Essay written by Kaarle Murola, 1 dan candidate in Helsinki, Finland 🇫🇮

[HAEDONG]

Essay
Kaarle Murola

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1. Topic option 6

From my perspective, the key to cooperation between the human body, mind, and spirit is mental focus and alertness to one’s surroundings. Focus in the sense of channeling all negative emotions constructively and, most importantly, creating good concentration on what you are doing—whether in kumdo or in the hustle of everyday life. Alertness means knowing what you are doing wrong and thinking about how to do it correctly and precisely next time. When all three work together, we can achieve amazing things and interesting results—but only if we try. If even one fails to do its part, the cooperation won’t work at all. For example, if the mind forgets something, the body might not manage to complete the task properly, and the spirit will start to weaken. But if the spirit and mind truly cooperate, the body can do things you wouldn’t imagine possible otherwise.

Take 1,000 cuts as an example: a body that has been out of action for a long time due to illness can still complete the entire series purely through willpower and spirit—regardless of whether the limbs feel like they’re falling apart. That’s the kind of result good cooperation brings, but you also need to know your limits. You must train the body to withstand what the world throws at it, train the mind to learn from mistakes and adapt to new situations, and train the spirit so it can help all three reach their peak—and even go beyond.

Today’s world needs this cooperation more than ever, but I’m sure everything will calm down eventually.
In the end, humans are imperfect beings who may make mistakes while trying to get their body, mind, and spirit to work together—but that’s the root of it all.

Mistakes are allowed as long as you learn from them and don’t give up at the wrong point on your path to mastering the secrets of cooperation and continuing to learn new ways to achieve and maintain balance.

I almost forgot to talk about balance in this cooperation. All three must also work together in good balance for their own benefit. For example, if the mind does nothing while the body and spirit do everything, I doubt anything will stick later or that you’ll be able to concentrate properly.

My view of this balance is as follows: the body acts and trains, the mind observes and records successes and mistakes, and the spirit ensures everything goes smoothly and is ready to help either one if it looks like they can’t manage.


2. Topic option 9

From my perspective, rage and anger blind a person to everything important in life and in practising martial arts—unless both elements are brought under control.

Rage without control is a good weapon but a bad companion, because that way you learn nothing and fail to achieve anything meaningful.

Anger without focus is like a road without signposts, full of obstacles you can’t easily overcome or avoid without running into new ones. Rage channelled into movement can create enough speed and power for more precise cuts.

Anger under control can lead to good self-discipline when you don’t give it power.

When rage and anger are under your control, you can be at peace and continue on the path you’ve chosen without obstacles or problems you couldn’t solve.

You must also remember that the road to perfect control is long and full of its own obstacles—but perfection is a journey, not a destination, as I usually say.

My point is that patience is the most important thing in this situation, and you should never forget it.

Self-discipline is also essential, because without it rage and anger can take over even faster than if you had discipline.

My view is that self-discipline and patience are the keys to controlling rage and anger and ensuring they stay where they belong. Patience ensures rage creates something good and constructive instead of destruction, while self-discipline ensures anger helps you focus on reality calmly and precisely without falling into its traps.

When both are under tight control, you can do many things well and with peace of mind, because when rage and anger are under your heel, martial arts training goes smoothly and without other problems that might arise.

In a nutshell: self-discipline and patience are great for controlling rage and anger, and without them you might face worse problems you couldn’t even imagine.

I just want to say that everyone tries their best to control their rage and anger, but sometimes they fail—we’re all human, and no one is perfect.

But that’s a good thing, because if you were perfect, what would be the point of training, learning anything, or practising a new move?

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Dear Kaarle,

Reading your essay, I could clearly feel your sincerity.
Your honest thoughts and real experiences gave the writing a genuine strength.

In Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu, the harmony of body, mind, and spirit doesn’t come from effort alone.
It appears naturally through steady training, humility, and awareness — and you’ve expressed that very well.

Your reflection on anger and rage also shows maturity.
You understood that emotions shouldn’t be suppressed but transformed into clear energy that supports you.

Though your essay was short, it carried truth and dedication.
Keep training with the same heart and stay close to the path of energy and balance.

"Essay Eval‎uation Passed."


Grandmaster Jeong Seong Kim
Founder & President
Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu · United World Haedong Kumdo Federation
📅 November 2025, Busan, Korea