Learning anything well is never easy, so learning TaeKwon-Do is not an easy task. But it is a rewarding, enjoyable and interesting experience. Even so, as with constant practice and repetition of anything, it may become tiresome. Learning unity and concentration of body and mind is difficult. But every event can be controlled within your mind and dealt with, and difficulty can be overcome.

TaeKwon-Do has been introduced to this country for several years. Many people begin training, but quit after a few months. I imagine there are several reasons which may result in their decision. Finances or a conflict between student and instructor may lead them to drop the lessons. But I feel that the main reason for discontinuing training is the lack of patience.

Today there is so much technology and automation to do our work for us that we have become lazy – mentally and physically. Everything is quick, easy and comfortable. We have never had to really work for something, so we don’t know how and don’t understand the need to strive for something.

In the past, the first requirement for acceptance into a dojang was patience. There were only a few schools in existence, and simply finding one took much time. Then when the applicant finally located a gymnasium, they were required to spend several years cleaning the workout areas, cooking, washing clothes and running errands before ever being given permission to study the martial arts. The display of patience was the first gate to open.

Today we might feel that this was a needless waste of time, but our ancestors knew better. During those years the students were learning patience. Only those students with enough patience to dedicate themselves to a lifelong practice would ever begin the study of TaeKwon-Do.

Today everyone can join a dojang without ever having to pass through the first gate. The result is a number of students whose laziness and impatience devalue the spirit of the martial arts. Every student should search himself carefully to improve the spiritual aspects of his study. A student must continuously repeat a technique step by step, slowly gaining speed and power until he masters it. To learn patience too requires a student to practice faithfully until later when he has a better awareness of himself, he understands the true meaning of patience.

Patience also has a close connection with loyalty. Loyalty to anything requires the patience to maintain the relationship in spite of difficulties. Human beings are often tempted to try to gain something without an effort on their part. But this is a waste of time because those things which are easily attained are not of lasting value.

When a farmer plants a field with beans, he would not expect a rice crop. Only a fool would expect something to grow where it was not planted. So it is with the spirit of TaeKwon-Do. Only a fool would expect to accomplish difficult feats of mental concentration and physical power without following the path which builds that power. If a student begins practicing a movement only from curiosity, he will soon tire of this slow progress and decide he is wasting his time. But if he begins the movement with the spirit of patience and belief in the final outcome of his efforts. He will find success and gain mastery of a highly skilled art.

It is a truth of history that for those who attained great successes, ultimately the secret of their success was patience. Today’s events will be tomorrow’s history. The results of our patience will be written on those pages.

Written by Grand Master Yung Ho Jun, Founder of Yung Ho TaeKwon-Do