Mark Ramm

Age: 35

Club: Auchenflower (Brisbane)

Rank: Red 1

I started training again, September 2009 with a Taekwondo school which was local to me, and as I wanted to do “something” for myself and to take pride in again.

Whilst it was a form of Taekwondo it wasn’t Hwarangdo. It wasn’t the same level of intensity or focus I had remembered when I started my TKD experience under Master Kim back at Mt Pritchard (NSW), when I was an early teenager (1986) – yeah I know do the maths LOL.

When I started in 1986, my twin and I enjoyed our training sessions greatly and rose quickly to Blue 1, where we stayed for several years. Not for the lack of not wanting to grade; however my brother and I may have been influenced by this conversation:-

Mr Miyagi to Daniel

Daniel: Hey, what kind of belt do you have?
Miyagi: Canvas. JC Penney, $3.98. You like?
Daniel: [laughs] No, I meant…
Miyagi: In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants.
[laughs; then, seriously]
Miyagi: Daniel-san…
[taps his head]
Miyagi: Karate here.
[taps his heart]
Miyagi: Karate here.
[points to his belt]
Miyagi: Karate never here. Understand?

The above conversation I realised would resonate within me many years later.

In short we (my twin and I) had some time away from training and after a year or two, we decided to go back to Mt Pritchard’s auditorium in 1990. With much trepidation in our hearts, we walked through the doors. No sooner had we past the threshold, my brother and I heard Master Kim yell:

“Boy, come here....”  Making our way quickly to where Master Kim was standing he continued – “Why you no train?”

My brother and I looked more like goldfish than anything else; we managed to say something like “we would like to train again....”

Where Master Kim paused and said, “over there,.... 50 push-ups”.


They were the best feeling 50 push-ups my brother and I had ever experienced – because that meant we could train again.

We went to the next grading and we both double graded to Blue 3 where we finished up again not long after – life throws us some curve balls in our lives.

It was 17 years later (October 2009) after training with a local TKD school for several weeks – I found that I was still missing an element of something and felt disheartened about my past decisions to stop training with Master Kim so many years ago. So I decided to use the internet and do a search for Hwarangdo and Master Kim. What I found took my breath away. The www.hwarangdo.com.au website flared to life on my laptop and I immersed myself there for several hours.

I felt an immense sense of pride and was now in awe of Master Kim’s achievements; as I never knew his past as detailed as it was. It wasn’t until after viewing the media gallery that I saw the “Locations” button and I hoped against hope that there was a location near me now in Brisbane.

I saw a suburb listed as Auchenflower (10 mins up the road from work) and I knew within that instant, that I would be training there that week.

I was greeted by David Thew (the instructor taking that class) and he warmly allowed me to commence the class. It was EXACTLY what I wanted. Memories came flooding back to me. It was like training so many years ago. I felt something deep within me spark and come to life.

I then met Master Lionel Graham (Qld Head Instructor) a couple of lessons later and explained what my intentions were and that I had studied with Master Kim in Sydney. I mentioned that I left on Blue 3 and with the up and coming grading at the end of the year (3 months away) I would like to grade for that level if it was available to me. With a smile he said “We’ll see...”

I received great support and encouragement from the Master Lionel and the instructors. I became inspired to excel in my training – I WANTED MY BELT BACK.


The night before the grading I had a terrible sleep. I was anxious, excited and nervous all at the same time. For I knew deep down that not only did I have to perform to grade well – I knew I would meet Master Kim again, thinking how many Push Ups I would be doing when he saw me.

On the night I was in full uniform and donning a White Belt, I saw Master Kim enter with Master Lionel and head to the stage area. With my heart pounding in my chest and feeling every bit like that teenager back in 1990, I walked slowly amongst the other stretching students towards where he was seated. Within a second Master Kim saw me, with a look of genuine surprise he instantly smiled and greeted me warmly – maybe I wouldn’t need to do push ups again after all. I was in awe and humbled by him remembering me – he never forgets a face.

With Master Kim and Master Lionel looking on I pushed myself to perform.

I was graded beyond my expectations, as I was presented with a Red 1 not long after grading. I was doubly humbled when Master Lionel and the other instructors (David Thew and Chris Graham) commented that I deserved my belt, that I had trained hard for it.

Beyond my wildest dreams I never thought I would be doing TKD again let alone Hwarangdo, and be a Red 1 – I called my twin and I am sowing the seed for him to start training soon as well – love to spar him again LOL.

I am now assisting in instruction to the Cleveland class (under Master Lionel) which is made up with an exceptional bunch of kids (aged 5-8 years old), also my daughter (6 yrs old) is taking the class which I am immensely proud of. As we instil strong foundations within them, not only as a Hwarangdo student but for life.


So I would like to say my HwarangdoSTARS are firstly, Master Kim for persisting with his dream of Hwarangdo Australia, and secondly for training and mentoring some of the best black belts in the country with whom some are my instructors - Master Lionel & Instructors Chris Graham and David Thew. You have given to me a sense of pride I thought I would never know as a Student again, as a Man or as a Father. I have now realised that doing martial arts is as Mr Miyagi said – it’s in your head and your heart if you allow it - not in your belt.

I encourage the young, the old and everyone in between to consider making Hwarangdo a part of their lives. The principles, teachings and most importantly the instructors under Grand Master Kim (now a 9th Dan Black Belt) embodies life's elements that allow true development of the individuals' physical, mental and spiritual limitations that we as a person may have imposed upon ourselves.