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Grand Master Kim

Born in Seoul, Korea, Grand Master Kim was a child prodigy of martial arts performing in front of cheering crowds by the age of 5. After moving to the U.S., he trained at one of the first TaeKwonDo studios in Los Angeles. Noting his talent, he was made a head instructor in his mid-teens. For years, he taught many of those who would become leaders of teaching martial arts in the U.S. He later became the first U.S. citizen to capture the much coveted gold medal at the World Games for TaeKwonDo. After retiring from competition, he went on to coach state and nation wide competitors.

During his thirty years of training, Master Kim has been influential in shaping how TaeKwonDo is practiced in Los Angeles and throughout the U.S. Deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy, Master Kim is a compassionate and patient teacher whose students range from professional athletes to those using the training to recovering from suffering devastating disabilities. Always innovating, he broke away from traditional TaeKwonDo forms (synchronized series of movements that display the practitioner's level of expected expertise) to create his own forms. Always influenced by the beauty of other arts, the forms encompass T'ai Chi, KiGon and Kung Fu movements in addition to TaeKwonDo moves. The forms have drawn much praise including a national form champion.