Among the things we emphasize most heavily at Fox Mill Tae Kwon Do are discipline and self-respect, patience, and doing one’s best.

Discipline and Self-Respect: Many times in our lives, we encounter situations in which doing or saying the first thing that comes to mind will not achieve our goals. We must always be aware of what we do and say, and how it will affect others. Therefore, we must learn to discipline ourselves. When we achieve self-discipline, we will know the satisfaction of having contributed our best, whether it is by outward expression or silence at the right time. Our ability to discipline ourselves has a direct effect on our success in reaching our goals, and leads to self-respect. Our self-respect will be all the more meaningful because it is something we have earned through hard work.

Patience: “Everything comes to those who wait.” When we begin practicing tae kwon do, we spend hours practicing techniques over and over, sweating as we go. When we leave to go home, we can leave the practice room behind, but we must take that patience and persistence with us. Not only during practice, but also in everything we do, we need patience. Whether driving, doing homework, or cooking dinner, we need to give ourselves the gift of time. Don’t try to beat the clock or the red light. Patience makes life smoother and safer.

Doing My Best: If we work hard to earn something, we treasure it most highly. Tae kwon do is no exception. If we put no effort into our practice – if we are lazy – we can see other students passing our abilities. We get frustrated and disappointed, and bored. However, if we always work hard in class and at home, we’ll increase our skills a little bit every day. At the end of a year, we’ll look back and be astonished at what we’ve accomplished, at how much we’ve grown and changed. That is a truly satisfying realization, and one that encourages us in all areas of life.