Testimonial by Black belt Dexter Parker

"Principles of TaeKwonDo (1st dan essay)"
by Master Dexter Parker, 4th dan

I feel that the basic principles of Taekwondo is to make a better person out of the practitioner. Through intense study and research of this art, I've noticed a change in many types of people, but always for the better. It is a delicate art form but also a science because, just like science does something to change the environment and its people, so does Taekwondo over a period of time.
Secondly, I feel that Taekwondo is one, if not the most, devastating forms of martial arts today for self defense. It is for this reason we must train a person to use it for good and not for evil. Martial arts is like a weapon, much like a gun or knife, and its outcome is based on the person who uses it. Our job is to train people to handle this weapon correctly through mental training and growth in order to put it in the right hands. This is the deepest principle of the art.