Grandmaster Suk Jun Kim, 9th Dan
9th Degree Black Belt
President and Founder of Taekwon-do International
Founder of Instructors' Association
Founder of New York City Taekwondo Association
Former Member of Original I.T.F. Demo Team
Grandmaster Kim has over 40 years of experience teaching Taekwon-do. There are very few 9th degree black belts in the world and even fewer who still teach. Master Kim has always prided himself on being a devoted teacher who considers his students and their development as martial artists to be his primary concerns. Master Kim still teaches all level of students from beginners to his most advanced black belts. Unlike a gym or a health spa, S.J. Kim's Taekwondo is not run like a normal business. Master Kim considers his school to be a place of learning, and his method of teaching emphasizes the traditional values of discipline, practice, hard work and focus. His goal is to teach each of his students to reach his or her full potential and therefore expects his students to learn and practice with diligence and sincerity.
Master Kim began his own extensive training in Taekwon-do at a young age in Seoul, Korea. In addition to studying Taekwon-do, he also earned a degree in Civil Engineering and briefly skied professionally. If he had not decided to dedicate his energies exclusively to Taekwon-do, it is likely he would have followed his father's footsteps.
Master Kim's father, Dr. C.H. Kim, is a Professor of Coastal and Ocean Engineering at Texas A&M University and is one of the world's foremost scholars in the fields of Naval Architecture and Hydrodynamics. Professor Kim has written over 150 papers and is currently pioneering the study of Nonlinear Waves and their effects on Offshore Structures. Although he chose a different career path than his father, Master Kim has always modeled his own desire for perfection and mastery after Professor Kim's example.
I n 1974, Master Kim won the Masters Association Open Championships and the South Atlantic Open Championships in free fighting, and between 1975 and 1980, he performed annual Taekwon-do demonstrations in Madison Square Garden. In 1976, he opened a Taekwon-do school in Bergenfield, New Jersey. A turning point in his development as a martial artist also came in 1976 when he was selected by General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of the International Taekwondo Federation (the "ITF"), to become one of the original members of the ITF Demonstration Team.
As part of the ITF Demonstration Team, Master Kim spent the next 10 years traveling the world, visiting five continents and scores of nations. Demonstrating before international dignitaries and stadiums filled with people eager to see and learn Taekwon-do, Master Kim specialized in performing spectacular aerial kicks and powerful and precise patterns. In an effort to teach others, Master Kim also helped set up national Taekwon-do associations in several Latin American countries. As General Choi's student, he also taught seminars for black belt instructors all over the world.
Although Master Kim's experience and knowledge of Taekwon-do is still sought after both internationally and elsewhere in the United States, he has dedicated himself to teaching his own students in New York. As such, several of his former students now travel from other countries and other states in order to continue training with him. As a sign of a teacher's greatest reward, many of Master Kim's former students consistently call and write or visit the school to update him on their lives, to say hello and to thank him for teaching them.
In addition to teaching his students, Master Kim is currently a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at the University of Shaftesbury in England. His thesis will examine the history of Taekwon-do. At the same time, he is also writing a book on Taekwon-do, which will explain both the philosophical and technical aspects of Taekwon-do practice. Excerpts from both his thesis and his book will be reprinted periodically in the school's newsletters. By writing his thesis and his book, Master Kim hopes to become a better teacher and practitioner of Taekwon-do, and he hopes to impart to his students more of the knowledge and experience he has gained during 40 years of studying the way of Taekwon-do.
President and Founder of Taekwon-do International
Founder of Instructors' Association
Founder of New York City Taekwondo Association
Former Member of Original I.T.F. Demo Team
Grandmaster Kim has over 40 years of experience teaching Taekwon-do. There are very few 9th degree black belts in the world and even fewer who still teach. Master Kim has always prided himself on being a devoted teacher who considers his students and their development as martial artists to be his primary concerns. Master Kim still teaches all level of students from beginners to his most advanced black belts. Unlike a gym or a health spa, S.J. Kim's Taekwondo is not run like a normal business. Master Kim considers his school to be a place of learning, and his method of teaching emphasizes the traditional values of discipline, practice, hard work and focus. His goal is to teach each of his students to reach his or her full potential and therefore expects his students to learn and practice with diligence and sincerity.
