One of the first commands we learn in any traditional martial arts is the command to come to attention. In Tang Soo Do and other Korean martial arts, it is “Cha-Ryut” (or Ryot), and it is one of those commands that is not only instantly recognizable, but quintessentially Korean. In Japanese martial arts, the phrase “Ki wo Tsuke” is used, which is roughly translated “take care”, and it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as well (and this is coming from a Japanese guy).
The Hangul (Korean characters) used for “cha-ryut” is “차 렷” and the reason why I’m not sharing the Chinese characters initially is that there is no direct lineage, at least that I can trace. I’m coming at this from a Japanese perspective, so take what I’m about to say below with some pinches of salt. The closest Chinese characters that makes sense is “注意”, which is pronounced “juui” in Korean, “zhùyì” in Chinese, and “chuui” in Japanese. “注意” can mean “attention”, but it can also mean “caution”, “to be careful”, or “warning”. It is very context driven, and thus not a perfect substitute for “cha-ryut”.
“注” means “to fill”, “to pour”, or “to inject”, and typically used to describe of carefully adding water (or any other liquid) to a container with precision. The “主” part represents a candlestick, while the “氵” represents the oil (or wax) being added to allow the candle to continue to burn. “意” means “will”, “intent”, or “thought”, and is made of “音” and “心”. “音” means “sound”, while “心” means “heart” or “soul”. This represents the fact that we discern the “heart” or “intent” of someone as they speak to us, and we hear the words (sounds) and take them into our “heart” or “soul”.
So, what does this have to do with “cha-ryut” and how we use the command today? More than anything, I believe the command is a chance for a reset; an opportunity to start with a clean slate and focus our attention on what is to come next. It is an invitation to listen not to just the words coming out of the instructor, but to discern the intent and meaning of what they are trying to say. It is a recommendation to open ourselves up to instruction and to allow our instructors to pour their experience and wisdom into us, and in turn allows the instructor to feel the energy in the room and conduct the class accordingly. Next time when your instructor calls “cha-ryut!”, don’t receive it as just a simple command; whoever is in “cha-ryut” must not be passive but must actively and carefully listen to what is being said.
Ogawa, Nishida, Akatzuka et al. Shinjigen (新字源) 1967, 2018
Shiragawa, Shizuka Jitou (字統) 2017
