Tang Soo Do · Seven tenets
Respect and obedience
Definition
Courtesy is a root of strength. Respect the person. Obey the rightful instruction. Refuse the one that betrays righteousness.
The lesson
In the hall, obedience is how a beginner stays safe and how a senior stays teachable. You bow, you listen to the end, you do the correction before you debate it. Contempt for a teacher, a partner, or a beginner is already a failure of the art.
Obedience has a limit the codes already named. You do not obey a command to be cruel, dishonest, or reckless. You refuse it without mocking the person who gave it. Respect remains after the refusal.
Receive one instruction fully, and carry it out. If you must refuse one, refuse the action and not the person’s worth.
Compliance with what is wrong so you can feel loyal, or disrespect dressed up as independence.