Why This Ancient Text Is Essential Reading for the Modern Warrior

Among all the texts Grandmaster Hwang Kee encouraged Tang Soo Do practitioners to study, few were as foundational as the Tao Te Ching.

To Hwang Kee, Tang Soo Do was never meant to be only a system of techniques. It was a Way—a lifelong practice of balance, restraint, clarity, and harmony between strength and softness. The Tao Te Ching provided philosophical grounding for that pursuit.

This short but profound text, traditionally attributed to Laozi, is not a martial arts manual. Yet its influence can be felt in every mature martial tradition that values effortless power, adaptability, humility, and longevity. Originally Grandmaster Hwang Kee offered his thoughts on the Tao Teh Ching in his book the Moo Do Chor Hahk (Martial Arts Philosophy) but when published it was determined readers should find a copy of it instead and excluded it and Grandmaster Hwang Kee’s comments from the published version of the text to cut down on the size of the book.

Fortunately, I am the person that created the original English translation and can provide my thoughts on Grandmaster Hwang Kee’s observations in this series of articles on all the chapters.

For the modern Tang Soo Do practitioner—living in a fast, noisy, reactive world—the Tao Te Ching offers something rare: timeless instruction on how to act without forcing, lead without ego, and cultivate strength without violence.

This article begins a weekly series exploring each chapter of the Tao Te Ching and translating its wisdom into practical, usable guidance for Tang Soo Do training and daily life.

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What Is the Tao Te Ching?

The Tao Te Ching is a collection of 81 short chapters written in poetic, often paradoxical language. Its core subject is the Tao (道)—commonly translated as the Way—the natural order that governs life, change, and balance.

Rather than prescribing rigid rules, the Tao Te Ching teaches:

• Alignment instead of control
• Simplicity instead of excess
• Adaptability instead of resistance
• Inner mastery instead of domination

These ideas resonated deeply with Hwang Kee, who believed that martial arts divorced from philosophy eventually decay into ego, aggression, or sport alone.

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Why Hwang Kee Considered It Required Reading

Hwang Kee lived through occupation, war, and cultural upheaval. He understood that technical skill without moral and philosophical grounding could not sustain an art—or a society.

The Tao Te Ching reinforced ideas already present in Tang Soo Do:

• Yielding over clashing
• Structure before strength
• Stillness within motion
• Leadership through example
• Longevity through balance

To Hwang Kee, studying the Tao Te Ching was not about adopting another culture—it was about understanding universal principles that govern effective action, whether in combat, leadership, or daily life.

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Chapter One of the Tao Te Ching

Original Chinese

道可道，非常道
名可名，非常名
无名天地之始
有名万物之母
故常无欲，以观其妙
常有欲，以观其徼
此两者，同出而异名
同谓之玄
玄之又玄
众妙之门

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English Translation

The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.

The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.
The named is the mother of all things.

Ever without desire, one can see the mystery.
Ever with desire, one sees the manifestations.

These two arise from the same source, yet differ in name.
Both are called profound.
Profound and more profound—
The gateway to all mystery.

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Applying Chapter One to Tang Soo Do Practice

Chapter One immediately challenges the practitioner to let go of rigid thinking.

1. Technique Is Not the Art

“The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.”

In Tang Soo Do, no single technique, hyung, or drill is the art. They are expressions of it. When students cling too tightly to form without understanding principle, progress stalls.

Practical application:

• Study why techniques work, not just how
• Avoid arguing over “the one correct way”
• Let principles guide adaptation

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2. Names and Ranks Are Not the Way

“The name that can be named is not the eternal name.”

Belts, titles, and organizations are useful—but they are not the Tao. When identity becomes tied to rank, ego replaces growth.

Practical application:

• Wear rank with responsibility, not entitlement
• Stay teachable at every level
• Measure progress by behavior, not color

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3. Desire vs. Clarity in Training

“Ever without desire, one sees the mystery.”

Training driven purely by desire—for rank, dominance, or recognition—narrows perception. Training with patience and humility opens insight.

Practical application:

• Train to understand, not to prove
• Reduce unnecessary tension and force
• Let skill emerge naturally over time

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4. Stillness and Motion Are One

“These two arise from the same source.”

This idea mirrors Tang Soo Do’s emphasis on stillness within motion. Power comes not from rushing, but from alignment, timing, and calm awareness.

Practical application:

• Slow down to refine fundamentals
• Breathe through techniques
• Maintain mental calm under pressure
• Being present in the moment is the “gateway”.

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Why This Chapter Matters Today

Modern life encourages constant reaction—hot takes, instant opinions, and forced outcomes. Chapter One reminds the Tang Soo Do practitioner that true mastery begins with restraint and observation.

The Tao is not something you chase.
It is something you align with.

That lesson is as relevant in the dojang as it is in leadership, parenting, and personal growth.

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Looking Ahead

Each week, we will explore one chapter of the Tao Te Ching and translate its wisdom into:

• Training insights
• Leadership lessons
• Conflict management
• Long-term health and longevity

Not as abstract philosophy—but as lived practice for the modern Warrior-Scholar.

For deeper study and ongoing Tang Soo Do scholarship, continue your journey at:
👉 http://tangsoodoresource.com/