In every dojang there are at least
two, sometimes three flags on display. Arranged left to right,
they are the home country flag, the flag of the style of martial
art and the flag of the country where Tang Soo Do originated. It
is customary for students to face and salute the flags when
entering or leaving the dojang as a sign of respect for what the
flags represent.
Flags of a country are
called Kuk Gi (or Taegeukgi) and flags of a style are
Kwan Gi. The example below shows the U.S. flag, the Moo
Duk Kwan flag and the South Korean flag
The U.S. Flag
■ 13
stripes for the 13 original colonies
■ Red stripes represent valor and white stripes
represent purity and innocence
■ The stripes themselves signify the sun's rays of
light
■ Stars are for each state in the union. (1st flag had
only 13) They are a symbol of the heavens and the divine
goal to which man has
aspired
■ Blue is the color of vigilance, perseverance and
justice
When worn on a shoulder, the flag patch should be on the
left, with the blue facing forward and stripes facing back
so it appears to be waving as you walk forward.
Moo Duk Kwan Flag
■ The fist represents power and justice
■ There are 14 laurel leaves on each side for the 14
provinces of Korea and the advancement of peace
■ The six red berries stand for the 6 inhabited
continents
■ Below the fist are three characters:
- Left side is Tang (China, Tang Dynasty)
- Right side is Soo (Hand)
- Center in circle is Moo (Stop, Military) -
intended to promote non-violence, stop fighting
South Korean Flag (also called "Taegeukgi")
■ The Blue part of circle is Um (Ying) and the Red
part is Yang. Together they represent the balance of
opposites in the universe.
■ The White background is the traditional color of the
Korean people and symbolizes peace.
■ The trigrams (line symbols) also represent the
concept of opposites and balance. They are taken from the I
Ching (Book of Changes)
which has a total of 64 trigrams.
- Upper left is "Geon" which denotes heaven while
its opposite in lower right is "Gon", meaning earth.
- Upper right is "Gam" for water, and its
opposite in lower left is "Li" meaning fire.
Together, the Um
/ Yang circle and the four trigrams represent universal
harmony and unity. This sentiment is embodied
in the South Korean pledge of allegiance to the flag, which
is:
"Before this
proud Taegeukgi, I firmly pledge my loyalty and will devote
my body and soul to the eternal glory of my country
and people."