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Since there were no matched in Bi Sool, Dr. Kimm entered and
won many high school Yudo matches. His most memorable team wins
were the Seoul National High School Yudo Championships for three
years. Dr. Kimm received the Outstanding Technical Award from
Kim Sung-kon, President of the Korea Yudo Association and founder
go Sang Young Groups at the 1958 National Spring High School Yudo
Championships.
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Dr. He-Young Kimm, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee
of the Student Government Association.
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Dr. Kimm was a member of the Koo Woo Hwe (Nine Friends Club)
at East Seoul High School (1956-1959). Koo Woo Hwe was organized
for the purpose of students studying and exchanging their knowledge
and experiences of sports with other members and, later in life,
the members promised to help one another and gather periodically
for social occasions. The members agreed to be "friends for
life." Most of these groups contained members who had similar
interests. In Dr. Kimm's particular group, all were tall, had
good grades in school, and participated in martial arts and/or
other sports.
Dr. Kimm learned Tang Soo Do for the first time from his friend,
Lee Jong sung, who was also a member of the Koo Woo Hwe. Lee taught
Dr. Kimm basic forms, Pyung An Hyungs, and three step sparring
while Dr. Kimm taught him the gentle form of Yudo. Dr. Kimm and
Lee learned each others strengths and weaknesses. Lee did not
want to stand at close distances which allowed Dr. Kimm to block
and grab, followed with by a throw. Dr. Kimm did not like standing
at close distances which allowed Lee to kick and retreat before
Dr. Kimm could grab or block. This was a great experience for
Dr. Kimm to begin his comparison of the different styles of martial
arts.
Each day that Dr. Kimm trained, he gained tremendous stamina
and endurance for what he knew he must do. As the training got
harder and harder, Dr. Kimm made up his mind that he would become
proficient in the arts that he was training and was able to endure
the bone aching requirements as he was studying under various
masters. Almost everyday Dr. Kimm dragged his tired legs along
the ground all the way home from the dojang because he had not
yet perfected throwing, kicking, and punching. Yet in spite of
it all, he never failed to get up early each morning to climb
the mountain before sunrise in order to perform his ki training.
Dr. Kimm believed that the secret to getting up early each morning
was a strong mentality which controlled the physical body. When
he awoke in the mornings, regardless of his physical condition,
he smiled first then on the count of one, he would sit up; on
the count of two, he would stand up; and on the count of three,
he would walk around the room. He still uses this practice today
and has no problem getting up early.
Around this time, Dr. Kimm met two people who would later influence
his life: Park Lee-hyun who later became Chairman of the Board
of Examiners of the American Hapkido Association and a professor
at Southeast Missouri State University and Park Hyun-ja who later
became his wife. Park lee-hyun was slightly taller than Dr. Kimm
and sat behind Dr. Kimm in high school (In Korean schools, the
seating arrangement was determined by the height of the students.).
The two of them became very close friends and studied together
as well as practiced martial arts together. Park Lee-hyun's father
was a business partner of Park Hyun-ja's father. On October 10,
1957, following his high school team's victory at the Seoul High
School Yudo Championship at Seoul Stadium, Par Lee-hyun introduced
Dr. Kimm to Park Hyun-ja.
Before graduating from high school, Dr. Kimm told Park Lee-hyun
of his plan to revenge his father. Without hesitation, Park asked
to join him, saying that together they would have very little
difficulty. Dr. Kimm accepted his offer but was not sure of the
proper time. Dr. Kimm's mother began to worry more about her son's
future than about revenge. In the years that passed, Dr. Kimm's
father had gotten well and his business had begun to recover.
As a gesture of both family groups, Dr. Kimm's aunt's sister married
into the Kwon family, adopted one of the four Kwon brothers as
her son which made Dr. Kimm a distant relative of the Kwons.
Dr. Kimm's parents urged him to go to college and forget about
the ugly incident of the past. Dr. Kimm asked himself if he could
actually forget. He had learned that in order to do great work
or to become a great man, three things were required: intelligence
which spurred the correct decisions, endurance which is essential
in preparation, and determination which meant that you should
carry out every task without hesitation. In his case, Dr. Kimm
felt that he had been hesitating too long.
Dr. Kimm lay awake many nights thinking about his role, his commitments
and his integrity. What should he do? Revenge his father's honor
or forget as his parents now wished he would do? What about tradition?
What about his duty as the oldest son? Was he just a coward? Did
he really know what he should decide? Maybe it was not a question
of determination after all. Dr. Kimm chose to postpone any decision
for four more years until he graduated from college.
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