Ilgiyae Ch.6-1

One Technique

The mind and technique of Taekwondo, thus, its <Do> can be formulated distinctive way only in the framework of Samjae. To say it conversely, Samjae is the framework for understanding the change of everything distinguishable. Therefore there is none of technique of any martial art that is not subject to TAEKWONDO of this sort.

As every change shows itself in distinctive way each object that is fixed as something particular appears as each thing. Thus eight trigrams come to symbolize all things of variety. Yin/yang is the form of this distinction and Samjae is the form of change that enables that distinction. Samjae can be what it is because it shows us the relation of the inherent One as totality and the existence of distinguished object in it.

On the other hand, the entire I Ching is composed of 64 hexagrams. Each of them is made of two coupled trigrams. Why is it not that three trigrams compose 512 emblems along the framework of Samjae but that only two are engaged in that composition? 8 trigrams already represent change distinctively. 8 trigrams contain change already. It is 64 hexagrams that subdivide this change into more various distinct kinds. There is distinguished change already, which should be subdivided: this further distinction is the point of increasement from 8 trigrams to 64 hexagrams here. It's why the composition advances, for that distinction, with only more two trigrams along the framework of two symbols, namely yin and yang.¹⁾

The nondistinctive one moves, and its accumulated motions generate boundless changes. All of these are possible based on Samjae. Referring to it Cheon Bu Kyeong said: "Accumulating those onenesses to be big ten, never-ending change is caused by those Three."²⁾ In addition “Control your opponent with Sool(術), face yourself with Yae(藝) and get the whole along Do(道), and it is TAEKWONDO,”(Ch. 13) and it is the ultimate Ilgiyae. “The one skill is not simply one but that that contains all techniques in one, therefore, though simple, it includes boundless changes.”(Ch. 57) To tell this it was said in Cheon Bu Kyeong ; “Since this One is profound and mysterious, coming and going innumerably, its use changes while its root never changes.”³⁾ “What is Taekwondo? It is the art of one skill."(Ch. 57)

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<footnotes>

1) That is, one more yin/yang is to be piled on the other along the form of yin/yang. Accordingly we can get more subdivided distinction and that's all. We cannot advance this distinction to another level. For another level of distinction we have to pile three trigrams along the framework of Samjae.
2) 「天符經」, 一積十鉅, 無 化三.
3) 「天符經」, 一妙衍 萬往萬來 用變不動本.