Year of Award

2011

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Fine Arts (Integrated Arts and Education)

Department or School/College

Creative Pulse Program

Committee Chair

Karen Kaufmann

Commitee Members

Heidi Eggert, Richard Hughes

Keywords

balance, physical fitness, taekwondo

Abstract

Hendricks, Deborah A., M.A., Spring 2011 Fine Arts, Integrated Arts and Education Taekwondo Principles: Guidelines for a Balanced Life Chairperson: Karen Kaufmann ‘Taekwondo Principles: Guidelines for a Balanced Life’ is a project that developed as a result of my field experience during the first year of the Creative Pulse program working toward a Master of Fine Arts in Integrated Arts and Education. Because the idea of being creative and artistic seemed not only foreign but overwhelming, I wanted to explore physical creativity and artistry. In my exploration of different physical activities I discovered a passion for taekwondo. I tried taekwondo because of my niece, Rachel. Rachel’s mother, my sister-in-law Diane, died unexpectedly from cancer in October of 2008 when Rachel was an 8th grader. Diane had always supported her children’s efforts, especially in both taekwondo and wrestling. All three children, Cassie, Tucker and Rachel, threw themselves into their individual sports after Diane’s death, but the comfort and strength Rachel drew from taekwondo made me think there was more to the study of taekwondo than just physical artistry. As I have continued my study of taekwondo, I have drawn closer to my brother’s children, especially my fifteen-year-old niece Rachel who is my taekwondo superior, mentor and coach, and I have gained confidence as well as fitness from my efforts. Taekwondo has helped me achieve comfort with my body as well as balance in my life. In noticing my personal growth, I began to desire the same type of balance and contentment professionally. By applying taekwondo principles to my whole life, both personally and professionally, I am a valuable asset to the school district, in that I am a more productive and efficient teacher, committee member, and advocate for students, as well as healthier as a human being. The object of this project was to explore and then embrace taekwondo principles as a means of making me a more balanced human being and teacher, which will help me effectively reach additional students on different levels. The research into the history behind the taekwondo tenets and principles strengthened my belief that incorporating these ideas positively affects my classroom climate, as well as the tenor for my entire life. I no longer feel overwhelmed by the idea of being artistic; I am an artist each day as I continue mastery of not only the extremely beautiful forms of taekwondo, but also the tenets which mold and shape the human being I am becoming.

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© Copyright 2011 Deborah Ann Hendricks