The Tao of Tang Soo Do – Part 5

contemplative-young-woman-in-soft-purplish-hue

by MASTERSEGARRA

Chapter 5 — Impartiality, Nature, and the Warrior’s Calm

English:
Heaven and Earth are not sentimental;
They treat all things as straw dogs.
The sage is not sentimental;
He treats all people as straw dogs.

The space between Heaven and Earth
Is like a bellows:
Empty, yet never exhausted.
The more it moves, the more it produces.

Too many words lead to exhaustion.
Better to remain centered.

Chinese (Traditional):
天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗；
聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。
天地之間，其猶橐籥乎？
虛而不屈，動而愈出。
多言數窮，不如守中。

Understanding Chapter 5

This chapter often unsettles Western readers because it appears cold, even harsh. But it is not cruel—it is impartial.

In ancient China, straw dogs were ceremonial objects treated with great reverence during a ritual—and discarded without attachment afterward. The Tao does not cling. Nature does not favor. The seasons do not hesitate.

Hwang Kee understood this deeply.

Tang Soo Do was never meant to be sentimental training. It was meant to be life training.

What “Not Being Sentimental” Really Means

This chapter does not teach indifference.
It teaches clarity without bias.

Nature:

  • Does not reward effort—only alignment
  • Does not punish emotion—only imbalance
  • Does not negotiate—only responds

For a Tang Soo Do practitioner, this means:

  • Technique works or it doesn’t
  • Structure holds or it collapses
  • Training shows the truth—every time

Rank, emotion, intention, or reputation do not change reality.

The Bellows: Emptiness That Produces Power

“The space between Heaven and Earth is like a bellows.”

(A bellows is a simple tool used to move air. By opening and closing it, air is drawn in and then pushed out, often to stoke a fire and make it burn hotter—without the bellows itself being exhausted or consumed.)
A bellows is :

  • Empty
  • Flexible
  • Powerful only when moved

This is Ki in its purest explanation.

In Tang Soo Do:

  • Tension blocks energy
  • Emptiness allows movement
  • Relaxed structure produces power

A practitioner who is too full—of ego, tension, explanation, or force—cannot generate true strength.

Practical Applications for Tang Soo Do Practitioners

1. Training Without Attachment

Do not cling to:

  • Winning rounds
  • Looking good
  • Being right
  • Being praised

Train to align, not to impress.

2. Teaching Without Favoritism

For instructors:

  • Treat all students with fairness
  • Let results speak
  • Let effort reveal itself

The art survives when standards—not personalities—lead.

3. Sparring With Neutral Mind

In sparring:

  • Don’t be angry at the opponent
  • Don’t fear them
  • Don’t inflate them

See clearly. Respond cleanly.

4. Leadership Without Sentimentality

For studio owners and organization leaders:

This chapter does not say:

“Do not care.”

It says:

“Do not distort truth with emotion.”

  • Policies must be fair
  • Standards must be consistent
  • Discipline must be calm

This creates trust—not fear. It’s easy to get emotional when a parent or student complains about something or when an event does not perform as expected. Look at the truth/results impartially not emotionally.

Fewer Words. Stronger Center.

“Too many words lead to exhaustion. Better to remain centered.”

This applies directly to:

  • Over-teaching
  • Over-marketing
  • Over-explaining
  • Over-posting

A centered dojo does not shout.
It radiates. I’ve seen too many instructors that love to hear themselves talk. The students sit and listen more than be active and train. Talk should enhance and accentuate your instruction not dominate it.

Chapter 5 as a Survival Principle

Tang Soo Do has survived generations because it aligns with how reality works, not how we wish it worked.

  • Impartial standards
  • Calm leadership
  • Emptiness ready to be filled
  • Center over noise

This is not coldness.

This is stability.

Final Reflection for Practitioners

Ask yourself:

  • Where am I forcing instead of aligning?
  • Where am I clinging instead of flowing?
  • Where am I reacting emotionally instead of staying centered?

The Tao stands on its own.
So does Tang Soo Do.

Stay centered.
Stay receptive.
Allow the art to unfold.

Continue your study of Tang Soo Do philosophy, history, and living practice:
👉 http://tangsoodoresource.com/