At Fox Mill Tae Kwon Do, we bow to show respect to the flag of the United States. Our bow shows that we understand and honor the efforts that have earned and defended the freedom we enjoy. We also bow to show respect to the Korean flag, to honor the work of those who developed tae kwon do and who have made it possible for us to benefit from this martial art.

The Flag of the United States of America:

Every color and marking on the flag of the United States has a meaning. The thirteen stripes represent the original thirteen colonies of our country. The fifty stars stand for the fifty individual states. Each of the colors was selected for their symbolic meaning. The red stands for “courage” and the blood that was shed for our freedom; the white stands for “purity” and the innocence of our new nation; and the blue stands for “loyalty” and the justice of our constitution.

The flag does not have an official name; however, the unofficial name most used is “Stars and Stripes.” Other names used to identify our flag are “Old Glory”, from William Denver in 1824, and the “Star Spangled Banner”, from Francis Scott Key in 1814.

The Korean National Flag (Tae Kuk Ki):

The Tae Kuk Ki was first flown on August 22, 1882, by a Korean emissary to Japan, and was officially declared the national flag of the Republic of Korea on October 15, 1949. The flag has a white background with a “Tae Kuk”, the two-lobed “Yin-Yang” symbol, in the center. This “Yin-Yang” symbol is flanked by four of the Eight Trigrams from the Book of Changes. The Tae Kuk symbolizes the principle behind the creation of nature and the universe, and represents the ultimate source of all existence and the basics of all values. The red lobe stands for “Yang” and for noble principles. The blue lobe stands for “Yin” and for hope. The four trigrams represent heaven, earth, sun, and moon as well as the four seasons and four directions. The flag as a whole symbolizes the ideal of the Korean people developing forever in harmony with the universe.