Preface - Jung SuWon is more than a martial art

Jung SuWon is more than a martial art. It is not a sport. True, it includes a physical form, but my teaching goes far beyond hard martial art forms that are strictly of foot and fist. Jung SuWon includes spiritual principles and practices that can lay the foundation of your inner power and physical strength, and that can develop your whole being. Thus, its mental and spiritual aspects are not separate from its physical form, and never could be. This martial art is essentially the art of living life itself.  And this is what I consider to be the true “way” of the martial arts warrior -- not just overcoming in combat, but a complete overcoming in every aspect of our daily liv­ing.  When you learn this art, there will be no obstacle you cannot overcome.

It is from my experiences that I’ve proved this fact. Others said it was impossible when I, a woman, attained a black belt in my martial art. Then (more impossible) I, still a woman, became a female Master. And then (absolutely impossible!) I became a female Grandmaster. Well, so much for what is supposedly impossible.

      People may say of a journey that it’s long and they’ll not bother to start. Take one step on the longest journey and you’ve shortened it.

But journeys are not accomplished without a map. And it is for this reason that I’m writing this book.

The art of Jung SuWon never failed me in becoming one of the highest-ranked female martial artists in the world. It has not failed those I’ve taught. I’ve taught them to listen to an ever present Consciousness deep within, that I call the “Silent Master.”

Like the fabric of a tapestry, one thread will always lead to many others. I never found myself stopping with one achievement or another. If this person or that person can do something, why not me? If I fail, I’ll try again. And again. Has anything worthwhile ever been accomplished without effort? If something has never been done, why should that stop you? My life has been made up of accomplishments that many well-meaning people told me were impossible.

I’ve founded schools and spread my teaching wherever I’ve gone. The demand has been ever constant, and it is growing. Whether teaching corporate executive seminars or teaching students in one of my schools, I’ve found many people who share goals and needs that are not unique to me, but are universal to the desires of all people regardless of sex, race, or creed.

Learning Jung SuWon (uniting body, mind, and spirit) will bring incredible physical and mental power to your life. I offer you thisbook -- the map and guide of this art that has served me so well.

Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim  ( preface to Seven Steps to Inner Power )

Can Girls Learn Martial Arts?

Teaching martial arts to a child is not unusual; in fact, it is a common practice. However, when I asked my uncles to teach me, my desire was met with laughter. Being seven years old was not the obstacle. I had forgotten the obstacle that in my culture was insurmountable.  I had forgotten that I was a girl. 

Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim age 13

Girls did not learn the martial arts. I was told it is the place of women to learn to cook and sew. Why? Simply because for centuries it had always been that way. No, that was silly; they wouldn’t teach me. I should look forward to growing up, getting married, and having twelve sons. But, somehow, to me that didn’t make sense. The desire in my heart was constant, as was my persistent asking. Finally my uncles relented, confident that when I experienced the difficulty and bruises I would surely give up.

Every morning, every day, I practiced. The work was hard and the bruises were many. But, to my uncles’ surprise, I didn’t give up. To their further bewilderment, I progressed. 

As I grew in my martial art, the difficulties I encountered were enormous. Difficulty not in the art itself, but in the resistance I encountered from people’s belief that a woman couldn’t do it and, furthermore, shouldn’t be able to do it.  I had to wear slacks to hide the bruises so the other children wouldn’t laugh at me. My family was convinced there was surely something wrong with me. Proud of my accomplishments if I were a boy, they regarded me as one who had brought shame on them. Still, I felt I had to be true to something deeper within myself. I had a burning desire to be the best martial artist I could possibly be. But because my desire was controversial for oriental culture, I was simply dismissed as someone who was unbalanced.

However, a year later, at the age of eight, I discovered that not everyone thought I was crazy. A martial arts master recognized and acknowledged my desire by accepting me as his student. I was extremely fortunate, for this gifted master trained me in unusual and unique ways.

For many years I trained with him in the nearby mountains. here, I learned things that opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed. Year upon year passed as I began to understand the deeper teachings and secrets of martial arts that would eventually define what I now teach today.

by Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim - teacher, author, and master instructor

Other references:  Life Story, Sports-Squido, CEO, Workface, TKD Hall of Fame, The martial artist,  Woman’s Summit speaker, Martial Art Demos, Biography, Dojo Review, Achievements, Special Student blog, Celebration blog, Jung SuWon blog, Business Card, Pictures, Director, Recent Press Release, Amazon, Search, …