In our curriculum, indomitable spirit simply represents the particular tenet of Taekwondo that helps us set high goals and go for them.

To give you a sense of what high goals are we take you back to 480 BC, to the Battle of  Thermopylae.  It was there that King Leonidas of Sparta led 300 of his troops to help block the advance of some 100,000 to 150,000 Persians troops.

Battle of Thermopylae

Battle of Thermopylae (source: historynow.wikia.com)

Although the Spartans were eventually defeated after two days of battle, you could say that King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans had indomitable spirit.  Basically, their goal was very high–to hold off the advancing Persian army with only 300 troops.  He held them off for 2 days–giving the Greeks time to escape before their cities were overrun.

In modern times, setting high goals means having some ambition to become successful in life.  It could mean studying to become a doctor, an engineer, or even starting your own business.  Whatever it is, it is a worthwhile goal which involves risks, but when the goal is reached, a great sense of accomplishment is felt.

When you want to exercise indomitable spirit, reaching your high goal may take some time.  Take smaller steps to reach your goal by completing objectives that put you closer to your goal.

We always recite the tenets of Taekwondo at the start of every class to help instill them into our students.  They are:

  1. Courtesy
  2. Integrity
  3. Perseverance
  4. Self-control
  5. Indomitable Spirit
  6. Victory

This is basically a list of traits or characteristics we as martial artists live by.  Courtesy is treating others with respect; just be nice to others.  When you do what is right and your word is your bond, you have integrity.  Life is full of challenges; perseverance can help you get over them; you only fail when you quit.  If you don’t let anger or other temptations get to you, you have self-control.  Indomitable spirit is setting high goals and going for them; people need a purpose in life.  With victory, one can radiate positive energy through their winning attitude; there is a silver lining to every dark cloud.

Why is this code important?

When you learn attack and defensive techniques that can potentially hurt people, that is “power”.  With “power” comes responsibility; you as a martial artist have the responsibility of using this power for good.

The original movie “Karate Kid”, clearly illustrates what would happen when this power isn’t guided or tempered with a martial arts code like our tenets of Taekwondo; people who simply learn martial arts techniques become bullies.

Do not take the tenets of Taekwondo lightly; we recite it for a reason.  We want to instill them in all our students.  The next time you recite the tenets of Taekwondo, think about what they represent.