On the wall of your Do Jang, you will see three flags. On the left is the flag of the nation you are training in. On the right is the Korean flag, to represent the heritage of our martial art. In the center is the Kwan Gi (the Moo Duk Kwan flag), which symbolizes the goals and ideals central to our training.
On the left is Hwang Kee, our founder. On the right is his son, the current Kwan Jang Nim Hwang Hyun Chul, known as H.C. Hwang. The characters below the founder’s portrait are Moo Duk Kwan.
Your Do Jang will also display a set of photos:
The training uniform in Soo Bahk Do is properly called a Do Bok. The belt is called a Dee.
Do Bok is a composite word combining Do (way of life) and Bok (clothing). Since the Do Bok is what you wear when you practice your Do, or way, its care and meaning are very important.
Traditional Korean clothing
The design of the Do Bok is based on ancient Korean traditional clothing.
We maintain the white colour to show purity, reverence for life, and commitment to avoiding bloodshed and violence.
Action and thought are inseparable, and the outside appearance is closely linked to inside attitude. When you look your best you find yourself feeling your best, too. With this in mind, you should always attend class with your do bok clean and pressed, in good repair, and with the proper rank trim and insignia.
Your dee is a symbol of your learned knowledge of Soo Bahk Do. Like your uniform, it should be treated with respect. You should always keep your belt tied properly. It should never be draped around your neck, or be allowed to touch the ground. It should also never be washed. Be proud of the signs of wear your belt will show over time – this shows your commitment to training.
The flag of South Korea, or Taegeukgi (also spelled Taegukgi in convention) has three parts: a white background; a red and blue taegeuk in the center; and four black trigrams, one in each corner of the flag. These trigrams are carried over from the eight trigrams (Pal Gwae), which are of Chinese origin.
The general design of the flag also derives from traditional use of the tricolour symbol (red, blue and yellow) by Koreans starting from the early era of Korean history. The white background symbolizes “cleanliness of the people”. The taegeuk represents the origin of all things in the universe; holding the two principles of um and yang in perfect balance; the former being the negative aspect rendered in blue, and the latter as the positive aspect rendered in red. Together, they represent a continuous movement within infinity, the two merging as one.
The four trigrams are described in this table:
| Element | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fist | The fist stands for justice (for all), honour, and unity bearing strength. |
| Leaves | The 14 leaves on each side of the ring symbolise the 14 provinces of Korea. They also stand for peace. |
| Berries | Represent the six major continents, and fruitful results of the training. The colour comes from the Yang (to be found next to the Um on the Korean flag). |
| Scroll | The blue of the scroll in the lower part of the flag stands for knowledge. According to the words of Grandmaster Hwang Kee every Martial Artist should also be a scholar. The colour comes from the Um (Ying). |
| Moo | The symbol in the centre of the scroll means ‘martial’ or ‘military’. It is composed of the characters for ‘stop/prevent’ and ‘sword/spear’. This stands for the principle of stopping conflict within ourselves and with our surroundings. |
| Soo | The symbol on the left of the scroll means ‘hand’. This is representative of the empty-handed philosophy. |
| Bahk | The symbol on the right of the scroll means ‘striking’. This represents the combative aspect of Soo Bahk Do. |