2012...Here I COME!

WOW! That would be the word I would use to describe my 2011. Not WOW because everything was awesome, but WOW because of the roller coaster ride it has been!!! I felt the highest of highs and most definitely the lowest of lows, but I am very blessed to say that I am still here fighting for my dreams and my goals. Today as I sit in my office and look at the mess that needs to be cleaned before buddy day, I truly appreciate my parents for teaching me the power of focus. I believe that the power of focus is an art that is passed down from generation to generation.

My Grandmother (moms side) was a successful, savy business owner in Korea. At her height, she owned a shopping plaza. My grand father (Dads side) was a doctor. Unfortunately for my grandmother she got into relationships with lazy leeching men who used her for her money while she worked all day . My grandfather had an amazing wife who was devoted to her family. Both my Grandmother and Grandfather taught my mom and dad what it meant to work hard and be dedicated. They were strict and from what they told me, my parents were put on a tight schedule.

Just to give you some back round on my parents...my dad was a ROK Marine Special Forces/Secret Service Division. Any military man would know the level of training the Korean Marines receive, can you imagine how they would train the country's ASSASSINS? My dad still gets recognized til this day by men who havent seen him for ages. There were only 20 chosen from the ROK Marines and in Korea, all males must serve in the military for a certain period of time. Being given the opportunity to try out for the Secret Service was like hitting the lotto. Then to actually make the squad...well lets just say you had to be willing to die to make the service.

My mom graduated from the best highschool in Seoul with high honors, and went on to study to become a doctor! My grandmother would tell me how there were nights where she would plead with my mom to put her books down and get some rest. Then my grandmother said to me..."What happened to you!" AHAHHAHAA LOL!

My dad left the mother land to because he heard about this great country called AMERICA! Where the streets were made of Gold, and opportunities were EVERYWHERE! He came to the country...and he saw EXACTLY THAT!!! He ended up in down town Los Angeles and shared a studio apartment with his sister. Now I know what you're thinking...."What do you mean he saw streets of Gold?" As he was walking around the rough neighborhood with drug addicts and homeless people asking for money, he saw that there were businesses being run by immigrants! There really was HOPE.

He got his first job at a gas station as the gas pump boy, worked very hard and never missed a day! The owner loved his work ethic so much he gave my dad the used tires to take home at night so he could sell them for some extra money. Imagine working all day and carrying 2 tires on each arm for 2 blocks to get home. But then again, he was a Secret Service member it was probably cake to him. In a couple of years he raised enough money to bring my mom and my sister to the country leaving him broke. My mom dropped out of medical school to be reunited with my dad and her professors tried their very best to convince her otherwise but my mom knew she was a hard worker and she could make it any where doing anything. So now the Kim family was reunited in America where the streets were made of Gold! My mom...lol...didnt speak the language and the first job she picks up is at a bank! It cracks me up thinking about my dad at a gas station and she lands a bank job but hey...they made a great team. In time, they saved enough to buy their first business which was a hamburger stand! They were only in their 20's and their dedication paid off! They went on to own several more businesses and continue to hustle today. Now that they are older they run a nice little dry cleaners in Carson and yes they are still the boss.

The history I gave you was the Disneyland version of the story. I didn't want to spend time writing about all the hard times they endured from being broke to almost going bankrupt on several occasions. But they did and what I learned from them was a mindset. Stay FOCUSED! Don't be a QUITTER! Don't GIVE UP! Be a Leader not a follower!

*My mom would always come into my room every morning before work, hold my feet and pray aloud "God let my son be at the top and lead, not be at the bottom and follow. Let his feet stand firm and never let him fall." She would cry as she prayed this...and when I was younger I would get so annoyed that she was waking me from my sleep. But these prayers impacted me in a very special way. I would always want to be team captain when I played anything from dodgeball to tether ball at school. In junior high and high school I always opted to be the lead of the group of friends I hung out with. I didn't realize it at the time, but my moms words every morning were shaping my thoughts and my perspective of who I was and who I should become. God was answering her prayers.

