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Dr. Kimm was not only a student in pursuit of a degree in Marine
Sciences, but also a Marine Corp Cadet with military training
in the afternoon. The commander of the 8th US Area Command and
Commander Kim Won-suk of the Korean Marine Training Corp agreed
that Dr. Kimm would be allowed to leave the drill area at 5:00
pm every afternoon. Dr. Kimm was required to teach Hapkido to
the 8th United States Army Pusan Area Command. He taught self-defense
to the US helicopter pilots and Military Police Officers from
6:00 to 8:00 and then from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. Dr. Kimm learned
to speak English from them. One of his students was Colonel Angle
Myers' son. Colonel Myers suggested that Dr. Kimm should go to
the United States to further his education and teach martial arts.
Since Colonel Myers had one time been stationed near St. Louis,
he was familiar with colleges in Missouri and Illinois. The colonel
wrote to Dr. Mark Skully, President of Southeast Missouri State
College (now University), explaining Dr. Kimm's desire to study
in the United Stated and teach martial arts. Dr. Skully wrote
a letter of invitation to Dr. Kimm stating that he would be hired
as an instructor of Physical Education and also allowed to take
courses toward a degree program.
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Kimm He-Young and his teacher, Grandmaster Yoon Yong-jo,
1962.
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Dr. Kimm was most impressed by Grandmaster Yoon's philosophy.
He now looks back and realizes that this philosophy alone probably
prompted an all important decision that had taunted him for such
a long time. During one class, Grandmaster Yoon drew a line approximately
five feet long. He then asked the class how the line could be
made shorter. After several unsatisfactory answers, he turned
to the board and drew a second line which was longer than the
first line. The line then looked shorter. This was like an awakening
for Dr. Kimm. It made so much sense to him and it was so easy
for him to relate this to his own situation with the Kwon brothers.
He then realized that it was better to improve and strengthen
one's own line that to cut an opponent's line. Instantly, Dr.
Kimm realized that his philosophy applied not only to the dojang,
but outside the dojang in everyday life.
Dr. Kimm matured during the four years of college. He read extensively
the biographies of different martial arts masters of Korea, Japan
and China. He also read about the lives of famous generals, politicians
and philosophers. Even more than that, he often visited Tong Do
and Bum Uh Sa temples and learned Zen from the masters. Dr. Kimm
learned that life is short and that there is always sadness and
suffering that cannot be avoided.
Upon graduation from college, Dr. Kimm did not want to take advantage
of personal friendship with Dr. Skully's invitation, so Dr. Kimm
took the required Korean National Examination in English, Korean
History and his major subject . These are used for selecting students
for overseas study. Only four hundred students are allowed to
study overseas each year. Dr. Kimm passed the examination and
Dr. Min Kwan-sik, who was the President of the East Gate Gym,
a member of the Senate, and later became Minister of Education
and Vice President of the Korean National Assembly, praised Dr.
Kimm's achievements in both martial arts and academic areas. Dr.
Min advised Dr. Kimm to learn as much as he could, to serve as
a cultural ambassador, and to spread Korean martial arts to those
who are interested in achieving a higher level.
After four years in Pusan, Dr. Kimm received a Bachelor of Science
Degree in Marine Science and was commissioned as a Marine Lieutenant.
With his degree came something much more significant: Dr. Kimm
began to realize that he had allowed the four Kwon brothers to
cloud his life. His original objective to train hard in order
to prepare for revenge suddenly reversed himself and he understood
that without the strong hatred they had kindled, he would have
never endured the training and would have never succeeded. He
had succeeded.
In 1963, before Dr. Kimm left Korea for the United States, he
visited the Kwon home and told them to forget the past for the
sake of the new generation. Dr. Kimm also promised that there
would be no hard feelings in the future. When Dr. Kimm offered
to help them with their sons' education, they did not say a word
to him. They just sat there and lowered their heads.
Dr. Kimm was invited
to become an instructor at Southeast Missouri College by Dr. Mark
Skully. He arrived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in November 1963.
His main teaching curriculum was martial arts. After teaching
for six years, Dr. Kimm invited Park Lee-hyun to take over his
position. Master Park was taller than Dr. Kimm and his specialty
was flying kicking techniques using big circular movements. Master
Park and Dr. Kimm performed many demonstrations at tournaments
throughout the United States. One of these tournaments they attended
was Bob Yenell's in St. Louis where Dr. Kimm met Bill Wallace,
the World Karate Champion. Mr. Wallace and Dr. Kimm became friends
during this meeting. At the tournament, Mater Park executed a
low spinning back kick at full speed. Dr. Kimm was supposed to
jump over the kick, but his timing was off and Mater Park kicked
the calf of Dr. Kimm's leg with his heel. This sent Dr. Kimm into
the air and he fell with a beautifully executed high back fall
on the hard floor of the basketball court. Dr. Kimm spent the
following two weeks in the library moving as little as possible.
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