Article · Fundamentals
Philosophy and tenets of Taekwondo
The five tenets of Taekwondo, how they came to be credited to Choi Hong-hi, how the Kukkiwon tradition teaches them, and what is documented about their origin.
Taekwondo is taught as a do (道), a "way" of training the mind as well as the body. The International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) states that mind and body are considered inseparable and credits its founder, General Choi Hong-hi, with emphasising the link.[1] Taekwondo's moral teaching is summarised in five tenets.
The five tenets #
| English | Korean | Romanization (ITF) | Meaning in the Kukkiwon textbook tradition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courtesy | 예의 |
Ye Ui |
The basis of a noble character, felt within and shown in action; respect for others and keeping faith[3] |
| Integrity | 염치 |
Yom Chi |
A clean heart that knows shame when conduct departs from what is right[3] |
| Perseverance | 인내 |
In Nae |
Enduring and overcoming any hardship through one's own strength[3] |
| Self-control | 극기 |
Guk Gi |
Mastering one's own wants and desires and building firm resolve[3] |
| Indomitable spirit | 백절불굴 |
Baekjul Boolgool |
A spirit that does not yield, whatever the difficulty[3] |
The ITF's copy of Choi's Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do lists the same five qualities under the heading "Taekwon-Do aims to achieve".[5] The Korean-language literature uses the same five terms for the "Taekwondo spirit" (태권도 정신), and a 2009 study cites the Kukkiwon's 2005 Taekwondo Textbook (태권도교본) for the definitions above.[3]
How the tenets were established #
What the published sources document:
- Credited to Choi Hong-hi. A 2018 Korean journal article states that Choi Hong-hi created the Taekwondo spirit of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit, emphasising the spirit of martial arts over technique. The article gives no year and cites a 2004 comparative study of Choi's and Kim Un-yong's philosophies for the statement.[2]
- Written into ITF teaching. The ITF presents the tenets as part of its philosophy, alongside a set of duties for students: to observe the tenets, to respect seniors and elders, not to distort the Taekwon-Do name, to be a champion of freedom and justice, and to help build a more peaceful world.[1]
- Taught in the Kukkiwon tradition. Korean-language works describe the same five as the Taekwondo spirit and cite the Kukkiwon textbook of 2005 for their definitions.[3] Those works do not say who first formulated them.
What the cited sources do not establish is the year or publication in which the five tenets first appeared. Dates in the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s are sometimes attached to them, but none is given in the sources cited on this page.
Claimed roots #
Organizations and writers connect the tenets with older Korean ethics, but the connections differ in how well they are documented:
- Hwarang. The Hwarang of the Silla kingdom followed five secular precepts (sesok ogye): loyalty to the state, filial piety, trust among friends, never retreating in battle and killing only with discrimination. These differ in content from the five tenets. Historians Moenig and Kim describe the Hwarang as an origin story that became central to Taekwondo after liberation and treat it as an invented tradition (1945 to 1972).[4]
- Confucian virtues. Korean writers place Taekwondo's spirit within Confucian, Buddhist and Daoist thought. These are interpretations by authors, not documented lineage.
Purpose and mission #
The ITF describes the art in these terms: Taekwon-Do is "the Way", and its student duties include being a champion of freedom and justice and helping to build a more peaceful world.[1] The Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo describe Taekwondo through the "Taekwondo spirit" taught in the Kukkiwon textbook.[3] The cited sources contain no single mission statement shared by all organizations; see Major Taekwondo organizations compared for how the groups relate.
See also #
Sources
- International Taekwon-Do Federation, "Our philosophy" itftkd.sport
- Na Chae-man and Lee Young-hoon, "Taekwondo Demonstrations Seen in the Perspective of Open Demonstrations", Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology 4(1) (2018) koreascience.kr
- Park Young-man and Chun Yong-tae, "The Approach of Qualitative on Application of Taekwondo Spirit in Security Attendance", Journal of Korean Security & Guard Studies 18 (2009) koreascience.kr
- Moenig and Kim, "The Invention of Taekwondo Tradition, 1945-1972", Academia Koreana (2016) actakoreana.org
- Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do (Choi Hong-hi), text copy, "Taekwon-Do aims to achieve" romashikk.github.io
Online sources last checked 5 November 2026.