Master Kim began his own extensive training in Taekwon-do at a young age in Seoul, Korea. In addition to studying Taekwon-do, he also earned a degree in Civil Engineering and briefly skied professionally. If he had not decided to dedicate his energies exclusively to Taekwon-do, it is likely he would have followed his father's footsteps.
Master Kim's father, Dr. C.H. Kim, is a Professor of Coastal and Ocean Engineering at Texas A&M University and is one of the world's foremost scholars in the fields of Naval Architecture and Hydrodynamics. Professor Kim has written over 150 papers and is currently pioneering the study of Nonlinear Waves and their effects on Offshore Structures. Although he chose a different career path than his father, Master Kim has always modeled his own desire for perfection and mastery after Professor Kim's example.
I n 1974, Master Kim won the Masters Association Open Championships and the South Atlantic Open Championships in free fighting, and between 1975 and 1980, he performed annual Taekwon-do demonstrations in Madison Square Garden. In 1976, he opened a Taekwon-do school in Bergenfield, New Jersey. A turning point in his development as a martial artist also came in 1976 when he was selected by General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of the International Taekwondo Federation (the "ITF"), to become one of the original members of the ITF Demonstration Team.
As part of the ITF Demonstration Team, Master Kim spent the next 10 years traveling the world, visiting five continents and scores of nations. Demonstrating before international dignitaries and stadiums filled with people eager to see and learn Taekwon-do, Master Kim specialized in performing spectacular aerial kicks and powerful and precise patterns. In an effort to teach others, Master Kim also helped set up national Taekwon-do associations in several Latin American countries. As General Choi's student, he also taught seminars for black belt instructors all over the world.
Although Master Kim's experience and knowledge of Taekwon-do is still sought after both internationally and elsewhere in the United States, he has dedicated himself to teaching his own students in New York. As such, several of his former students now travel from other countries and other states in order to continue training with him. As a sign of a teacher's greatest reward, many of Master Kim's former students consistently call and write or visit the school to update him on their lives, to say hello and to thank him for teaching them.
In addition to teaching his students, Master Kim is currently a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at the University of Shaftesbury in England. His thesis will examine the history of Taekwon-do. At the same time, he is also writing a book on Taekwon-do, which will explain both the philosophical and technical aspects of Taekwon-do practice. Excerpts from both his thesis and his book will be reprinted periodically in the school's newsletters. By writing his thesis and his book, Master Kim hopes to become a better teacher and practitioner of Taekwon-do, and he hopes to impart to his students more of the knowledge and experience he has gained during 40 years of studying the way of Taekwon-do.
Dear Taekwon-do Practitioners:
I am Kim Suk Jun and my teacher was General Choi Hong Hi. I spent the early years of my Taekwon-do life as a member of the International Taekwon-do Federation Demonstration Team. During that time I learned the technical insights of traditional martial arts, and for the past 30 years I have been trying to be faithful to my lineage by teaching my students that same Taekwon-do discipline and practice. I realized early on that not only is Taekwon-do my passion, but that the integrity of Taekwon-do as a martial art is based on the faithfulness and continuity with which instruction is passed from teacher to student, one generation after the next. It is with that in mind that I write this letter to welcome you to Taekwon-do International, an organization dedicated to maintaining the spirit of traditional Taekwon-do.
The principle objectives of Taekwon-do International are two-fold. First, the organization endeavors to always preserve the highest levels of Taekwon-do education and practice. To that end, Taekwon-do International is an institute of higher Taekwon-do learning and discourse for all its members. Second, because a soul cannot survive without a well-nourished body and a dedicated teacher cannot survive without an economically viable school, Taekwon-do International is also committed to helping its members prosper by providing master instructors with the guidance and tools to better market, manage and promote their schools. By focusing on the continuing education of master instructors and on the financial success of all member schools, Taekwon-do International hopes to cultivate the legacy of traditional Taekwon-do by enriching and preserving the way Taekwon-do is taught at all levels.
