April 21st, 2009
The goal of every martial artist should be to become one with nature. The goal is to tune into the natural world. The natural world is governed by the Universal Laws. The Right Understanding includes the Universal Laws. The Laws of Attraction, Belief, Control, Contrast, Correspondence, Cause and Effect, Expectation, and Sympathetic Resonance all govern the natural world. For example, the Law of Cause and Effect states that our thoughts are causes and our life is the effect. This is why it is so important to guard against negative thoughts.
In ancient times, only a few people knew of or understood these universal laws. There were elite schools dedicated to the universal laws and how these laws effected the arts, human relations, and military combat. Our Moo Do or Martial Way is a complete system for living one’s life in a virtuous and honorable manner. It was and is focused on dignified living and mindfulness. Being deliberate in one’s every action. It is the essence of the “Do” in Tang Soo Do.
The Right Understanding is often called “Wisdom”. It is often translated as “discernment” as it provides a sense of direction and at a higher level, when the mind has been refined by training in moral discipline and concentration, it leads to the right view and right intention. This is the right way of looking at life, nature and the world. The Right Understanding helps the practitioner to better understand where they are now and where they need to go. Having the “right view” of where you are now and where you want to go is the hallmark of all peak performers. Your vantage point is elevated and you see things more clearly with the Right Understanding. To see more clearly, you must focus your intentions on what you want rather than what you don’t want. It is about clarity, a sense of purpose, and zooming in.