Grand Master Ik Sung Kim

Grand Master Ik Sung Kim is a dedicated lifetime martial artist who prides himself on the never-ending pursuit of the unification of the mind, body and spirit. His commitment to the martial arts began at the age of five, when he commenced his training in Tae Kwon Do. He studied Tae Kwon Do diligently before also pursuing the paths of Hapkido and Kumdo. During these early years, you could often find Grand Master Kim leaving his Tae Kwon Do dojang only to walk several miles for classes at his Hapkido school.

As a certified 7th Dan (Degree) Black Belt with the World Tae Kwon Do Federation, the world’s largest and most prestigious martial arts organization, Grand Master Kim enjoys sharing his extensive experience with martial artists of all backgrounds. He has been teaching in the United States for over 20 years, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, including Grand Championships from the U.S. Metropolitan Open. With more than 40 years of experience in Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Kumdo (Washington State Team Head Coach & Official US Open Championship Referee), Grand Master Kim is proficient in teaching all ages and levels of experience from beginners to black belts.

Before coming to the United States, Grand Master Kim taught Tae Kwon Do to the military in his native Korea. During his tenure, his unit was the recipient of many awards and commendations, including countless championship wins.

In the mid 1980's, Grand Master Kim brought the Korean sword art of Kumdo to NY State. Since that time, he worked tirelessly to introduce the art of Kumdo to the North East before relocating to the Seattle area of Washington. In 2005, Grand Master Kim opened the first Kumdo school in the Pacific Northwest, Baik San Kumdo Academy. Today, in addition to his martial arts practice, Grand Master Kim furthers his pursuit of a healthy balanced lifestyle by studying Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture.