About
Master Kim
- 5th degree black belt, certified by the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (the world headquarters) in Seoul, Korea
- Schooled in Tae Kwon Do in Korea for over 20 years
- Tae Kwon Do Korean Military Trainer for the President’s Capital Defense Division
- Owner, master and instructor of a successful Tae Kwon Do studio in southern California for 7 years before opening his studio in Redding in 2006
- Loves living in the northstate and fly fishing!
What is Tae Kwon Do
At its heart, Tae Kwon Do is an art of empty-handed, self-defense techniques that were developed in Korea over the last 2,000 years. “Tae” means foot technique, “Kwon” means hand techniques, and “Do” means discipline or way.
The 20th century – Under oppression of Japan, Koreans were forbidden to practice any martial arts. The Korean people used this martial art of unarmed defense against enemy attacks in secret and passed it along until Korea was liberated in 1945. Korean Masters adopted the name “Tae Kwon Do” in 1955. Since then, they have taken their art around the world.
Today – Tae Kwon Do is a dynamic form of unarmed self-defense, employing a variety of kicks, hand strikes and blocks. It is also an art, a science, and a sport. Modern Tae Kwon Do has both a traditional self-defense aspect and a modern sport aspect. Under the guidance of the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (founded 1974), Tae Kwon Do was introduced as an Olympic sport (1988 in Seoul, Korea and 1992 in Barcelona, Spain). It became a full medal sport at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
How does Tae Kwon Do differ from other martial arts
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art that largely relies on kicking, proper distance and timing and is an Olympic sport. Judo emphasizes holds and throws. Ju Jitsu is more about grappling. Kenpo Karate is a self-defense art that focuses on short distances striking.
In Taekwondo, the student is often working on high, fast and powerful kicks, while maintaining proper balance and distance (By the way, anyone who can kick high can kick low). Our training also emphasizes flexibility, coordination and cardiovascular stamina. Of course, this is always done with safety as our primary concern.
Could Tae Kwon Do really be used in a self-defense situation
If situation ever came up that called for self-defense, YES. Tae Kwon Do is very efficient and powerful. The effectiveness, of course, will depend on the level of training. In this martial art and sport, we have the opportunity to practice in a contact environment, which helps students get comfortable with the techniques, timing, distancing, aggression and their own abilities in a safe format.