The Unique Values and Tenets of ITF Taekwondo

ITF Taekwondo or the International Taekwondo Federation is an internationally recognized organization which promotes the growth and practice of the traditional martial art form of Taekwondo across the world. Founded in the year 1966, ITF Taekwondo has emerged as one of the leaders amongst various other international taekwondo organizations like the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), American Taekwondo Association (ATA), European Taekwondo Union (ETU) and many other global organizations. The main mandate of the ITF is to carry out world tournaments and promotions, maintain the teaching standards as well as ensure a correct and fair certification and ranking system amongst taekwondo schools.



The Value System behind the Vision of ITF Taekwondo

The ITF Taekwondo was founded on the core philosophy of creating world peace and unity. This is why while most people might associate Taekwondo and other forms of martial arts with violent and aggressive behavior mainly due to wrong media perception but the basic value system of taekwondo is more about developing inner strength and core human morals.

When you initiate yourself into the learning of taekwondo through a school certified by the ITF Taekwondo, you will be first taken through an oath ceremony which is practiced to ingrain the value system of this martial art form in the mind and hearts of the students. Here is a summary of the main principles that every student of the ITF Taekwondo has to adhere by under all circumstances:

· Mutual Respect- Taekwondo is based on the belief system that for any form of teaching to be productive in a larger sense there has to be mutual respect between a student and the instructor.

· Right Action- By becoming a student of ITF taekwondo students learn to develop their own strength as well as use the force of their opponents against them. Like all martial arts. Taekwondo is also a very powerful tool which is why students take the oath of never using the skills and techniques of taekwondo for any misuse or personal motivation of gain by harming another individual.

· Upholding Freedom and Justice- The main aim behind the teachings of taekwondo is to promote students towards a path of freedom and justice in their day-to-day lives. This martial art form teaches students to be more open in their thought and their perception of others and give up judgmental and negative beliefs as one of these are the most common causes of conflicts in the world.

· Practicing Peaceful Living - All students of the ITF Taekwondo vow to be a promoter of world peace by practicing peaceful living in every aspect of their lives. This oath stems from the basic philosophy of taekwondo teaching that if every one of us would take the responsibility of being peaceful in our day-to-day living the world would naturally transform into a less violent and more beautiful space.

ITF taekwondo has defined its teaching and learning principles under five basic tenets which must be followed and imbibed by all their students. These tenets are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. When these five tenets are fully embraced by taekwondo students it not only translates into becoming a proficient martial art practitioner but also as a fully complete and holistic human being.



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