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Dr. Kimm took the entrance examination to Maritime College of
the National University of Pusan. This was a special school that
produced many seamen and Navy and Marine Corps officers. Because
the school was located two hundred miles south of Seoul in Pusan,
Dr. Kimm had to relocate when he was accepted.
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Park Hyun-ja and Kimm He-Young's first meeting; October
10, 1957
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After arriving in Pusan, Dr. Kimm decided to continue his training
in martial arts. With the recommendation from Grandmaster Song,
He visited Grandmaster Yoon Yong-jo who had a Han Kuk Jong Hap
Che Yuk Kwan (Korea Gym where various martial arts and sports
are taught such as Yudo, Hapkido, Kum Do, Kong Soo Do, boxing
wrestling, and weight lifting). The styles taught by Grandmaster
Yoon were a much harder style than those taught by his high school
teacher. Both masters had completely different philosophies. In
Seoul, Grandmaster Song emphasized evasion of a punch or throw
and the counter-attack. Grandmaster Yoon, in Pusan, emphasized
the direct block against the throw and punch and then counter
attack. Another analogy is when you are walking along the street
and you see a gangster coming toward you, Grandmaster Song would
avoid conflict by turning sideways and allowing the gangster to
pass. Grandmaster Yoon, on the other hand, would continue to walk
and if the gangster gave him any trouble, he would strike back.
The contrasting philosophies of the two master became a guideline
for Dr. Kimm's life. For him, depending on the circumstances,
Dr. Kimm would sometimes use the evasive tactic and other times
the direct confrontation. These tactics have been very successful
for him in his life.
Grandmaster Yoon, knowing that study of only one martial art
was dangerous to personality development, encouraged Dr. Kimm
to learn at least three martial arts, one as a major area of study
and the others as minor areas of study. Dr. Kimm remembers Grandmaster
Yoon saying that insistence of superiority of one martial art
not only makes one egotistical, which in turn gives one an isolating
position among other martial artist, but it also could hinder
any future potential and ability to learn others.
In martial arts practice, Dr. Kimm devoted himself to the study
of Yudo, Hapkido, and Kong Soo Do. Dr. Kimm recalled that the
training methods were all very different and all were impressive.
Kong Soo do was taught by a Yun Moo Kwan 3rd degree Black Belt.
This style emphasized Pyung An Hyungs which were originally taught
to Dr. Kimm by Lee Jung-sung in high school. Dr. Kimm was also
given the opportunity to learn Chul Ki and Ship Soo forms. The
Hapkido style Dr. Kimm learned was called Ja Min Ryu Hapkido.
It emphasized techniques using the fists and lower kicks more
than palm striking and higher kicking techniques.
During Dr. Kimm's college years he visited Seoul once each month.
The main reason for these visits was to see Park Hyun-ja who later
became his wife. She was attending Ewa Women's University. The
university was established by American missionaries and was considered
the best women's university in Korea. They were introduced on
October 10, 1958 by Park Lee-hyun. Their fathers were business
partners. Finally, after seven years of courtship, Dr. Kimm and
Park Hyun-ja married in Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Kimm's trips from Pusan to Seoul would begin with a train
ride on Friday at 10:00 pm, arriving the next morning. While there,
Dr. Kimm also visited an old friend and trained martial arts.
Park Hyun-ja's father owned a large store, called "Young
Kwang Ji Up." The store was located on Jong Ro Street, which
is like Broadway in New York City and is considered a main street
in Seoul. The store faced the Jong Myo which is a Shrine of Kings
from the Lee Kingdom. The Shin Mu Kwan Hapkido school was located
on the floor above the store. Kim Moo-ung ran the school and was
assisted by Won Kwang-wha. Kim was as student of Choi Young-sool
and a classmate of Ji Han-jae. He had stayed with Ji Han-jae for
eight months prior to opening a school in Seoul. Dr. Kimm visited
the school and began to learn Hapkido from Won Kwang-wha in 1962.
Grandmaster Won was a strong man and previously served as a bodyguard
for Suh Dong-jin when he was a member of the National Assembly.
Grandmaster Won had learned martial arts from Choi Young-sool
and Suh Bob-sub. The main emphasis of Grandmaster Won's Hapkido
was strong kicking techniques. Later, Grandmaster Won moved to
Sam Sun Kyo District in Seoul and opened his own school that he
called Moo Sul Kwon. Dr. Kimm's friend, Park Lee-hyun, trained
in Hapkido diligently under him. Grandmaster Won's death at the
early age of fifty was a very sad event. His early death was said
to be caused by high blood pressure complicated by his drinking
of alcohol.
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