Last Monday I met briefly with Grand Master Tong Mun Kim, of T.M. Kim’s Tang Soo Do Karate School, and asked his permission to watch class last night. Normally, I would have called well ahead of time before I left for Atlanta, but I did not expect to be able to visit any schools while on this trip. I turns out that Master Kim’s school is across the street from the hotel where I am staying. Once I saw the school, I introduced myself to Master Kim.

Last night I came and watched an evening class and talked briefly with a few students at the school. Master Kim told me Monday that his school is very traditional. Watching class and talking with the students, I would agree the school is traditional compared to most schools. In many respects his school is similar to mine in quality and teaching. The differences are mostly in the audience and technique.

The school I attend, DMW Martial Arts, is located in a dense community with a large population of children. The classes bear that in mind and incorporate some drills disguised as games. The differences in technique are largely style of the art; Tae Kwon Do vs. Tang Soo Do. We want the kids to sweat, smile and learn.

I enjoyed watching the class, noting the differences in style and technique. At the very least I have increased my viewpoint. Just the 90 minutes watching Master Kim’s classes gave me new variations to try in my own practice of the martial arts. I have watched other schools and walked away with much less. Thank you, Master Kim, for the opportunity to watch your class.