Why Study Taekwondo

Because in a prison somewhere is a guy training hard so that, when he gets is released, he can kick your ass and take your money.

Prison may rehabilitate good people who have gone wrong, but for bad people, it is merely a training camp. They are studying with the masters of violence and training hard so that when they are released they will not be arrested again. One way to ensure this is to leave no witnesses.

The training one gets in prison, both mentally and physically, is extremely efficient and very practical. There are no patterns to learn. Every day is a adrenaline filled training session in survival. Prisoners learn their first day that to survive in prison you must be tough and that you must daily demonstrate how tough you are. Just as a new chicken in a farmyard, you have to endure many pecking battles to find your place in the pecking order. Moreover, you have to face more battles every time a new chicken moves in. You learn to sense trouble, read intentions, and watch your back at all times. You quickly learn who the big roosters are and you quickly ingratiate yourself to them so they will take you under their wing and teach you the ways of crime.

Since weights and resistance training are readily available in prison and prisoners have nothing else to do, they train daily to be physically tough. Prison itself makes them mentally tough, much tougher than any bar bully. With so many "masters" of crime available, some prisoners attain their "black belts" in murder and mayhem. Some become "super predators" that are feared by even the toughest street thug. When these prisoners are released, they look for prey. Most look for the weakest prey, such as women, the elderly, or children. Others do not care what type of prey is available since they do not fear injury or death. You are just a piece of meat to them.

There are many reasons why people study Taekwondo; self-defense is one of those reasons. As a martial artist, you may be able to defend yourself against a drunk at the bar, but do not fool yourself, when you are attacked by a predator, unless you have trained for that moment, you will find your life slowly fading away as you lie in a pool of your own blood.

 A 1998 study by Columbus and Rice (1998), Phenomenological meanings of martial arts participation, Journal of Sport Behavior, 21, 16-29, examined why people participate in martial arts and found four main reasons:

• Fear of criminal victimization.
• Seeking growth and discovery, including challenging oneself, either mentally, physically, or spiritually, and facing ones fears.
• Life transition and wanting to get life in control.
• Task performance and reaching martial arts achievement as contributions to achievement in other life situations.

Several of these reasons involve a desire for life enhancement, likely due to viewing the martial arts as a way of life rather than simply a sport. Many of the mental skills used in sports have been found effective in achieving peak performance throughout life. These skills have frequently been used in the martial arts even though they may not have always been systematically taught.

 Martial arts develop beneficial psychological changes in practitioners and encourage good moral and ethical development

If you ever expect to face and defeat pure evil, you must train as hard as the predators have training and try as best you can, as a "normal" person, to prepare yourself mentally for the moment. You may train in Taekwondo for many years and enjoy every minute of it, but unless you are willing to train for survival, do not ever think you will stand a chance against a human beast.

Fear paralyzes

When you are afraid, you do not always do the things you want to do. Fear causes undue stress in your life and your family. Fear is passed on to children so they learn to grow up in fear. Taekwondo helps you alleviate and control many of your fears.

There is violence in the world

There are bad people in the world who have no morals or conscious so they will not hesitate to harm or kill you. Some think that putting evil people behind bars for a lifetime is punishment enough because the wrongdoers have to think about what they have done for everyday for the rest of their lives. This is the wishful thinking of people with a conscious. Evil people do not dwell on their crimes because they do not have a conscious. They may not enjoy prison, but they do not regret their actions. If released, they will do the same things again. You must learn to defend yourself against these bad people.

You cannot rely on the “Good Guys” to protect you from the “Bad Guys"

For one thing, the good guys are not always around and, if they are, you cannot be sure they will help. Also, you never know who they good guys are. Taekwondo will teach you how to defend yourself when the need arises; the one person you may count on. When you are in need, YOU are the only one that is always there, and that who is ready and willing to help no matter how great the danger.

You can do it

No matter who you are, there are things you may do to defend yourself effectively. Defense is usually always better than submission.

Nothing else matters

When you are facing an evil person intent on harming you, nothing else matters except your preventing the person from harming you. His bad childhood, the lack of school funding, liberal judges, corrupt police departments, your efforts in the peace movement, your being a good person, etc. mean nothing at that moment. Taekwondo teaches you what you need to do; whether you do it is up to you.

To be prepared

You carry a cell phone, keep your AAA membership current, and keep a jack and spare tire in your trunk when you drive so you will be prepared for possible problems. Why not be prepared for an attack? Taekwondo will prepare you.

It is instinctive

All animals know how to defend themselves because their lives depend on it. Parents in the animal world do not release their offspring until they have developed self-defense skills effective enough for them to survive. Why do humans neglect their children in this respect? Taekwondo will teach your children how to defend themselves in today's world.

Confidence

To be truly confident in yourself, you must be feel confident in your ability to protect yourself and your family. Taekwondo will give you this confidence.

Guilt

When you fail to protect your family or friends, or even a stranger, you will live a lifetime of guilt because you did not do all you could have done to protect them. With Taekwondo training, you will be more willing to intercede when needed.

It is fun

It is fun to kick butt; that is why sports are so successful. Taekwondo lets you exercise your competitiveness in a safe, controlled manner.

Win, never lose

We are taught that winning is not everything; it is how we play the game. In the world of crime, if you do not win, you will never play again. Taekwondo teaches you how to win, and how to deal with defeat.

Human bodies evolved to survive

We have the innate desire to kick butt when threatened, and kicking butt makes us feel better afterward. Taekwondo teaches you street survival skills.

Intimidation

In today's society where intimidation is prominent, starting on the playground and continuing into the workplace, being a wuss may get you injured or even killed, at the most, and left behind in the world of success at the least. Taekwondo do shows you how to deal with intimidation, usually without violence.

Criminals are ready and willing to harm you

Are you ready and willing to stop them? Taekwondo will prepare you for criminal attacks.