The Nine Rules
Sinmoo Hapkido, at its foundation, has nine rules as a guide to live by. These rules were developed by Dojunim Ji Han-jae as instructions to allow your body to reach its full potential. The rules are broken up into three sections. Three rules deal with the physical body, three rules deal with the mental mind, and three rules focus on the spiritual soul (more accurately Ki development). These rules are designed to help each of these parts of yourself reach their full potential.
| The Physical Body | The Mental Mind | The Spiritual Soul |
|---|---|---|
1. Beneficial Diet |
4. Anger Restraint |
7. Water Intake |
2. Healthy Releationships |
5. Greif Management |
8. Air Quality |
3. Proper Meditation |
6. Greed Control |
9. Sunshine Exposure |
Dojunim developed these rules from his second two teachers, Mr. Lee and 'Grandma.' They draw from Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist ideas repectively and create an intricate and well-developed system. The basics have been misunderstood by many from both, lack of study and mistranslation. Only by studying these three systems in depth can one truly understand the philosophical foundation from which this martial art has developed.
I hold to the traditional translations below, though much of the information is lost or misrepresented. In time I will begin to introduce the proper terminology and appropriate translations so that the foundation, as it is intended, is not lost. Though these rules, as commonly taught, can be helpful for students and instructors, there is a deep meaning that underlies them all.
The Physical Body
In today's world wealth is measured in dollars, euros, yen, gold, and stocks. All of these are superficial and can be taken away in a heartbeat. True wealth comes from health and the first part of health is the physical body. If you work to maintain a healthy body you will always be able to work to attain those things which you need in order to survive.
The Mental Mind
There are three major sources of harm: poisons or toxins, external forces or trauma, and the mind. By far, the mind can be the most damaging. A weak mind relinquishes control of the body and leads to accidents. When the mind is weak, the body is weak. Reaction times are slower, coordination is compromised, and the chance for mishaps is drastically increased. Emotions are the source of the mind's strength and weakness and our response to emotions and events is within our control. Why waste time and energy on destructive emotions?
The Spiritual Soul
According to Dojunim, three God-given things are free in this world. They are water, air, and sunshine. Most places of worship contain bowls of water, incense to represent and feel the air, and candles for light in place of sunshine. These three elements are essential for survival and used to strengthen and charge the spirit. The spirit is universal and timeless and is therefore not confined to this life. If the spirit is strong, it is protective and clears the path. If the spirit is weak, the mind and body cannot reach their full potential, and problems will no doubt arise.