Today when I opened “Seven Steps to Inner Power” my eyes fell on this passage Dr. Kim wrote –

“He can do, She can do, why not me!”

“This is a saying I teach students who are studying the physical form of Jung Suwon. This saying has several meanings that apply equally to mental, spiritual, and physical power. First, on a physical level it means that physical strength and the knowledge of self-defense derived from physical Jung Suwon training are available to both men and women alike. No one is limited by gender..”

“Strength is one of the ideas expressed by your Silent Master Consciousness. It is part of your identity whether you are a man or a woman. Because strength is an idea, can the idea of strength be ‘stronger’ in a man than a woman? No. Ideas do not come in degrees of intensity. Ideas are just themselves and they are the same in the minds of both men and women.” Seven Steps to Inner power, Dr. Tae Yun Kim

When I started training, Dr. Kim’s statement, and personal motto, “He can do She can do Why Not me!”was very powerful for me. (And continues to be today too!) As a skinny, short little girl I never thought I could do any kind of ‘sport’. And so I didn’t. The most consistent activity I did as a kid was to turn the pages of a book. When I thought of the word ‘strength’ I only thought of physical strength, and didn’t think anything like ‘strength’ could ever apply to  me.

But Dr. Kim’s teaching and life story inspired (and continues to inspire) me that I too can express strength – physical, mental, and emotional – and that I can grow stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally too. And I have! Through training at Jung SuWon Martial Arts Academy, I’ve absolutely grown stronger internally and externally than I ever thought I could when I was that skinny little bookworm of a girl!

Thank you Dr. Tae Yun Kim for sharing your motto and wisdom with the world!

By Holly Chamberlain