Wasatch Martial Arts Academy had the privilege of showing the public the art of Soo Bahk Do on Channel 2 News on Wednesday June 23. Visit Connect 2 Utah to view a clip.
Channel 2 News
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Monthly Archives: June 2010
Courage by Eoghan
The following essay was written by Eoghan Knibbe (10 years old) for his red belt test:
Courage is something that everyone needs to grow and progress. Without courage, we cannot earn the rank of our age. A forty year old might have the progression of an infant if he has no courage. We need courage to break through the mental barriers leading to maturation. Some barriers may be thicker than others, but we can get through them all if we have enough courage to break them down. Soo Bahk Do is a great trainer of courage. It teaches you not to be afraid to surge forward in life.
It teaches us how to build up strength to go uphill instead of downhill. A board may not be exactly the same as a mental barrier, but they definitely complement each other. It takes the same courage to do a class presentation, that it does to get up and break a board. This is how I add the courage aspect into my daily life.
Gup Shim Sa (Color Belt Test)
Earlier this month, we had our end of the school year Gup Shim Sa or color belt grading. For the first time in our young academy’s life, we had the full spectrum to show. There were students testing for the very first time, others testing for orange, green, and red belt. There were even the first group of dan candidates who will test next May for their dan (black belt equivalent).
Soo Bahk Do only has 5 colors: white, orange, green, red, and midnight blue and each color represents a season. At each level, your skill level and learning should reflect the specific season. White begins with winter, orange is a transition time between winter and spring with green belt representing the full season of spring. Red symbolizes summer and midnight blue represents autumn, a fruitful result of training. Below are a few fun videos that will give you an idea of the progression that takes place over the years as a student ripens and matures in the art.
Tae-Kuk Ki
Tae-Kuk Ki is the national flag of the Republic of Korea. The circle in the center of the flag represents Um (blue color) and Yang (red color). The background color white represents brightness and purity. This is the symbol of Korean national traits, the love of peace and harmony. Tae-Kuk (the Great Absolute) is the expression of the universe (Heaven and Earth) that promotes creation and growth by complying with mutual interaction. It symbolizes the natural balance of opposition in the world.
The four corners represent the Four Trigrams (that have been used for divination) with 3, 4, 5, and 6 dark stripes. These Sa-Kweh represent the interaction and growth of Um and Yang. Each trigram has 3 lines, either solid or broken. A solid line represents Yang and a broken line represents Um. The top line represents Heaven (Chun), the middle line represents Humanity (In), and the bottom line represents Earth (Ji). The combination of Um and Yang with Chun-In-Ji constitute an element with unique characteristics:
| Kweh | Name | Nature | Virtue | Meaning | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Geon (건 / 乾) | Heaven (천 / 天) | Humanity (인 / 仁) | Justice (정의 / 正義) | Father (부 / 父) |
 |
Ri (리 / 離) | Sun (일 / 日) or Fire (화 / 火) | Courtesy (예 / 禮) | Wisdom (지혜 / 智慧) | Son (중남 / 子) |
 |
Gam (감 / 坎) | Moon (월 / 月) or water (수 / 水) | Intelligence (지 / 智) | Vitality (생명력 / 生命力) | Daughter (중녀 / 女) |
 |
Gon (곤 / 坤) | Earth (지 / 地) | Righteousness (의 / 義) | Fertility (풍요 / 豊饒) | Mother (모 / 母) |
The Sa-Kweh shows the achievement of peace and harmony centered on Um and Yang. By applying the principles of Sa Kweh and Um/Yang, one can also achieve peace and harmony in life.
From ancient times, our ancestors delightedly valued and utilized these Tae-Kuk principles. They also illustrate the Korean ideology of desirable prosperity and creation of well-being.
Therefore, we must succeed in the spirit of the Tae-Kuk Ki (Um and Yang principles) and provide unity and harmony to world peace and happiness by applying its principles. Memorization alone will not bring the desired result. Until we, as Moo Do In (Practitioners of the Martial Way), understand the philosophy of Tae Kuk and act in accordance with these principles, we will fail to reach our full potential and become a mature, masterful Moo Do In. Without righteous actions founded upon Tae Kuk Ki, there is no value obtained.
D.K. Jang, Sa Bom Nim
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