I have been contemplating the formation of Taekwon-do International for several years and in this 50th year anniversary of Taekwon-do's inception the need for an international union has never been more apparent. Both the I.T.F. and the World Taekwondo Federation have done great things in the past for the promotion of Taekwon-do by spreading it to hundreds of nations, fostering the creation of hundreds of thousands of dojangs worldwide and introducing Taekwon-do to the world stage via the Olympic Games. However, in recent years the I.T.F. has disintegrated since my teacher passed away; and the W.T.F. has succumbed to an identity crisis in Korea and abroad as its leaders changed and practitioners began seeking something beyond amateur sport Taekwon-do. And in the midst of this turmoil, countless master instructors from neighborhood and community dojangs are uncertain about the future of their international affiliations and the recognition promised to their black belts.
As a result, I am creating Taekwon-do International as a union of schools committed to upholding the standards of Taekwon-do as an international martial art. However, unlike other organizations, Taekwon-do International is not a governing body. Instead, each and every school will be a partner entitled to profit and grow with the organization. There will be regional vice presidents in charge of representing their constituent schools at international caucuses, but ultimately, each and every school will have the opportunity to participate fully in the union.
I hope you will join me in ushering in a new generation of Taekwon-do achievement, recognition and responsibility with Taekwon-do International.
Sincerely,
Suk Jun Kim, 9th Dan
I am Kim Suk Jun and my teacher was General Choi Hong Hi. I spent the early years of my Taekwon-do life as a member of the International Taekwon-do Federation Demonstration Team. During that time I learned the technical insights of traditional martial arts, and for the past 30 years I have been trying to be faithful to my lineage by teaching my students that same Taekwon-do discipline and practice. I realized early on that not only is Taekwon-do my passion, but that the integrity of Taekwon-do as a martial art is based on the faithfulness and continuity with which instruction is passed from teacher to student, one generation after the next. It is with that in mind that I write this letter to welcome you to Taekwon-do International, an organization dedicated to maintaining the spirit of traditional Taekwon-do.
The principle objectives of Taekwon-do International are two-fold. First, the organization endeavors to always preserve the highest levels of Taekwon-do education and practice. To that end, Taekwon-do International is an institute of higher Taekwon-do learning and discourse for all its members. Second, because a soul cannot survive without a well-nourished body and a dedicated teacher cannot survive without an economically viable school, Taekwon-do International is also committed to helping its members prosper by providing master instructors with the guidance and tools to better market, manage and promote their schools. By focusing on the continuing education of master instructors and on the financial success of all member schools, Taekwon-do International hopes to cultivate the legacy of traditional Taekwon-do by enriching and preserving the way Taekwon-do is taught at all levels.
I have been contemplating the formation of Taekwon-do International for several years and in this 50th year anniversary of Taekwon-do's inception the need for an international union has never been more apparent. Both the I.T.F. and the World Taekwondo Federation have done great things in the past for the promotion of Taekwon-do by spreading it to hundreds of nations, fostering the creation of hundreds of thousands of dojangs worldwide and introducing Taekwon-do to the world stage via the Olympic Games. However, in recent years the I.T.F. has disintegrated since my teacher passed away; and the W.T.F. has succumbed to an identity crisis in Korea and abroad as its leaders changed and practitioners began seeking something beyond amateur sport Taekwon-do. And in the midst of this turmoil, countless master instructors from neighborhood and community dojangs are uncertain about the future of their international affiliations and the recognition promised to their black belts.
As a result, I am creating Taekwon-do International as a union of schools committed to upholding the standards of Taekwon-do as an international martial art. However, unlike other organizations, Taekwon-do International is not a governing body. Instead, each and every school will be a partner entitled to profit and grow with the organization. There will be regional vice presidents in charge of representing their constituent schools at international caucuses, but ultimately, each and every school will have the opportunity to participate fully in the union.
I hope you will join me in ushering in a new generation of Taekwon-do achievement, recognition and responsibility with Taekwon-do International.
Sincerely,
Suk Jun Kim, 9th Dan
