As the Masters stood waiting for Grand Master Soon Ho Lee to bring the Bee Rhong Bong forward, a video was shown of the parts of the Master’s Ceremony which was performed throughout the week.  The parts of the Master’s Ceremony... (taken from ATA World Magazine, Vol. 13, #2, Summer 2006)

Nine is the largest single integer and a significant number in Eastern cultures.  The number nine is prevalent in all Songahm traditions, such as the progression in rank from white belt to recommended black belt, then from 1st Degree up to 9th Degree; even the word Taekwondo has 9 letters.


With the number 9 so key in Korean culture, it’s no surprise the Masters Ceremony has 9 parts.

1

Beginnings and Endings

Tradition starts with the sounding of the gong, which sounds nine times to represent the number of levels of colored belt ranks.

2

Respect

Bowing is a traditional way to demonstrate respect in Korean culture, and respect is inherent in the practice of Taekwondo.  You bow to your teachers to thank them for teaching you, and you bow to your students to thank them for giving you the opportunity to teach.  To bow, you kneel, place your hands on the floor in front of your body, and then bend at the waist to bring your face to your hands.

3

Knowledge

Small and medium bowls of water, which represent, respectively, the knowledge of the student and knowledge of the instructor, are poured in to an empty large bowl, which represents the knowledge of the Master.  In other words, a person’s understanding of Taekwondo is composed of what he or she has learned through training as both a student and instructor, but that knowledge doesn’t fill the Master’s bowl.  Water is then added to the large bowl from the vase of the
Masters Council to symbolize the guidance provided by the Council as the student becomes a Master.  In fact, the water overflows the bowl to symbolize that there’s more knowledge than any one person can ever learn.  The fountain in the Songahm Gate & Garden represents these bowls.
 

4

Humility

No matter how skilled you are, there’s always more to learn and more that practice can achieve.  Candidates acknowledge this by raising their right hand, reciting the oath and signing their names to the scroll [of the Masters].

5

Loyalty

Like ever burning candles, the Masters Council and the Seniors sacrifice themselves continually to guide students safely down a darkened path and shed light on what is possible in life.  The candles used in the Masters Ceremony represent loyalty, for just as a candle must sacrifice itself to provide light for others, so must the Master sacrifice his or her desires to provide for the students of Songahm.

6

Gratitude

No student reaches this level of proficiency unassisted, so candidates offer a gift to demonstrate their appreciation for the student-instructor relationship.  The traditional gift is gold coins [given to the Grand Master] bearing the year in which the Master attained his or her title.

7

Honor

Honor is a quality that can never be asked for but only granted by those who see it being practiced.  Candidates are honored by the title granted to them, which is accompanied by a certificate of Mastership.  Once the Masters Council has signed the certificate, the candidate is presented with a medal and a ring.  [The ring is gold with a black onyx stone, with a
diamond set in the middle of the stone].
 

8

Nobility

Knighthood and other titles of prestige have historically been bestowed upon a recipient using either a sword or scepter.  In a similar spirit, the Masters Council symbolizes the transition from instructor to Master through the use of the BeeRyong Bong, the Staff of the Flying Dragon that represents the Grand Master in Songahm Taekwondo.
 

9

Mastership

As an expression of unity, the BeeRyong Bong is extended to the new Master, who then places his or her hands on the staff, signaling the end of a candidate’s journey from student to instructor and unfolding the new path that awaits the new Master.


The gong, like all circles, ends where it begins, and so it sounds again nine times at the ceremony’s end to signal the end of each candidate’s time as an instructor and the start of his or her new life as a Master.

Did you know...?

Master Cross was required to write 40 papers and complete 10 book reports during the year of Master’s Preparation training?  And, during the Masters Week of training he was given a written test on ATA history?  Kids- he knows what it’s like to have homework!