30.5.2014 / Mountain climbing4 coments

Mountain climbing as part of Taekwon-do training

Five activities that nourishes spirit of Taekwondoist are described somewhere at first pages of Encyklopaedia. These are travel, mountain climbing, cold shower and baths, public service and etiquette.
I spent some time on (at least) one of these and as I was watching a storm rushing through forest, fortunately from shelter, idea of writing short essay about it came to my mind.
I don´t want to copy part of Encyklopedia and put it on website, more I want to share broader view on Taekwon-do as I see it nowadays.
But fist I will cite The Book:
Mountain climbing (Dung san) –
This form of exercise not only develops important leg muscles, but also nourishes the spirit and promotes a feeling of victory and triumph, as illustrated in the well known Korean poem: „Now matter how high mountain is, it can be compared to a small tomb under the heaven. There is no reason why man cannot succeed if he desires to climb it. All too often, however, one claims it is too high to climb without even making the attempt.

It´s been few days I returned from mountains in Slovenia (Karawanken - really wonderful place on borders with Austria, but still parts covered with snow in May - fact we found out during our try to climb it), intensive feelings I had through whole trip made me write this article. We had spend one week on mountains every year since I was 18 (what was decided many years ago by older friend of mine during one party when he said "We will go to small Fatra in Slovakia, it is nice" and we really went there after getting sober :o) ). I always felt it is good training not only for legs as having 20kgs bacpack on your shoulders for few days makes everything a challenge and as we ate food that is light in weight and not always nutritional everyone lost some weight. So it was another kind of sport enjoyment and way how to get some (height) trophies you may talk about in pub. But despite of this I was always practicing Po-eun tul on tops (because it is space-saving and chance of falling down to the valley is smaller) not to impress my friends (I always practiced alone or sometimes with my brother), but because I felt it deeply right.

Our this year´s trip was special in few ways, because we were just two (friends are getting old) what is great way how to test and improve long-lasting friendship. We went there at the beginning of May and mountains were pretty high so there were some snow and ice we did not expected. So our planned 6-days long mountain edge passing became 4 days of up and down climbing (always more than 1 height kilometer each day), slipping and sticking and falling in snow followed by symbolic bow to mountain with feeling that we are not able to beat it. And this was the feeling I enjoyed the most and I think it is hard to understand it in city when "everything" if possible if you have friends and money. The art of enjoying being in mountains despite we did not come where we wanted to. Enjoyment of just being in nature after kind of "loosing" was what gave my Taekwondo and spirit the most. We tried hard, were pretty stuborn, but at the edge of being reasonable we turnd around enjoyed the view and returned down. We managed to reach one top on fifth day and the feeling of triumph is hard to describe. I was running on the edge as a small boy with happy smile on my face. Sun was shining, so I had heatstroke 3 more days showing that with age wisdom is coming, but not always ;o)

What do I want to say with this pretty long story about going up and down? Basic Taekwondo training happens in dojang through practice of techniqes, patterns, sparrings, toughening and without it it is not Taekwondo. But if you stay satisfied just with this it also is not Taekwondo. The broader and very important part is if your Taekwondo grow through whole your life or if it just stays as a sweaty sport for gymnasium. Maybe next time when you do mountain trip try to walk alone for a while and feel how small and unimportant you are (mountain climbing), maybe pick some litter you see and someone probably left it there unintentionally (public service) and try to find out something about place you are in. Maybe you will find out that young guerrilla soldiers were fighting bravely on same challet you are drinking bear and eating pancakes just few decades ago. Younger and with no Dans (probably) they were probably bigger warriors than you are (that is about travel). And it is hard to find mountains without waterfall or cold lake, so cold baths are available for everyone :o) Then it is easier (at least for me) to feel and live life more calmly and with humbleness and that is what Taekwondo is about, becuase what we reapeat on gradings and tournaments "I shall build a more peaceful world" may be just a twaddle or something you are living everyday.

Few people were surprised I did not went for talented youth competition in May, that I have something different. This trip was that different thing and think for yourself was I nourishing my Taekwondo or not?

PS: By the way (not only) black belts, do you know that there are such a chapters in Ecyklopaedia? We have few in our school and will happily borrow it.

Martin Svitek, IV. Dan, Sonkal