Today we’d like to introduce you to Hanuk Kim.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hanuk. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began my Tae Kwon Do training as a young child and early on, I decided that I wanted to become a Tae Kwon Do Master. In order to achieve this goal, I continued my training throughout middle school, high school and then into college.
After graduating high school, I was accepted into the Tae Kwon Do Program at Yong-In University, the world’s leading martial arts college, located in South Korea. During my time there, I was a member of the Korean National Demonstration Team. As a member of the team, we traveled all around the world, performing in dozens of countries to share the Tae Kwon Do Spirit with other people. It is during this experience that I first visited America and I knew then that teaching in the United States was my dream.
In South Korea, service in the military is a requirement and when it was my time to serve, I was selected by the South Korean government to the Korean International Cooperation Agency, also known as KOICA. KOICA is a committee made up of specialists in various fields such as math and economics, languages, computers, science, and arts. This committee is then sent out to other developing countries in order to build positive relationships while assisting these countries in their socioeconomic growth. My committee was assigned to Laos and I served there for two years, teaching Tae Kwon Do and its life skills to the children and families of the community.
Once I had completed my tenure with KOICA, I went back to Yong-In University and graduated, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education with a major in Tae Kwon Do. Upon graduation, I was hired as a Program Director at one of the largest martial arts schools in America and was fortunate enough to teach there for five years. This invaluable time helped me in developing my skills as a Tae Kwon Do Master and provided me with the experience necessary to pursue my biggest dream of having my own school in the United States.
I knew that opening a school in the United States would not be easy but I was determined to find a community that would not only welcome me, an immigrant from another country, but that would also benefit from my martial arts experience. After an exhaustive search of over one year that took me all over the country, I was lucky enough to find The Woodlands, Texas and knew it would be my home. The diversity and friendliness of the people here made me feel comfortable in a way that I had not experienced anywhere else and I immediately packed my things and made the move.
I have been extremely fortunate in finding this amazing community. I was able to open Master H Kim’s Tae Kwon Do in July 2016 and the reception has been nothing but warm and welcoming. I am so lucky to have the support and encouragement of our students and families and I cannot wait to see what we can all accomplish together!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
While I am very lucky to be where I am today, I definitely have faced my share of obstacles. The biggest challenge I faced when beginning this journey was moving to a new country, halfway around the world from my family and friends. I didn’t speak English very well when I moved to America but luckily, the students and families I worked with were very patient and encouraging. While my English is far from perfect, I am happy to continue learning in order to develop both my use of the language and also my understanding of American culture.
In my search for a community I could live and teach in, location was my biggest challenge. When I began this process, I asked myself “Where do you want to live?” and this opened up an almost overwhelming amount of possibilities. This challenge became one of my biggest opportunities because I spent over a year traveling around the country and connecting with so many amazing people. I was able to see the mountains in Utah, the lakes in Michigan, the hills in Tennessee and I made so many incredible memories along the way that I will always cherish.
The biggest challenge I face now is constantly trying to figure out new ways to better myself and the martial arts experience I provide for my students. Families in this community have a lot of choices on who can teach their children and I take very seriously the responsibility I have to give my best effort in every class I teach. I always tell my students to “Enjoy your challenge!” and I live this same motto. Challenges are opportunities for learning and improvement and I will always be thankful for all of my experiences.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
At Master H Kim’s Tae Kwon Do, we specialize in building skills for life through martial arts. We offer classes for children ages four and older, along with teens, adults and families. I think what sets us apart from other martial arts schools in our area is our attention to detail along with our community outreach programs.
We strive to provide a personalized experience for every student. Every person has a different reason for training in martial arts and with that, every student has a different learning style and our goal is to provide the best quality instruction for each individual student instead of only focusing on the class as a whole. We believe this unique teaching method empowers students to be more independent with the goals they are looking to achieve while still gaining the social benefits of a more traditional team sport.
While I am thrilled with the positive and respectful learning environment in our school. The thing I am most proud of is our community outreach program. My home and the school were thankfully spared any damage during Hurricane Harvey but this inspired me to find a way to help those in need. Within just a couple weeks, we came together with students and families to put on a unique martial arts-inspired event that would raise funds for families that needed help. This fundraiser raised thousands of dollars and the accompanying donation drive brought in clothes, food and toys for those impacted by Harvey. The giving spirit of our students and families is the thing I am most proud of and seeing the way everyone came together has inspired me to continue reaching out to those in need. Tae Kwon Do is about life skills and I am proud to see our students incorporate their positive, never-give-up attitudes into their everyday life.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in a very small town in South Korea. I have one brother and one sister and we mostly played together since we didn’t have very many neighbors. As a kid, I, of course, enjoyed my Tae Kwon Do training but I also loved just being outside. Running, swimming, biking, camping – I loved it all! My parents would describe me as quiet but I also loved to joke around with my family and close friends and the same is true today. While I enjoy spending time with friends and family, I really love being outdoors and you can usually find me fishing when I have time off.
Pricing:
- Try it out with two weeks of classes for only $10 – Includes uniform!
Contact Info:
- Address: 24504 Kuykendahl Road, Suite 800
Tomball, Texas 77375 - Website: www.HoustonTKD.com
- Phone: (832) 559-8553
- Instagram: @MasterKimTKD
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HoustonTKD
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/master-h-kims-tae-kwon-do-tomball
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