Taekwon-Do International

I always hope that my students will eventually elevate their practice beyond the execution of the techniques I have tought them. Technique is important; however, it is just a baseline or starting point. I have been known to tell students to practice a certain technique 1,000 times a day. After a few months of this [...]

Congratulations to all of the champions on a day of excellent demonstrations and sportsmanship. The official list of results can be found on Grandmaster Kim’s school website. In regards to competition, Grandmaster Kim also posted the following on his website: It is important for students to compete, whether it is on a friendly inter-school level, [...]

Taekwon-Do and Me 4th Degree Black Belt Essay  By James Kelley Everyone’s journey through Taekwon-do – and life – is uniquely his or her own. I remember the day 11 years ago that I came to the school and met Grandmaster Kim. After sitting me down opposite his desk, his first question was, “Why do [...]

On October 16, 2009, the President of Taekwon-Do International, Grandmaster Suk Jun Kim, announced the promotion of Grandmaster Thomas W. Welsh to the rank of 9th Dan. “Grandmaster Welsh has dedicated much of his life to the true purpose of Taekwon-Do”, said Grandmaster Kim.  “His leadership and commitment to teaching the traditional values of Taekwon-Do [...]

Congratulations to the 5 students who earned a scholarship to SJ Kim’s Summer Camp at Camp Pontiac this August. The winning essays are posted here anonymously. Students were asked to submit an essay entitled “The Most Important Part of my Taekwondo Practice”. Click here to read the 5 essays.

Below are my notes from the summer camp hosted by Grandmaster Kim. I heard many people state “I need to write this down” over the course of the weekend. Indeed, that’s been my feeling many times. What each of us takes away from the weekend is obviously different. I thought that sharing my notes might jog the memories for some of the people who participated in my classes. I hope I’m not doing something improper by sharing this information. It is restricted to blackbelts of Taekwondo International. I’m very grateful for having had the experience and look forward to training with you again soon.

If you have Microsoft Excel on your computer, you might find this template handy. By simply changing the year in the top of the spreadsheet, all of the dates will adjust themselves. This template is a one page calendar for the entire year. Use different colors to document the days of the year when you [...]

As a martial artist you have to be aware that your practice does not end with class. First, you must take care of your body. You must be conscientious about everything you put into your body. In addition to what you eat and drink, you must make sure to never do anything that would dull [...]