*My dad was the one who forced me to do things...like Taekwondo. He said to me I didnt have a choice when it came to Taekwondo until I got my Black Belt. He said I could move on to something new after I test for Black Belt because we (KIM FAMILY) are not quitters.

*My mom would always talk to me about my friends..lol and tell me not to be friends with certain kids. I would get so irritated when she would do that. But now being at my age I fully understand! There are a lot of shady people out there who talk the talk and are great at telling you what you want to hear. She was teaching me to be careful of the snakes. I know my snake radar is very sharp now and I am thankful I know one when I see one.

*My dad also kept me on a TIGHT schedule. School, TKD, Soccer, Tutor and private lessons. I didn't have too much free time to enjoy which I thought was very unfair. He used to always tell me "Son, when you have too much free time you will not be happy with yourself as an adult." "Yeah but I'm a kid!" So he made every effort to make sure I would have great weekends and we would ALWAYS go somewhere fun and exciting on holidays. But during the week, there was no missing practice or games!


*On certain winter mornings, my sick mom would come into my room and pray for me. She would then go out into the cold and work her 12 hour shift to make ends meet at the Kim family house hold. I never understood how she did it until I became a teenager and would help her on Friday and Saturday nights. Dayquil and coffee baby!!! She taught me the importance of showing up to work because if she wasnt going to show up then her competitor might take her customers. Lol, my suck it up recipe is Dayquil and Monster!


The power of FOCUS! I am quite proud of making Varsity Soccer as a freshman and winning several Taekwondo tournaments at the same time. When I was a sophomore my dad sat me down and gave me my first man to man talk. He acknowledged that I was great at both sports but he knew that it would be impossible for me to excel at either one because of the age I was at. How would I compete against Taekwondo players who trained six days a week compared to my 3 days per week? How would I compete for playing time in Soccer when I was practicing 3 times per week as opposed to the die hard 6 day a week players? My dad being a no BS cutthroat military man made it very easy for me to decide. "Son, you're too short for soccer. There are very large humans in the midwest who have played soccer their whole lives. You cant compete with them when you get to college, coaches wont play you. Taekwondo has weight classes. Doesnt matter how tall you are, your work with determine your results. That year I focused on Taekwondo and placed second at Nationals and was invited to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Now here I am today, 2011 is coming to an end and although it is not ending in the way I wish it were, thats life! Whether times are good or times are bad...I need to stay FOCUSED! Thank you Mom and Dad for teaching me the importance of having FOCUS at all times. Thank you for teaching me how to be a stick to it kind of man. 2012.....IM COMING AT YOU WITH A VENGEANCE.....THATS A PROMISE!!!

Special Uniform Packages

Pumpkin Contest

Halloween Carnival

November Calendar

October Calendat

Women's Self Defense

CAR WASH FUNDRAISER

Good evening PMAC Family!

Well, the year is quickly coming to an end and PMAC is set to break records once again. My core team members and I are so proud of what we have become in the last 6 years! From starting off in a little where house in Ontario with no lights and no paper towels, to having the largest Taekwondo Studio in the city (not including those huge MMA Gyms), and being the ONLY Martial Arts program working with the Rancho Cucamonga school district teaching Verbal Judo and Character enrichment we are blessed! More and more people, and schools are hearing about our program and reaching out to us to work with them. This year we will be in 3 schools and we have been asked by the principles to work with their students all year. My team and I are excited and we are expecting major growth this up coming year. With that being said I wanted to share a story with you.

