Sensei Yong Min Kim was born and raised in a rural community in the southern part of South Korea (The Land of  Morning Calm).  Sensei Yong Min came to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1975 at the age of 13. He was 4’9” and 95 pounds at that time. Almost all the bullies in the middle school were big and ugly. They like to pick on small kids like Sensei Yong Min. However, him being an oriental, they thought he knew how to fight, so they left him alone. He decided to take some type of self defense before they caught on that he didn’t know how to fight. Tae Kwon Do was the only choice, because that being Korean National Sports.

Sensei Yong Min Kim started taking Tae Kwon Do late 1975 and did it for about two years. He started in the junior class 3 days per week / 1 hour each day. After a few months he went 4 or 5 times per week and stayed for adults class as well. Sensei Kim moved up the rank very quickly and received a red belt which is equivalent to brown belt in Butokukan. But after receiving red belt, he lost interest in continuing the practice due to lack of supervision from the instructor and also due to his desire to play soccer for local club.

In 1979, Sensei Yong Min moved Galesburg, Michigan to finish high school. That was eye opening experience. He was only non white person in the entire school. His interest in martial art was rekindled after watching demonstration at the school put on by out of town karate club, but didn’t pursue due in part by the distance to the nearest karate school and also was involved in soccer and work.

In 1981, Sensei Yong Min went to Holland, Michigan to attend Hope College. There he found out that Tae Kwon Do class run by Mr. Dan Davis (3rd degree black belt) of Western Michigan Tae Kwon Association, was offered as part of the Physical Education Curriculum. He attended the class 2 times a week for 2 semesters and went to different studio within WMTKA. Mr. Davis decided to retest him for red belt in front of WMTKA members. In April 22, 1982, Sensei Yong Min went through the testing process and after the test was done, they decided to upgrade him to the black belt rank, even though he didn’t think he deserved the rank.  Mr. Davis presented him his old black belt, a bottle of champaign and a certificate of rank signed by all the attending black belts including Master Monte Begthol (head of the WMTKA), Mr. Joseph Saladin (4th Degree), Donna Scholtz (4th Degree), Mr. Phil Dunaback (4th Degree), Mr. Dan Davis (3rd Degree), and Mr. Greg Guidry (1st Degree) & Mrs. Gina Guidry (1st Degree).

Around 1983, he met a remarkable individual named Frank Thomas, who taught Shotokan Karate around Muskegon, Michigan. The remarkable thing about Mr. Thomas is that he has Cerebral Palsy, which limits the use of body parts. He has full usage of one arm and very limited usage of legs and other arm. However, his knowledge and dedication to teaching far exceeds most of martial artist that he have come in contact with. Sensei Yong Min visited his dojo whenever he could find the time. Mr. Thomas helped him with fundamental basics of karate, which he thought he had pretty good understanding of at the time.

In 1986, Sensei Yong Min left Michigan and moved to Portland, Oregon and to San Diego, California in 1989 and to Bremerton, Washington in 1990.

In 1991, while attending Olympic College Sensei Yong Min signed up for Self Defense class which taught by Sensei Dave Campana (Butokukan Karate).

In June, 1992, with direction from Sensei Dave Campana, Sensei Yong Min joined the Butokukan Karate School under Sensei Margaret McGregor as white belt. Sensei Yong Min attended Bremerton Dojo on Mondays and Wednesdays and visited Silverdale Dojo on Tuesdays and Thursdays and sometimes Saturdays where Sensei Randy Hunt picked on him all the time.

In July, 1992, Sensei Yong Min tested for Orange Belt (Jukyu) under Sensei McGregor but received Purple Belt (Hachikyu) instead. Then he received Green Belt (Rokyu) in January, 1993 and Brown Belt (Nikyu) in September 1993 under Sensei George Hartman.

Sensei Yong Min was fortunate enough to meet and study under Senseis Randy Hunt and Bill Olson. Sensei Hunt helped him further with fundamental basics of karate. Sensei Hunt picked on every little details of Sensei Yong Min’s form to make him better, where others would not notice. Beginning of 1994 Sensei Yong Min got together with Sensei Hunt and Sensei Bill Olson on every Monday morning at the Bremerton Dojo. With them, Sensei Yong Min got to learn ideas and techniques coming from two different directions and arriving at the same point. Their ideas and techniques helped him in tournaments and in class situations.

Sensei Yong Min Kim became 14th Shodan under Sensei Randy Hunt on December 10, 1994.

Sensei Yong Min entered his first tournament, Sensei Harry Chalarambus’ Canadian Open, in July 1992, two days after receiving Purple Belt. He took 1st in kata and 3rd in sparring. Not bad for a first timer. He has entered many tournaments , local, regional and national level. Sensei Yong Min’s attitude at the tournament is that he will have fun whatever the outcome is. Sensei Yong Min enjoys going to tournaments because he get to go places he might not otherwise go and gets to meet people from different styles and learn by watching the best of the tournament circuit.

Sensei Yong Min had a good fortune of winning several Grand Champion  in Kata as under black belt and as black belt.  At the 1995 Seattle Open and 1999 Bremerton Open Sensei Yong Min won both Black Belt Kata & Kumite Grand Champion. However, he feel most proud of attending the 1994 AAU/USA National Karate Championship held in Chicago, IL in July. Sensei Yong Min, Brown Belt at the time, entered Black Belt division and had to go through district and regional qualifying tournaments held in Seattle, WA, in April, 1994. Top Karatekas from all around the United States came to compete. Sensei Yong Min did not expect to do good in any divisions entered due to high caliber competitors. He went there to experience what is it to be in the top level of competition. However, Sensei Yong Min put out 110% and  brought home Gold medal for Black Belt Weapons and Silver medal for Black Belt Kumite. He went to the tournament as unknown and beat the six time AAU National Champion from Hawaii.

In January, 2001, Sensei Yong Min started a Butokukan Karate for Kids program at Bremerton Dojo and Silverdale Dojo. However, due to family obligations, he decided to move to Pennsylvania for couple a years. He handed over the Kids class in August, 2001 to Sensei Sandy Ramsey at Silverdale and Sensei Dave Campana at the Bremerton.