Path > > >> > >> "With one eye > >> always on the goal you only have one eye left for the path." > >> > >> Without the goal, which path would you take? Goals are extremely > >> important, > >> without one, and 'keeping one eye on the goal', it would be impossible > to > >> follow the path. > >> > >> Mac > >> (just thinking out loud...) > >> > >> > >Absolutely! Not paying attention to the goal leads to aimless wandering. > >While the destination is not the end-all, neither is the journey. You > >can't > >really have one without the other. > > > >Kerry > >WTF TKD > > > > There is a philosophical difference here between Eastern and Western > thinking. The reason most MAs names end with "do" is because "do" means > "the > way". MAs teach us the way of living, and of improving ourselves. Belts > are > just mile posts on your path. You should be able to find happiness and > enjoyment on your journey without ever achieving any goal. > > Have you ever read a book just for the fun of it, and not because you have > to write a report on it? How about taking a walk just because you enjoy > the > view or the companion, and not because you have to go somewhere? > > What is the point of getting a BB if you don't like the practice? Would > you > rather enjoy the practice and never getting a belt? Look at all those > children playing basketball in the school gym. How they enjoy it, how hard > they play without ever thinking about making the MBA. I am sure Ken > McDonough can tell you how he enjoy those training time in Cuba without > ever > thinking about getting a belt or being certified by the Philippines > Masters. > > Luc > Aren't happiness and enjoyment goals? They are if you don't already have them. Have I read a book for fun? Sure, all the time. I like walks, too. But have you ever read a half a book just because you like reading? Ever take a half a walk just because you like walking? Where would it leave you? No, I bet you finish them. Hey, no one's saying you have to have a goal to make the journey meaningful ( or the wandering less aimless ). You can't have a goal without undertaking some journey. And you can't take a journey without arriving at some destination, no matter what your intent. It's just that the journey and the goal are complementary... they enhance each other. And no one's really saying that everything you do has to have a point to it. It's just that all the noise about "the journey not the goal" seems a bit overdone to me. Let's be flexible enough to let those that want or need goals to have them, and let those that embrace the journey do it their way, too, the worthless, aimless, wandering unproductive scumbags that they are. ( Joke! It's a joke! ) BTW, a question for all you school owners: How many of you feel the journey is the important thing, yet expect your students to be "dedicated" and "serious" enough to to stick with their training and achieve a BB ranking? Just wondering. Kerry WTF TKD ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 20:37:41 PST Subject: the_dojang: . ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V8 #130 ******************************** It's a great day for Taekwondo! Support the USTU by joining today. 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