About 5 years ago, my wife and I were blessed with gift cards to the Cheesecake Factory by thankful parents who knew we were struggling financially. Being business owners themselves they knew what we were going through...especially in our first year of business. They knew we did not have the money to dine at a restaurant of that level and they noticed how we had grown accustomed to Mc Donalds, In and Out and Jack in the Box. Now I don't know if you've ever been to Cheesecake Factory but I LOVED THE PLACE!!!! It had been a years since I last ate there, and I was SOOOO EXCITED that I finally had a chance to go back. The feeling of walking in and looking around at the amazing decor, being greeted by the friendly staff and eagerly waiting to eat their delicious food was so exciting for me. Something happened on this particular night that frustrated me. There was a couple who was complaining about how crowded and noisy the place was. Again, not commenting...but complaining about the number of people...the noise...and the wait time. Their complaints started to draw some negative attention to themselves! You could tell by the looks people were giving them. The ambiance, food and service...WELL WORTH THE WAIT!!! Was the restaurant perfect? No way...but it beats Mc Donalds on ANY given night!!! They got more stares as they became more and more vocal about how ridiculous the wait time was. It was a Saturday night, I was exhausted from a week of work..and I wanted to enjoy some quality downtime. If you've known me for more than 2 years...then I am sure my next move wouldn't surprise you. Quite frankly, I can't stand complainers...if you don't like where you are, then LEAVE! I use this principal EVERYTIME I go somewhere or get involved in something. So me being me...I looked over and asked them..."Have you ever been here before?" They replied yes! I proceeded with "Really?? What did you order??" They answered the Hibachi Steak! I said "Awesome! Thats exactly what I am going to order because you two have been sitting here crying for the last 30 minutes about how you are so unhappy with this place yet you wont leave!" My wife quickly gripped my arm and I gave her my "Dont interrupt me look." Then I gave him my "You're interrupting my peace look." They got the message and thankfully they stopped their complaining and our two parties were called like 15 seconds after this conversation. I REALLY ENDED UP ORDERING THE HIBACHI STEAK...AND MY GOODNESS, THEY WERE RIGHT!!!! IT WAS DEVINE AND I DONT ORDER ANYTHING BUT THE HIBACHI STEAK WHEN I GO TO CHEESECAKE!!! If you have never tried it...TRY IT!

This past year has been amazing for PMAC! We implemented so many new rules and guidelines to better the students who walk through our doors. Here are some of our praise reports:

*Students are helping neighbors throw out the trash so they can be awarded stripes of leadership!

*Students are bringing home better report cards so they can earn their pizza party!

*Students who were being bullied are no longer being bullied because they have lost weight, gained confidence and walk with confidence!

*Husbands are being great to their wives and vice versa!

*Men are quitting smoking to earn their white belts!

*Moms are talking on the cell phone less when they are around their children!

*Teens are developing a better attitude towards children so they can be recognized for it!

*PMAC students who have been diagnosed with ADHD are performing in an amazing way because we choose not to let that be a hinderance to their development!

*A BBC student who had a very difficult time with penmanship is now able to write well because of intense coordination training during the Black Belt Club Class!

*Overweight teenage students are now in shape are being targeted by potential dates and harassed on facebook about how HOT they look!

All in all I say we have a great product. Perfect? No way...but if you find yourself complaining about little things:

-The bathroom gets dirty (and it does because we have over 250 people come into the studio on a daily basis)
-Its crowded (and it is because so many students and parents enjoy our energetic classes compared to other studios)
-Black Stripes...not enough are given out. My child DESERVES to double test (You are right in your own eyes, but you know what? I've worked pretty darn hard and I will choose who I want to give the black stripes to whether you like it or not. Ive committed 26 years of my life to Taekwondo and I know most people I come in contact with cant commit to something for more than 1 year)

Then you need to find a studio who is more willing to tend to your needs. At that very moment the couple was complaining...there was a Jack in the Box that was empty and calling their names. I wish they went there instead of complaining about the restaurant I wanted to be at. I write this because my students love what my staff and I do for them and they make us aware of who is trying to destroy our family atmosphere.




Currently, my daughter is in a HORRIBLE music class where 1 child is disrupting the entire group because his parents allow him to act like a complete moron during my daughters class. So, instead of crying about the class I told my wife to get her into a new class! If the teacher isn't willing to put the parents in check then we can find a more solid teacher who is not afraid to tell a parent to calm their child down so that the GROUP could move forward. That way we wont sit there week after week talking about how things should change, instead we can celebrate over what she is learning because she is in a great class.

HOMEWORK OF THE MONTH: CREATING GOOD HABITS!

