Forgotten Words

From the time I was a young (in the art) student of tae kwon do at Hill AFB in Utah, my instructor made us recite a student oath at the end of every class. I visited several other classes over my Air Force years and all of them used the student oath or a variation of it. I have even seen it mentioned on various websites and in a couple of tae kwon do magazines. It goes like this ...

I am a student of Tae Kwon Do.

I will respect my instructors and seniors.

I will never misuse Tae Kwon Do.

I will be a champion of freedom and justice.

I will help to build a more peaceful world.

I had a long lay off in tae kwon do since the early 1990s. Since I have been back, I have not seen the student oath hardly at all. I wonder about that. A friend mentioned to me tonight about seeing tae kwon do students on some websites who seem violent and angry and threatening to hurt other people or to "kick their ***". I wonder if they are being taught that tae kwon do is for defense not attack. I wonder if they know that our ultimate aim to build a better self and a better world through peace.

I wonder if the student oath is being forgotten. I hope not. As I read it, I realize, they are good words. I hope they are not forgotten words.