Master Kim

I always wondered what feeling must rule the soul of a man who leaves his country and almost all his life to go to distant foreign land and start his own Taekwondo school. How much must he miss all he left at home, how difficult it must be to adopt different people, culture, lifestyle. And to keep will strong enough not to go back after few serious failures, when life shows his teeth and reminds us that this is Earth and not heaven...

Master Kim left his home in Korea more than 10 years ago and went many timezones west to teach people what he knows best. He instructed many people and let them know The Way of Taekwondo helping his Master Shin in Austria; then moved to Slovenia in order to help national TKD team. Some time later he succeeded to open his own school in city of Ljubljana. Such an enterprise, in so small country where Taekwondo is still some "exotic" sport (or art) for people who lose their eyes (and money) staring daily at ball-based sports (namely soccer) emitted on TV, with a glass of beer.

He organized classes starting with rented gyms, later arranged his own in former hangar which he adopted together with few enthusiastic students some three years ago. And worked hard and professional to give his students the best.

He proved himself as the only "real" master of the art under this part of the sky, which, however, did not help him to stabilize income and push the school up; frankly, although I never ask him or talk to him about that, I think he is struggling a lot and like mentioned in previous post the school is probably going to be closed soon, unless a miracle happens. The miracle would be that people again discover how great Taekwondo master is teaching in their neighborhood, and how many benefits for their mind and body they could gain training under his leadership. Maybe that happens next month, later last evening Master Kim was quite optimistic.

What I can do to help? Like I do - tell everyone I know and wider about my Master and help him show the beauty of our art to people in the right way. This blog is for sure one good way. So I enclose some pictures of Master Kim performing at his best. Information about the school can be found at it's official homepage: Taekwondo Club Hankuk Sport Ljubljana.

Go on doing a good job, Master Kim! The rest will come. The better, or the change. To better, we believe. :)