Good afternoon PMAC Family! As you are aware this months homework assignment for their gold stripe is "Creating Good Habits!" We are definitely excited to read about all the great accomplishments of your children and we look forward to handing out tons of Gold Stripes of Leadership. With that being said I wanted say or send a "KUDOS" to my amazing and dedicated staff members. Most do not know what they have to endure to keep their positions at PMAC. My senior staff members (Black Tops) are required to train with me through out the week before classes start. From lifting weights to training in Jiu Jitsu with me they are required to constantly be prepared for whatever I throw at them. My Lead instructors Kratzer and Jacob are given 20 minutes notice at times, and they drop everything they are doing to get to the studio to train with me so they can sharpen their skills to ensure that they are at THEIR best! PURE DEDICATION AT ITS FINEST!!! Our assistant instructors (Red Tops) are just as amazing as they are all required to come to a mandatory Friday training session so that they too can sharpen their skills to provide students of PMAC an awesome training session. Why did I choose Friday? Because I know Fridays are the hardest to give up. Its the end of the week, most people are in party mode and 90 percent of the world is ready to call it quits for the week. However, we as instructors of PMAC must live by a higher standard. We believe that we should ALWAYS be at our best, ready to learn and ready to train. We choose to turn off our AWESOMENESS mode when we sleep ;) I am so proud of my current group!

Winning...

Good evening PMAC!

To be honest, it felt GREAT being back at PMAC!!! Listening to the students recite the creed, looking at the smiles on the faces, and being able to teach my Black Belt Club how to kill a Lion...AWESOME DAY!

This month we will be focusing on the concept of "WINNING!" ...no not the Charlie Sheen version ;) As you know, Team Performance and I have returned from San Jose and I have to say that this has been the WORST year of cheating!!! By cheating I mean Black Belts are fighting as Red Belts, Red Belts are fighting as Blue Belts! I am proud to say that PMAC will never stoop so low to WIN. However...there were two schools from Rancho who were dumb enough to admit that they participated in this atrocity to manipulate their medal count...just so they could say they are home of National Champions. Don't take my word for it...I found out from my parents, who are friends with the parents of students at the other schools. At the end of the day those schools will continue to be the size of PMAC's bathrooms because THEY are not teaching Martial Arts. They are teaching that WINNING is more important than DIGNITY, PRIDE, MORALS and STANDARDS. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN LIFE!!! WORK HARD, PERSEVERE AND DONT CHEAT!!! Only then will long term success be a reality.

Not 1....BUT 2!!

PMAC FANS WE STRUCK GOLD FOR THE SECOND TIME TODAY!!! Kallie Anderson smashed her way through 3 fights and scored about 12 head shots in the process :) Kallie's final opponent had us WORRIED! She was quick and aggressive. She smashed her way to the finals as did Kallie and I knew there was only 1 way we were going to win this thing...INTIMIDATION. Kallie was given instruction to go straight in and kick her as hard as she could to her opponents head. The ref said "Go!" Kallie quickly moved in and BOOOOOOOOOOOM right to the side of her dome. From that point forward...her opponent had lost her will to fight. Kallie followed instructions and continued to drop bombs on her opponents head and won her fight by a score of 18 points! She skunked her FINALS opponent in just 2 rounds.

Jessica Rosales smashed on her first 2 opponents with multiple head shots as well! However, her semi-final fight was a VERY tough fight! Her opponent skunked her previous two opponents all by 2nd round, but Jessica took it to her and went made her fight all three rounds! Although she lost, she is ranked number 3 in the Nation and took out the states of Georgia and Kentucky before being eliminated.

Christian beat his 1st opponent in the Black Belt division and fell to his second opponent. Regardless, we should all be proud of him because he was supposed to be fighting in the Red Belt division this year but we decided to bump in up into the more difficult division for a better challenge and heighten his game for next year. Thats right PMAC Fans...TEAM PERFORMANCE WILL NEVER ASK OUR ATHLETES TO FIGHT IN A LOWER DIVISION SO WE CAN WIN...INSTEAD WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO FIGHT HARDER DIVISIONS BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT COMPETITION IS ALL ABOUT!

Matt a.k.a. Jet Li will be our last competitor! Have a great weekend PMAC FAMILY~

Day 1 .....Mission accomplished!

