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Oom Yung Doe (음양도) is a style of martial arts founded by John "Iron" Kim[1]. Controversy surrounds this organization due to continued accusations of being an unethical cult designed to funnel money to Kim[2][3][4][5] and because of serious legal entanglements that lead to the incarceration of Kim and several senior instructors in 1995.[6] Oom Yung Doe has alternatively been known as Kong Su, Chung Moo Quan, and Chung Moo Doe since Kim opened his first martial arts school in 1974. The organization currently includes twenty licensed schools across seven states in the U.S.[7]

Origins

Kim claims to be the 8th generation Grandmaster of the "Traditional Moo Doe" line of martial arts previously headed by an individual named Wang Po.[8]

Kim moved to the U.S. during the early 1970s and opened his first school of martial arts in 1974 in Westmont, IL under the name of "Kong Su." The name of the school would later changed to "Chung Moo Quan" in 1976, "Chung Moo Doe" in 1989, and finally to "Oom Yung Doe" in 1999. [1][9]

While "Chung Moo" (정무) means "correct martial," "Oom Yung" (음양) in Korean has the same meaning as yin-yang in Chinese and can refer to balance and harmony. "Doe" means "a way." The schools' preferred interpretation of "Oom Yung Doe" is "a way to develop harmony through practice."[10]

Biography of Kim

Kim was born in South Korea. Over the course of his career, Kim has also used the alternative aliases of Chull Kim, "Iron" Kim, Jack Park, and Charles Won-suk Kim at various times during his career.[11][12][13] Kim claims to have started training in martial arts at the age of seven under many qualified teachers, including an individual that Kim claims was the 7th generation Grandmaster of Yin Yang Doe named Wang Po. He also claims to have received his current position as the 8th generation Grandmaster of "Traditional Moo Doe" lineage through Wang Po.[14]

Those critical of Kim point to a lack of evidence for the existence of Wang Po, or any of the other "Traditional Moo Doe" Grandmasters prior to Kim, and thus question the validity of the Oom Yung Doe lineage.[12]

Kim was arrested on April 11, 1995 for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Internal Revenue Service of the United States out of millions of dollars.[6] Kim was incarcerated in a federal prison until his release on April 13, 2001.[15]

Kim's claims of achievement

Kim claims to have competed in and won the All Asia Championship in 1956 sponsored by Wang Po in the Cho Leung area of Pusan.[16] The existence of this tournament or claim has not been verified.

Another unverified achievement claimed by Kim is a technique he refers to as "Kyong Gong Sul Bope" (경공술법 or flying side kick). Kim claimed to have demonstrated Kyong Gong Sul Bope by jumping from the equivalent of an 11-story building. While in the U.S. in 1972, Kim claims to have again performed the Kyong Gong Sul Bope movement by jumping from the equivalent of an 8-story building and landing without injury on a sloped surface 8 stories below.

Pictures supposedly depicting these and other achievements may be found on the Oom Yung Doe web site.[17][18]

Critics of Kim assert that the the All Asia Championship never existed for Kim to participate in or win.[11] Furthermore, they accuse Kim of having falsified photographs purportedly documenting his claim of achievement[12] and promoting outlandish legends of his abilities.[5] An example of images that show signs of alteration are the differing versions of Kim ostensibly cutting an apple into four pieces as found on promotional flyers[19] as opposed to the image shown on the official web page of Oom Yung Doe. [20]

Training

Oom Yung Doe instructors claim that the style is derived largely from Chinese martial arts with influences from many other styles of East Asian martial arts. Training is often referred to as "Eight Martial Arts taught as One," [21] or "All Martial Arts United."[10] The three main qualities of "Traditional Moo Doe" training are reported as:

  • Moo Doe moral principles (Principles to follow a positive path in life)
  • Internal (Nae Gong) and external (Wae Gong) foundation development
  • Correct sequence with proper adjustment for body type [22]

Moo doe techniques and movements

Techniques are claimed to be of "East Asian" provenance.[23] The main forms practiced are "Iron" Kim style variations[24] of the following eight styles of martial arts:

While Oom Yung Doe movements share the name of several forms of martial arts, it is generally believed that while these forms are actually very different.[30][31][32]

Practitioners of Oom Yung Doe state that the objective of Moo Doe training is to build beneficial qi, awareness of the mind and body, and that training often attempts to mimic the movements of animals[26] or the elements of nature. Some of the movements or style alterations unique to Oom Yung Doe are also apparently drawn from fables or legends.[33] Videos of Oom Yung Doe practitioners in promotional materials or practicing are available for viewing online through video sharing web sites.[34][35][36]

Acupressure and herbal equipment

Oom Yung Doe training is described as combining specific movements with acupressure points and herbal equipment in order to help the practitioner quickly build skill and ability, flexibility, coordination, speed, and power.[37] Herbal equipment purportedly plays a key role in this quick development. Kim or other high level Oom Yung Doe practitioners claim to have access to specific Chinese classic herbal formulas, passed down for centuries by Traditional Moo Doe masters for the purpose of increasing chi and attaining tremendous strength. They propose that an increase of chi will allow practitioners to experience a balance in their internal and external conditions.[38]

Meditation and spirituality

Adherents to Moo Doe maintain that training in the proper techniques and principles is very important in order to allow the practitioner to attain inner peace, a high level of spirituality, and purity. One key form of Moo Doe meditation is called Nae Shim Gong.[39]

Potential benefits

More Magazine[40] and The Oprah Winfrey Show[41] have featured an Oom Yung Doe practitioner in her 60s on stories about what women in their midlife are doing to maintain their health and gain greater meaning out of life.

Criticism of training

Critics have argued that the true purpose of training is to charge exorbitant fees and build loyalty towards the schools while the similarities to other traditional martial arts are little more than superficial.[12] For example, critics point to supplemental seminars such as "Weeklong Seminars" or "International Sae Gae Moo Doe Seminars" that constitute an important part of training in Oom Yung Doe, necessary for rank advancement.[39][42] These seminars often cost hundreds or thousands of dollars in addition to the already considerable basic contract fees.[43][44][45][46][47]

Training with herbal equipment has been criticized because Oom Yung Doe, and its associated organizations, are the sole vendors of the approved proprietary herbal equipment[48] necessary for training. Examples of spin-off herbal equipment companies created to sell Oom Yung Doe herbal products are the now defunct "Renaissance" and "Orience" businesses as well as the still functional "Chi Herbal Formulas"[49] company, the "Chi Herbal"[50] company and the "Chi Herbal Care"[51] company. There have been allegations that under close examination that these "classical herbal formulas" containing "rare and unique Asian herbs" prove to only consist of simple, cheap components such as soybeans and black soybeans.[44]

Finally, while Oom Yung Doe instructors maintain that practicing Traditional Moo Doe in the prescribed manner permits the development of miraculous skill and ability far superior to those of practitioners of other styles of martial arts, [52] this is viewed with deep skepticism by many because neither instructors nor students of Oom Yung Doe engage in formal competition or training of any kind with practitioners of other forms of martial arts. In fact, the effectiveness and credibility of the Oom Yung Doe style and its senior members are often viewed as highly suspect by other members of the martial arts community.[53][54][55][56]

Controversies

The controversy surrounding this organization stems from the conviction and incarceration of the organization's leadership, including Kim and thirteen other individuals, for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. IRS,[6], the charging of fees in the vicinity of $10,000 per annum,[57][58][5] and accusations of fraudulent[2][3][4][5] and unethical business practices including pressuring students to pay exorbitant prices and providing second-rate training or services to students who do not pay supplemental fees for additional seminars or courses.[11][44][45][46][47]

