Honor: The basic building block of Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan Kwan Jhang Nim Charles Ferraro Reprinted from "Mi Guk Kwan News"  Volume #6 / Issue #4  Fall 2001

Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan is most commonly thought of, in general terms, as a martial art.  More importantly than that, it is a discipline.  The word discipline conjures up various precepts and unpleasant visions for many individuals.  To the serious martial artist this is not so, for without discipline there can be no martial art.

Discipline as defined in The Little and Ives Complete and Unabridged Webster's Dictionary:  "A systematic training, exercise, development and control of the mental, moral and physical faculties.  Orderliness of behavior.  Submission to properly constituted authority".  Martial discipline is multifaceted.  It can refer to one's personal commitment to training.  It can also refer to a martial artist's determination to demonstrate appropriate behavior towards their grandmaster, seniors, instructors, juniors, school or even the art itself.  Discipline can also be demonstrated simply by doing the right thing at the right time.  The Tang Soo Do practitioner embodies this principle of doing the right thing via the concept of Honor.

Honor is the cornerstone of Tang Soo Do practice and the "Moo Do" (martial or military way) lifestyle. Why are Tang Soo Do practitioners honorable?  To begin with, it is an inherent part of our discipline and a practical requirement or our art.  Living with honor is a powerful way to live.  To live otherwise is cowardly.  
 
Modern day students are taught dangerous techniques and proficient students are the fittest and best-trained fighters within their respective communities.  Because of this, Tang Soo Do practitioners who act without honor can become tyrants.  Through the abuse of their abilities and strength, they can do great harm to their non martial art peers.  Without the moral compass that honor provides the martial artist becomes extremely volatile and dangerous. In my opinion, honor, more than any other quality separates the martial artist from the thugs.  

In the Japanese code of "Bushido", it was said a warrior should demonstrate three qualities:  Loyalty, Right Conduct and Bravery.  These three concepts in modern day Tang Soo Do training become: obligation (ui-mu), justice (chong-ui) and courage (yong-gi).

Obligation is the root of all martial arts honor and meeting one's ui-mu is the principle part of what makes a martial artist honorable.  This principle is not limited to financial obligations alone or specific duties assigned by one's seniors, although both of these apply.  At the core of obligation are all the responsibilities inherent to human society.  Obligation as applied to modern day Tang Soo Do training can be best described as one's moral requirement to fulfill one's duty.  It's role in society involves a basic social system of debt and repayment.  Instructors train, educate and look after the martial development of their students.  In return, dutiful students are obligated to obey, protect and sacrifice for their seniors.

Honorable martial artist look out for each other.  Each covers the proverbial back of their martial associates and, in return, knows that their back is likewise covered if his associate is honorable.  All are honor bound to demonstrate and project only the highest principles, demeanor and actions when representing their seniors, instructors, schools and art.

Justice lies at the heart of honor, for no obligation fulfilled is honorable if the act of fulfilling it creates an injustice.  Justice is knowing the difference between right and wrong.  When on is constantly vigilant in doing the right thing, then honor becomes a habit and we find ourselves not even considering wrong alternatives.  Therefore, it is important for Tang Soo Do practitioners, before stepping into a situation that may obligate them to someone, to consider whether that individual is honorable.  Otherwise, they may find themselves facing a moral dilemma of being asked to dishonor themselves to meet their debt.  To be honorable a Tang Soo Do practitioner must always examine his obligations to justice.  

Additionally, a Tang Soo Do practitioner should have the courage to carry out their obligations.

Courage is a virtue most often associated with martial arts.  The very nature of the martial arts demand it.  Yong Gi is an honorable quality .  However, the courage needed to live a life of honor is different from the bravery expected by warriors in battle.  Moral courage is the fortitude it takes to do what is right, no matter what the personal cost.  While not as dramatic as physical bravery, it is the kind of courage most often called upon in every Tang Soo Do Practitioner's life.  We are often in the position where our own personal honor depends on whether we have the courage to face our obligations responsibly.  Moral courage is a crucial ingredient of a Tang Soo Do practitioner's demonstration of honor.

There is one more point to understand about courage.  Having courage doesn't mean not feeling fear. Fear is a natural human emotion and honorable people experience it just as dishonorable people do. What determines your level of courage is how you handle fear.  Tang Soo Do practitioners face fear , get control of themselves and do what must be done.