Greetings! 

 

             As the newly elected president of the Kouksundo Federation I want to welcome all people who want to improve their well-being through the practice of Kouksundo.  My intention is to make Kouksundo accessible to people all over the world.  Kouksundo practice can be a powerful force to make the world a better place. 

 

             In 1967, Chung-San(Blue Mountain) reintroduced Kouksundo into Korean society and culture.  For more than a thousand years, it had been practiced exclusively in the mountains.  Before returning to mountain life, Chung-San firmly established Kouksundo practice in Korea’s cities and towns.  Since his return to mountain life in 1984, 12 of his direct disciples(Boup Sa Nim) have worked very hard to carry on his teaching. 

 

 

             Kouksundo is the most precious thing that Korea has to give to the world.  I will work hard to spread Kouksundo to every part of the globe.  In 1979, I moved to the United States and established Kouksundo[Sundo] centers throughout North America.  In addition to North America, I will continue my work in the whole of Europe, Russia, and South Asia.  

 

             In addition to establishing Kouksundo centers in foreign countries, I also envision the expansion of Kouksundo into the field of education.  I have a program at Hanseo University in which students can earn a Master’s degree in Sundo.  The program at Hanseo teaches both the theoretical and a practical essence of Kouksundo.  Hopefully, in the future, some of these students will take Kouksundo to other parts of the world.  I also think that Kouksundo needs to be introduced into elementary and secondary schools and I will look into how this might be accomplished.  Even young children are subject to the stresses of our modern world and Kouksundo can teach them to be resilient when they have problems. 

 

             My second goal is to develop a publicity and educational program that will give people a better understanding of Kouksundo.  Of course, the best way to understand Kouksundo is through a proper practice.  However, there are many potential practitioners who don’t have a clear picture of Kouksundo and may not be sure they want to try it.  I view Kouksundo practice as the essence of life and a deep source of personal well-being.  If people clearly understand well-being then I think they will want to practice. 

 

             Positive Psychology, which evolved out of Humanistic Psychology, is a new field in Western Psychology.  There is a lot of research taking place on the concept of “well-being”.  Well-being reflects the overall state of a person’s life.  According to Positive Psychology, a person in a state of well-being has positive emotions, meaning, accomplishment, positive relationships, self-acceptance, and personal growth in his or her life.  The practice of Kouksundo develops all these personality characteristics.  If people can understand this, then they will be drawn to the practice of Kouksundo. 

 

             In conclusion, I ask all the dedicated Masters(Boup Sa Nims) in Korea to join together and continue to find ways to carry out Chung-San’s dream of giving Kouksundo to the world.  We live in troubled times, but Kouksundo has the power to create harmony and build strength within all human beings.  

 

Thank you! 

 

Master/Professor Hyunmoon Kim, Ph.D