Customer Reviews

Taekwondo Spirit and Practice: Beyond Self-Defense

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Taekwondo Spirit and Practice: Beyond Self-Defense by Grand Master Richard Chun (President of the United States Taekwondo Association and Special Assistant to the President of the World Taekwondo Federation) is the personal experience and expert testimony of a true 9th Dan Grandmaster in the respected and disciplined martial art of Taekwondo, who blends his journey from Korea to America and his strength in rising to the challenge of adapting to a strange language and culture to the life lessons of the art itself. Embracing the physical and spiritual virtues of Taekwondo as a venue for self-improvement, Taekwondo Spirit And Practice is an emotional and spiritual supplement to martial arts philosophy shelves and strongly recommended reading for students of the Martial Arts in general, and Taekwondo in particular.

Today, too little is presented on the traditonal value of the martial arts as a lifestyle practice. Dr. Chun, who was one of the first Taekwondo Masters sent to the US, brings a richness on experience that makes him a national treasure. Useful to all martial art stylists. Do not miss this.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised at how I ended up feeling about the book. It is clearly a martial arts autobiography, and for some reason I was surprised by this. I guess I was expecting more of a pure "philosophy book." It turns out to be the perfect way for Grandmaster Chun to express the message of the book.

Initially I was a little put off by what I perceived as a tone that was less than the humility that he subscribes to. However, as the book progresses, the Grandmaster's wisdom becomes increasingly apparent. I found myself jotting notes/quotes on index cards to reread and study later. I passed along one to a TKD classmate that I perceived was struggling with a specific concept. I will definately reread this book and have no doubt that I will find even more pearls than I found the first time. The pearls are there for the reader to pick up and enjoy, but are not shoved down the throat.

While I would stop short of calling this a "must read," it is a "good read." The reader will come away spiritually richer than before s/he read it. The practioner of TKD will find it a good addition to their studies and library. The "lay person" who is searching will come away with a deeper understanding of this incredible martial art. Worth buying. I'm glad I did.

I had the opportunity to read the manuscript of this book prior to publication as well as the fininshed work. Being an instructor and true follower of Grand Master Chun, I was delighted in the content and his writing style. It is both sincere and riveting. Dr. Chun leads us through his life and inspires the reader with many significant experiences from his youth in Korea to the present. Having authored the book, Taekwondo Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior, I personally know what it is like to share your passion with others. Grandmaster Chun is highly successful at this mission. This is a must-read book for anyone involved in martial arts and taekwondo inparticular.

An autobiography of Grand Master Richard Chun, 9th dan Taekwondo. The book starts in Seoul Korea just after WWII and just before the Korean War. Richard Chun (Rhin Moon Chun) started his training at 11 yrs old under the infamous Master Chong Soo Hong (of Moo Duk Kwon style) to regain his recently lost position as daejang or "leader" of his group of friends after one of the boys challenged and beat him in a fight. Grand Master Chun goes on to explain how this obviously unhonorable reason to start Taekwondo led to him regaining the honor he lost and ultimately led to a life-long career in the martial arts where he had the honor of teaching thousands of black-belts and master black-belts, many of whom went on to start their own martial arts schools. His story exudes the indomitable martial artist spirit as he came to America with nothing more than the immigrant's dream in-hand, moved to New York city, worked hard and made those dreams come true. This is an inspiring story of how the martial arts not only helped Grand Master Chun in the dojang but also in his very successful careers as a businessman, entrepreneur, professor, and philanthropist.

Grand Master Chun reveals both his triumphs as well as his mistakes in the course of a life in the tumult of the Korean War and its aftermath and building a new life in the United States. Each section of his life and its chapter in this book lends itself to a gentle lesson on how we grow to become true adults- honoring our country, our parents and family, our friends and helping others. I was genuinely touched by the regrets he felt as a son and sibling, as well as his concerns over aging. I highly recommend Chapter 12 "The Way of the Warrior" for its analysis of overcoming fear. I purchased this book as I was preparing to take my black belt test- I thought it would help with theory. Instead I found a thoughtful discussion on how to deal with all of life's various "tests". I would be interested to read any other articles or books this author chose to write.

I have met Dr. Chun on several occasions and have had the opportunity to study under serveral of his students who are now masters themselves. Most of my 8 years in the martial arts has been in Tae Kwon Do, though under a differant master.

Dr. Chun is, in short an amazing man with an incredible history.

This book chronicles not only his experience in the martial arts from the age of 11 through his many contributions when he came to America, but also has a great deal to say about the current state of the martial arts in America, and without an accusatory tone, how we are losing the ancient traditions of Tae Kwon Do to the dreaded "McDojos"

This is truly an important read for anyone interested in Tae Kwon Do and martial arts in general.