arts we are familiar with today. This leads us to the principle
question around which this work revolves: What possible benefit
can a study of the martial arts, with taekwondo leading the way,
offer in a world where we are no longer burdened by the threat
of hand-to-hand combat on a daily basis? In order to give this
question the proper attention it deserves, we will first examine
the history and tradition of taekwondo, determine its definition,
and later analyze the physical, psychological, and spiritual
promise it holds for the modern day warrior. Let us begin our
journey, then, at a most unlikely place—a walk through the
fateful shadow cast by the deeds and actions of the noble
Hwarang.