Alright PMAC fans here's the scoop!

Over 3100 Athletes and 500 Coaches from around the country....in 1 location...for 1 purpose....to bring back a U.S. Junior Olympic/National Champion. This years U.S. National Championship is the largest event ever! This means larger divisions and tough fights. I received reports of how many athletes were in our Team's divisions...and I started praying. Esteban and Jaime had over 20+ athletes in their division! We had our first team practice on Monday to prep for the following day of battle!

After a long first day...PMAC's mission of bringing back a champ was a success!!! Jade Martinez swept her division and started off the day with a couple big wins for us. Valerie Ver was another medalist for PMAC! She defeated two opponents before losing in the semi finals. Thaddeus and Jaime both won their first match and were eliminated in the 2nd Round. Thaddeus fought in AMAZING fashion!!! He ripped up his 2nd opponent...but those DARN ELECTRONIC CHEST PROTECTORS!!!!

Abby, Kyra and Jocelyn fought today and were eliminated without medaling. They fought very hard but today was not their day. We have 4 more competitors who will fight for the title of National Champ in the next two days...FIGHT HARD TEAM!

**I am deeply saddened right now. There was a time where the 1st Generation Athletes would train us 2nd Generation Athletes with intensity and pride. They would push us and constantly challenge us to to get out of our comfort zone and learn the true meaning of competition! Competing meant "TESTING MY SKILLS AGAINST ANOTHER WORTHY COMPETITOR AND LET THE SCORE DECIDE WHO WOULD BE THE VICTOR FOR THE DAY!" There would be times when I, and many of my peers fought at a higher belt level to truly test our skills. Many of us 2nd generation athletes are now in our 30s-40's and instead of fighting in the ring, we are raising the 3rd generation of Athletes. Its so sad to say us 2nd Generation Athletes have gotten weak! We were taught to be tough and believe in our training...these days Black Belts are dropping down to Red Belts, Red Belts are dropping down to Blue Belt divisions etc. etc!!! WHY?!!!?? Why would you do that!!?? What are you teaching your students?? If you are a Red Belt...YOU FIGHT AS A RED BELT! If we continue to teach our students that cheating is ok, then WE HAVE FAILED OUR MASTER's and the MISSION OF TAEKWONDO!!! You, who allow your students to lie and cheat to get their medals are a disgrace.

Back on it!

It's been almost a year since my last post and as I read through my previous posts, I realized I should never have stopped! So...IM BACK ON IT!

So much has happened at PMAC since Nationals last year and I am proud to say that I was able to hit ALL of my 5 years Business goals and most of my personal goals!

5 Year Business Goals:

* PMAC hit 200 students in June of 2010! This goal of mine was set in Nov 2005! We are now just shy of 300 students :)

* Expand the studio to a 4000sf location! Just six months ago we expanded to 5100sf and I my negotiations (and Gods favor) with the Land Lord allows us to pay rent as if it were only 4000sf! This goal was set while PMAC was still in the little warehouse in 2007!

* Build an awesome Staff! I am blessed to say that the current staff is one of the strongest Teams I've ever employed.

*Goals 4 and 5 I will keep to my self as an inner victory!

These 3 goals are what I focused my time and every ounce of energy on. I made a gameplan, stayed disciplined, had positive support from my FFM's (family,friends and mentors) and I stayed on my mission. There were MANY ups and downs in the last 5 years of my life that would have derailed the average mans ability to reach his goals but not me. I'm a BLACK BELT...ENOUGH SAID ;)

"NOTHING CAN ADD MORE POWER TO YOUR LIFE THAN CONCENTRATING ALL OF YOUR ENERGIES ON A LIMITED SET OF TARGETS!" Nido Qubein~

While average people haphazardly pursue loosely defined goals, champions concentrate on the attainment of a singular purpose with an intensity that borders on obsession. While average people see World-Class performers' successes as a matter of intelligence or luck, champions know sustained concentration of thought and action is usually the true key to their success! Steve Siebold~

Set your goals...and GET YOUR GOALS! And remember...the first two letters in GOal are....GO!!!!