Taekwon-do is a well-trod path to self-improvement, an “art of self." The philosophy of taekwon-do is simple yet profoundly powerful: To cultivate a strong body and sound ethical and moral character in each practitioner is to contribute to a more peaceful world. If you practice, you will develop increased physical fitness, but you will also discover new stores of mental and spiritual strength.

David Ippen is a fifth-degree black belt and a Grandmaster in taekwon-do. He has taught traditional taekwon-do since 1995 and opened a dojang, the Traditional Taekwon-Do Center in Honolulu, in 2009. The Art of Self is the culmination of almost twenty years of intense study and practice, offering Ippen’s interpretation of the traditional taekwon-do philosophy. Elucidating the aspects of a taekwon-do practice, Ippen guides practitioners and non-practitioners alike through an accessible process for incorporating the moral and philosophical precepts of taekwon-do to achieve an empowered and harmonious state of mind.