Taekwondo Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old taekwondo quotes, taekwondo sayings, and taekwondo proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

The right of self-defense never ceases. It is among the most sacred, and alike necessary to nations and to individuals. James Monroe
Self-defense is not only our right; it is our duty. Ronald Reagan
When two opponents of equal strength and technique fight it off, it is what is in their heart, and how they use their mind that will decide who will win. Bruce Hyland
To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial arts is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is. Bruce Lee
In self-defense and in defense of the innocent, cowardice is the only sin. Dean Koontz
The most difficult part ot traditional taekwondo is not learning the first kick or punch. It is not struggling to remember the motions of a poomsae or becoming aquainted with Korean culture. Rather, it is taking the first step across the threshold of the dojang door. This is where roads diverge, where choices are made that will resonate throughout a lifetime. Doug Cook
Think of your opponents hands and feet as swords. Gichin Funakoshi
Of those who start TaeKwonDo training, only about 5% stick with it until they achieve the Black Belt Rank. Then perhaps 80% of those who earn a Black stop there. Duk Sung Son
We learn martial arts as helping weakness. You never fight for people to get hurt. You're always helping people. Jackie Chan
Self-defense is a part of the law of nature; nor can it be denied the community, even against the king himself. William Barclay
Don't block with your face! Master Bosse
Protecting yourself is self defense. Protecting others is warriorship. Bohdi Sanders
A martial artist has to take responsibility for himself and accept the consequences of his own doing. Bruce Lee
A martial art that has no rules is nothing but violence. Kenji Tomiki
Martial arts, like any art, is an unrestricted athletic expression of an individual soul. Bruce Lee
Practice, practice, and practice more. Watch others and learn from them. Julia Cross
All martial arts is simply an honest expression of one's body with a lot of deception in between. Bruce Lee
The two most important things to do for self-defense are not to take a martial arts class or get a gun, but to think like the opposition and know where you're most at risk. Barry Eisler
Self-defense is not just a set of techniques; it's a state of mind, and it begins with the belief that you are worth defending. Rorion Gracie
The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants. Gichin Funakoshi
Martial arts is not about fighting; it's about building character. Bo Bennett
The 90% physical training is to develop that 90% mental attitude. Master Bosse
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. Neale Donald Walsh
Self defense is a primary law of nature, which no subsequent law of society can abolish; the immediate gift of the Creator, obliges everyone to resist the first approaches of tyranny. Elbridge Gerry
It's not just self defense, it's about self control, body discipline, and mind discipline and breath techniques. It involves yoga. It involves meditation. It's an art, not a sport Elvis Presley
Martial arts is something you can learn or pick up and think you could do really well. Michelle Yeoh
Doing little things well is a step toward doing big things better. Vincent Van Gogh
Self-defense is the only honourable course where there is unreadiness for self-immolation. Mahatma Gandhi
Just as a stool requires three legs to stand upright so the taekwondoist must cultivate basic skills, meaningful forms, and effective sparring in order to have both feet firmly planted in the art. Doug Cook
Training in taekwondo for eight years and then being able to do it in a film was pretty amazing. Dev Patel