What is S.M.S. Tae Kwon Do?

The SMS Tae Kwon Do School studies in the methods of the Ji Do Kwan. SMS stands for Sun Moon Stars.

In brief, Grand Master Kim believes in practicality and understanding the needs of the students and the environment within which they live.

Master Kim’s philosophy of the martial arts consists of fully appreciating both attacking and defense — both inflicting damage and avoiding it and healing the body. While the Ji Do Kwan included perhaps the most devastating group of fighters after its formation, the philosophy is still consistent in understanding both the Yin and the Yang, offense and defense in appropriate amounts.

The SMS Tae Kwon Do methodology is one where conditioning, speed and agility is paramount to mere raw power. A good martial artist with superior technique can easily wear down an opponent with lesser training. In addition, since most local students are seeking healthier bodies with minimal downtime and risk of injury (1) full contact sparring at the school requires a complete set of appropriate padding, and (2) Master Kim does not currently promote board breaking and other potentially dangerous techniques. The risks far outweigh the benefits and, more often than not, students are not truly able to put in the requisite amount of time and training necessary to consistently break boards without causing injury to themselves.