More about the founder

In the mid-70’s, he met Grandmaster Suh In-Hyuk, founder of Kuk Sool Won. Impressed by the breadth of both man and martial art, Dr. Kimm joined Grandmaster Suh to help him promote Kuk Sool Won in America. It was a collaboration that would last for almost fifteen years. In his capacity as the Secretary General of the World Kuk Sool Association, Dr. Kimm promoted number seminars in the United States and Mexico and was a co-director of the World Martial Arts Championship and Demonstrations in Pusan, Korea.

 

In 1985, Dr. Kimm wrote and published Kuk Sool: Traditional Korean Martial Arts, an immense volume cataloging the martial art as Grandmaster Suh taught him. Dr. Kimm has devoted his entire life to the study of Korean Martial Arts. Not content to study one or two systems, he sought knowledge from the masters of many. Among his many teachers, Dr. Kimm considers Song Kwang-Sub and Yun Yong-Jo as his Yudo and Bi Sool instructors, Won Kwang-Wha and Ji Han-Jae as his Hapkido instructors, Kang Suh-Jong as his Tae Kwon Do instructor, Suh In-Hyuk as his Kuk Sool instructor, Son Duk-Ki as his Tae Kyun instructor, Cho Seung-Yong as his Kum Do instructor, Kim Kwang-Suk as his Ship Phal Ki instructor, and Sung Soo Dae Sa as his Zen instructor. In 1989, with the encouragement and blessing of Grandmaster Ji and Grandmaster Suh, Dr. Kimm set out to create Hanmudo or The Way of Korean Martial Arts.

 

Hanmudo is a self-defense art comprised of empty hand techniques, weapons techniques, the study of Ki, and the study of martial arts philosophy. It’s central tenet is balance; balance of empty hand and weapons techniques, balance between the use of physical and ki centered techniques, balance of physical, mental, philosophical, and spiritual training, balance between left and right side techniques, and the balance between the traditional and modern philosophy and techniques. As Dr. Kimm’s interest in the historical and philosophical aspects of Korean Martial Arts grew, so did his disappointment in the relative lack of books of academic quality on these subjects. After years of research.

 

Dr. Kimm wrote Philosophy of Masters. A book of parables published in both English and Korean, this critically acclaimed tome contains the biographies and the teachings of the most famous Buddhist figures in ancient Korea. Well over 700 pages long, this coffee table size book is also noted for it beautiful photographs, most of which were taken by Dr. Kimm. While Dr. Kimm’s career as martial arts author and journalist had begun in the 1970’s, his reputation as a martial arts scholar would be established in the 1980’s and 1990’s. After publishing the books, Kuk Sool and Philosophy of Masters, Dr. Kimm would go on to write and publish two books on Hapkido, based on the teachings of Grandmaster Ji Han-Jae, founder of Modern Hapkido. Later works would include Tae Kwon Do Self-Defense, an instructional manual for Tae Kwon Do instructors who wish to incorporate self-defense techniques into their curriculum and Hanmudo: Korean Martial Arts, a guide to the martial art that he created. In addition,

 

Dr. Kimm was a frequent subject and contributor to martial arts publications around the world such as Black Belt, Karate Illustrated, Inside Kung Fu, Traditional Tae Kwon Do, Tae Kwon Do Times in the United States, Tae Kwon Do and Korean Martial Arts in the United Kingdom, Centa Negra in Spain, Katana in Mexico, and Tae Kwon Do in Korea. He has previously served as Technical Advisor for Official Karate, and currently serves as Technical Advisor to Tae Kwon Do Times in the United States, Tae Kwon Do and Korean Martial Arts in the United Kingdom, Centa Negra in Spain, and Katana in Mexico. He has also produced and directed corresponding videotapes for his books on Hanmudo. For almost the past ten years, Dr. Kimm has been compiling information and conducting scores of interviews for his next book, The History of Korean Martial Arts. The book will document the history of martial arts of ancient Korea and trace their evolution to the practice of Modern Korean Martial Arts throughout the world.


The European Hanmudo Association
Rooijsestraat 18 5401 AT Uden, The Netherlands
info@hanmudo.eu
+31 6 54 38 17 03

Rabo Uden

IBAN NL61 Rabo 0155.25.68.66
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