Perfection
The Concept, Its Pursuit and Application
By Mr S Marrocco. (3rd Dan Thesis - February 2011)
A look at what defines perfection, how the pursuit of perfection is ingrained in the practice and philosophy of Tang Soo Do and the effects the application of this philosophy has.
Submitted for consideration prior to grading in accordance with 2nd Dan to 3rd Dan grading requirements of the TTSDA.
The Concept
In understanding the concept it is important to look firstly at what is considered to constitute perfection and the different viewpoints surrounding this. We start with a definition of perfection from Merriam-Webster:
Perfection: Freedom from fault or defect; Maturity; An unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence.
This demonstrates the traditional or classical view of perfection; a level that once reached leaves no possible scope for improvement. The implication of this viewpoint is that the possibility of reaching this level exists and that it can or has been attained. It is here that the logical viewpoint contradicts the classical in that although both agree on the essence of perfection; the logical viewpoint is that it is not feasible to attain it.
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The reason for this is that as soon as you place a value on something, in a universe where the concept of infinity is central to its existence, there is no limit to the value that can be assigned. There can always be a value which is larger; there can always be something that is bigger or better than the biggest or best, even if that is yet to be discovered. If this viewpoint is to be believed then perfection itself cannot exist as there can never be a point at which improvement is not possible (Anon., 2007).
This leads to the consideration of perfection as a synonym for never-ending improvement; a pursuit. It is this understanding of the concept that is embraced by martial arts philosophy, and in particular Tang Soo Do. This is demonstrated in many ways, some more obvious than others.
The Pursuit
The belt system we follow, more specifically the progression through the different colours demonstrates the pursuit of perfection perfectly (Skinner, 2009); broken down as an analogy of the seasons of the year:
Denotes the student's potential at the beginning; hidden by winter snow but waiting to be uncovered.
Signifies the initial growth during spring. Slowly but surely changes are noticed and potential is realised.
Consistent development and growth through the months of summer. Progress is consistent and new concepts are introduced.
Power and technique begin to ripen and mature with experience. Emphasis is placed on understanding and application.
The colour represents the endlessness of the night sky, just like the pursuit of perfection that takes place during the practitioner's lifetime. Exploration and revisiting of progress so far opens the door to endless improvement.
Although this analogy implies maturity within a year, which is seldom the case, the stages of growth are the same even when applied across a much longer period of time.
The pursuit of perfection is also demonstrated in the Eight Key Concepts of Tang Soo Do, as listed in the TTSDA syllabus (Kumar & Corney, 2001):
- Chung Shin Tong Il (Concentration) - Required in order to be able to learn and develop effectively. Without concentration it is not possible to achieve the level of focus required to perform techniques correctly
- In Neh (Endurance) - Both physical and mental allowing one to continue through adversity and overcome physical challenges.
- Chung Jik (Honesty) - A character trait that is demonstrated by true martial artists, differentiating them from being merely fighters.
- Kyum Son (Humility) - Never underestimating what others have to offer or thinking you cannot learn from someone else. Together with honesty these create an environment of discipline and respect that is crucial to successful development.
- Him Cho Chung (Control of Power) - Necessary to be able to execute techniques precisely every time they are performed and without overexertion or lose of focus.
- Shin Chook (Tension and Relaxation) - Facilitates both endurance and control of power by regulating the expenditure of energy.
- Wan Gup (Speed Control) - Techniques performed at the wrong speed are ineffective and waste effort, affecting both endurance and control of power.
These concepts are commonly observed as skills or character traits. All are equally important to develop as improvement in only one or several areas will not lead to balanced development and will prevent reaching full potential. As we can see here half of the key concepts are what could be described as character traits. In martial arts, perfection of character is mentioned frequently and is often referred to as the ultimate goal; seldom achieved. The fact that these are contained within the key concepts clearly shows that in Tang Soo Do it is not enough to focus purely on physical improvement; it is necessary to improve ourselves as well. In order to be truly understood and accepted this improvement should be visible in all aspects of life, not just when practicing Tang Soo Do.
The pursuit of perfection is not however, limited to the personal pursuit. It is important to be committed to helping others and contributing wherever possible in order to help ensure the most enriching experience for everyone. This commitment is demonstrated clearly within the Tang Soo Do community. The effort put into training by students and instructors alike outside of regular classes in the form of seminars, additional training sessions and workshops in order to better share knowledge and experience shows this commitment time and again. Widespread participation helps to provide new ideas and fresh insight into even well learned skills, allowing participants to re-examine their own skills and find ways to improve them. This can then be fed back into normal classes and the benefits can be shared with others. Above all the quest for improvement is demonstrated perhaps most obviously by the same level of participation in training amongst the most senior master grades as amongst lower grades showing that no practitioner is beyond improvement.
Application
Taking this onboard and incorporating it into the philosophy one applies to training provides motivation, purpose and insight.
Motivation is derived from the drive towards perfection. Constant improvement provides highly rewarding results and because there is always room for improvement, there is always scope to learn new things and to hone skills already learnt. This has the effect of preventing martial arts from ever becoming boring to the dedicated martial artist. Arriving at a point where it appears, even for one skill set, that there is nothing new to be learnt leads to the situation of either not having looked hard enough or of being ignorant of what is being presented.
Purpose is gained from the pursuit of perfection by applying the concept of constant and never ending improvement (Hackerott, 2010). This states that the only way to continually improve is to perform to your very best each time you do something. If you always perform to your best you will be as near to achieving perfection, that is the perfection that you are able to ever achieve, each time you practice. As no moment can exist twice, to get as close to perfection as possible the most must be made of every moment. This means that every movement, every technique, every opportunity, must be performed to the best of the ability of the performer. There is no reason in doing something purely for practice sake, or in just going through the motions. Without a purpose or reason for doing something that time could be better spent doing something else.
Insight is a product of both constant improvement and acceptance and analysis of new ideas and concepts. Tang Soo Do is an evolving art that encompasses elements of many origins in order to extract the most effective components. As knowledge increases and previous skills are revisited, changes can be incorporated that improve the effectiveness of techniques and principals. With this comes a purer understanding of the technique, the reasons for doing something a particular way and the mechanics behind it. By seeking out more effective ways to perform or apply a technique, the changes that come about from this process can be incorporated in a considerate and deliberate way. Gaining understanding in this way is crucial in the pursuit of perfection (Petrotta, 2009). After all it is impossible to improve upon something for which the purpose or intention is unknown.
Bibliography
Anon. (2007, August). The Perfection of Character. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from Seishin Shotokan Karate: http://www.seishinshotokan.com/ideasandconcepts_files/Page499.htm
Hackerott, T. (2010, February 2010). Cani A Perception For Perfection In Martial Arts. Article Niche .
Kumar, A., & Corney, N. (2001). Traditional Tang Soo Do Association Manual. TTSDA.
Merriam-Webster. (2011, March). Perfection - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary:. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from Merriam-Webster: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfection?show=0&t=1300993119
Petrotta, D. G. (2009, September 1). Philosophy of Martial Arts. Retrieved March 11, 2011, from SelfGrowth.com: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Philosophy_of_martial_arts.html
Skinner, L. (2009, September 10). Tang Soo Do Ho Sin Sul Techniques. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Tang Soo Do Ho Sin Sul: http://www.tangsoo.co.uk/Techniques.htm
