such a bond is created, they can guide us
toward becoming better human beings,
as they know our individual needs and
personalities better sometimes than we
know ourselves. That type of bond can
take years to establish; hence, the need to
stay under one instructor continuously.
Moreover, switching continually from
one instructor to another in hopes of
finding newer or better techniques forces
us to concentrate only on Tae Kwon Do’s
physical components. Focusing only on the
techniques of the art is like looking only
at the base of a mountain and ignoring
its slopes and peak. Martial artists should
be more than collectors of techniques; we
must develop the mind and the spirit as
well to become complete individuals.
Personal perfection is possible through
Tae Kwon Do. We must be knowledgeableof and confident in our parameters
of perfection in order to for this to
occur, and our primary instructors are
our guide down this path. We should
accordingly study Tae Kwon Do under
different instructors to encounter all of
the wonderful interpretations of the art’s
principles, but under only one master
to become an expert on ourselves.John A. Johnson (Ph.D.) is a professor of
Kyung Hee University in Yongin, Korea,
with over 33 years of TKD experience.
He publishes academic articles and speaks
at international academic conferences
on Tae Kwon Do philosophy and
pedagogy. He can be contacted through
http://www.jiatr.org or http://www.iactkd.com.40 January 2018 / taekwondotimes.com