He Yee Dao Karate Association: August 2011

He Yee Dao Karate Association

The martial art we practice is Tae Kwon Do, which is Korean Karate and is purported to be the oldest of all the martial arts. The literal translation of Tae Kwon Do is "The Art of Kicking and Punching."

He Yee Dao, the name of our school, is Chinese for "The Universal Way"; universal because Tae Kwon Do is the most widespread of all the martial arts. The proper pronunciation of He Yee Dao is best explained as follows: Huh E Daho (enunciated as one word). Association was chosen over club or school since association means fellowship, companionship, or organization of persons having common interests and purposes. What better way to explain our group?

Our uniform patch is an original design depicting "The Path to Enlightenment." Note the silver path starting in the darkness of beginning, progressing through the gateway into the golden light of knowledge, and on to infinity, the goal of perfection. On the left side of the gate are the Chinese Characters for He Yee Dao, on the right is script for the same, and surrounding the whole is the English translation, "The Universal Way."

Monday, August 15, 2011

Philosophy

In the September 2011 issue of Black Belt magazine, there is an article by Kim Soo entitled TAE KWON DO FOR HEALTH. Within the article there is a definition of the martial arts that is very much in line with the philosophy of the He Yee Dao Karate Association,in what we believe and strive to teach. Specifically:

"THE MARTIAL ARTS are more than a sport, more than tournament fighting, more than self-defense. When taught right, they are a way of life that combines philosophical insight with physical training to create mentally strong and independent individuals who can fight frailty and weakness as well as internal enemies like doubt, insecurity, and stress"

We believe the above to be true and applicable to all who join He Yee Dao, regardless of physical ability, age, size, previous experience, and personal challenges.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Reference Text

For everyone's general information, the He Yee Dao Karate Association's primary reference source for history, a variety of skills, forms, and self defense techniques we utilize, is the book, TAE KWON DO, THE KOREAN MARTIAL ART, by Richard Chun.

This book provides detailed information in narrative, pictures and diagrams of nearly all of the skills required to advance from White to Black Belt. It is not required that students purchase the book. For the students who may want to enhance their practice outside of class, this is an excellent resource.

Amazon.com is the best source to explore purchase options if interested. If you would like to preview the book, see Sensei.