The Freedom of Mind website maintains reports on this organization including statements from former members and a comprehensive list of media reports covering twenty years of this group's activities under its various front names.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b oomyungdoe-ne.com: Biography of "Iron" Kim
  2. ^ a b freedomofmind.com: Pam Zekman, 1989, WBBM-TV, Chicago: "Chung Moo Quan: The Cult & The Con"
  3. ^ a b youtube.com: Part 1 of the Pam Zekman "Chung Moo Quan: The Cult & The Con"
  4. ^ a b youtube.com: Part 2 of the Pam Zekman "Chung Moo Quan: The Cult & The Con"
  5. ^ a b c d rickross.com: Jennifer Vogel, City Pages (Minn/St. Paul), Apr. 1, 1992. "Be True to Your School: The Dark Side of the Moo."
  6. ^ a b c Tax fraud: See Federal tax case 95-CR-214-1 Filed 04/11/95 in the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago).
  7. ^ oomyungdoe.com: List of Oom Yung Doe licensed schools
  8. ^ oomyungdoe.com: History of Oom Yung Doe
  9. ^ A partial history of the formation of Oom Yung Doe
  10. ^ a b oomyungdoe.com: Explanation of Traditional Moo Doe First Edition October 2000, p. 7
  11. ^ a b c d freedomofmind.com: Chung Moo Doe Freedom of Mind website article.
  12. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference herdingmoo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Charles Won-suk Kim - the new John C. Kim?
  14. ^ oomyungdoe.com: An Explanation of Traditional Moo Doe
  15. ^ Federal Bereau of Prisons Record accessed June 2008
  16. ^ oomyungdoe.com: Biography of Kim
  17. ^ oomyungdoe.com: Achievements of Kim
  18. ^ oomyungdoe.com: Introduction to Traditional Moo Doe Video
  19. ^ oomyungdoe.com: The Discover the Power of You
  20. ^ oomyungdoe.com Image of Kim cutting an apple.
  21. ^ oomyungdoe.com: The Martial Art Styles Taught in Oom Yung Doe
  22. ^ oomyungdoe.com: International Seminars Over.
  23. ^ oomyungdoe.com:Official Oom Yung Doe web site (accessed 2008-5-13)
  24. ^ oomyungdoe.com: A concise explanation of material taught by Oom Yung Doe
  25. ^ YouTube: Oom Yung Doe Bagwa.
  26. ^ a b YouTube: Oom Yung Doe Tiger Form.
  27. ^ YouTube: Oom Yung Doe Tai Chi Chung.
  28. ^ YouTube: OYD Demonstration
  29. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS7DoqdL3RI YouTube:Oom Yung Doe Style Spear.]
  30. ^ A Kung Fu magazine forum discussing Oom Yung Doe.
  31. ^ A Bullshido Forum thread discussing Oom Yung Doe.
  32. ^ [http://www.oomyungdoe-ne.com/8-martial-arts-taught-as-one.htm The New England Oom Yung Doe website describes the styles taught.}
  33. ^ oomyungdoe.com: The Oom Yung Doe account of the legend of Bagua.
  34. ^ YouTube.com: video of forms.
  35. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dce5bS07pMI YouTube: Promotional Video 1
  36. ^ YouTube: Promotional Video 2
  37. ^ youtube.com: herbal training.
  38. ^ oomyungdoe.com: Oom Yung Doe and Herbal Training Equipment
  39. ^ a b oomyungdoe.com: The Oom Yung Doe page dedicated to the 2008 "Weeklong Seminar".
  40. ^ More Magazine July/August 2007 Issue p. 175
  41. ^ Ophrah Winfrey Show - The Age of Miracles: The New Midlife
  42. ^ oomyungdoe.com: The Oom Yung Doe page dedicated to "International Seminars".
  43. ^ Oom Yung Doe 2008 Weeklong Seminar Registration Form accessed August 2008
  44. ^ a b c king5.com: Chris Ingalls, Feb. 16, 2005 “Students take aim at martial arts school." (accessed 2008-6-16)
  45. ^ a b RipOff Report
  46. ^ a b Myth#1: Oom Yung Doe believes in traditional Eastern ways at thinkbeforeyoudrinksomethingpink.com
  47. ^ a b The cost of a black belt in Oom Yung Doe
  48. ^ oomyungdoe.com: The Oom Yung Doe on-lline store.
  49. ^ Chi Herbal Formulas
  50. ^ Chi Herbal
  51. ^ Chi Herbal Care
  52. ^ oomyungdoe.com: The Oom Yung Doe page dedicated to comparing "Traditional Moo Doe" training with "Fabricated movement."
  53. ^ A Kung Fu magazine forum discussing Oom Yung Doe.
  54. ^ A Fighting Arts thread discussing Oom Yung Doe.
  55. ^ A Martial Talk thread discussing Oom Yung Doe.
  56. ^ A Bullshido Forum thread discussing Oom Yung Doe.
  57. ^ Martial Daddy Lists
  58. ^ oomyungdoe.com: Adult Training - Oom Yung Doe - PNW

External links

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