Eileen W.

The Right Choice

…”It was suggested to me to join the School of Oom Yung Doe.
It was the best thing I ever did for my condition.”

After neck surgery my life changed. Nerve damage to both arms and a metal plate from disc C5 to C7 as a fusion made everyday tasks difficult. The range of motion in my arms was 30%, and in my neck about 10%. I was told I would not be able to do something as simple as running a vacuum, no rowing, no back and forth motions, and, if I wanted these daily motions to improve a second surgery was recommended. I passed.

After 4 years of efforts from traction to steroids I was still limited and in severe nerve pain at times. It was suggested to me to join the School of Oom Yung Doe. It was the best thing I ever did for my condition. As many of you, I also questioned how a martial art school could help me. I soon realized my thinking was wrong. As my pain diminished my activity grows. Once again I can do things with ease. I will be forever grateful to the instructors with their patience and knowledge they have helped me with. The benefits gained from the School of Oom Yung Doe can be life changing for you to.
Eileen W.
Age 58
Florida Schools of Oom Yung Doe
Wisconsin Schools of Oom Yung Doe

Brendon B.

Today, I learned a bit about the power of Foundation level movement. What I learned was truly amazing, and one of the more exciting experiences I have had to date at Oom Yung Doe.

I recently signed up for a course specifically designed to address my mid-body strength and flexibility. As part of this course, I have the opportunity to learn a Foundation level movement passed down from the International Teaching Team. This movement is supposed to target my ability to move my hips and mid body.

I was definitely curious what to expect from a Foundation movement. To be honest, the movement itself does not seem particularly remarkable to me. It is challenging, yes. But so are many of the movements I practice. Nothing about the movement was particularly striking.

But when I went into practice today, I noticed a few things that really shocked me.

First, unlike usual, I did not need a 10-15 minute warm up before I felt like I could begin to move correctly. Despite the fact that it had been 4 days since my last practice, my first few kicks snapped from my hip so strong and high that I thought I was going to fall over backwards.

The next shock was when I reached down to do some stretching. Despite my years of practice, I have a problem with my mid body flexibility, and normally, when I get to school, I can stretch down somewhere halfway between my knees and my toes. Once I'm warmed up, I can usually reach my toes.

But today, still not warmed up at all, I reached right down, past my toes, until my fingers were entirely under my foot! Without the slightest trace of a bend in my knee! And it actually felt good! Never in my life have I done that before today.

By now, I'm looking around the room to see if anybody else is seeing what I'm seeing. (Of course they're not... I'm just stretching.) I start moving around, trying to see what else is going on with my body today, and I realized one more remarkable improvement.

For the past 3 months, I have been nursing a hip injury. It was a bad sprain at first, but I was able to practice on it, and within a few weeks it settled into mostly a tightness and an ache. But it had hung around for the past few months, requiring that 10-15 minutes of slowly working into my practice to really get warmed up.

But today, for the first time, there was really no sign of it. No sign that it was ever there.

There were a few other moments during the practice, along the same lines. But it's basically summed up in those stories. The fact is, my flexibility had changed pretty significantly, and in a very short time.

But the most remarkable part of my experience is exactly how short a time it was. The benefits I'm describing will be experienced by anyone who practices traditional Moo Doe movements consistently. But I saw these benefits as the result of a single practice. One 30 minute session practicing this Foundation movement, and the next time I go into school I can wrap my fingers under my foot, and I can move in and out of T position in a way that has never quite felt comfortable before.

To me, that is a bit difficult to believe, and hard to explain. I wanted to share the experience to show how powerful the right movement can be. This movement, for me, at this point in my training, with all the work I have done to allow me to practice it more correctly, seems to be just what I need. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to learn, and all I can say is, keep practicing hard; you never know which movement will be the key to unlock the next step on your path.

Brendon B.

Brendon B. Moo Doe Conditioning Program Testimonial (PDF)
Pacific Northwest Schools of Oom Yung Doe
Southern California Schools of Oom Yung Doe

Derek H.

I suffered a back injury which damaged discs in my lower back. It got to the point that I could barely walk, sit or stand. The pain was nearly unbearable. I received treatment from excellent physicians. I saw my chiropractor regularly. All with little benefit. The instructors at my Oom Yung Doe school strongly encouraged me to take advantage of the Moo Doe Conditioning program. Initially, I was very skeptical… I can honestly say that I experienced incredible relief and made amazing progress. Within 2 months, I was symptom free.
Derek H., age 49, IT manager
Florida Schools of Oom Yung Doe
Seattle Schools of Oom Yung Doe
Wisconsin Schools of Oom Yung Doe

Jon C.

I’ve been working on the back program to increase flexibility in my back, shoulders, and hips. I don’t have any injuries, but have had flexibility problems for most of my life. So far, my left hip and legs have improved dramatically and I anticipate both sides will continue to improve quite a bit over the next few months.
Jon C., age 53
Pacific Northwest Schools of Oom Yung Doe
New England Schools of Oom Yung Doe

Karen S.

I started the Individualized Program 2 months ago in order to address long time neck problems resulting from an accident. For about 35 years I have had neck pain, headaches, stiff trunk and upper body. In addition, I have experienced mental confusion and depression. As I started the program I had increased dizziness and headaches. After about 2 or 3 weeks that disappeared and I began feeling lighter and clearer mentally. I have not had any significant depression (and its winter in Seattle!) and I am beginning to move freer and with less caution. I plan to keep trying the movements.
Karen S.
age 56
Teacher/Therapist
Pacific Northwest Schools of Oom Yung Doe
New England Schools of Oom Yung Doe

Thomas D.

My name is Thomas D. I started training in January of 2008 and I’m on the First Degree Training program. I had open heart surgery in 1968 when I was 18 years old. That surgery left a lot of internal scarring on my heart and chest wall. I made a full recovery and led and active life. I’ve had a leaky heart valve since childhood; it’s something that gets worse with age. The training is the hardest I’ve ever done, but it is the most invigorating also. I decided to take the Internal 3 month program to help with my breathing and circulation. I’ve been doing it about 6 weeks now and I noticed improvement in my deep breathing and blood flow to my feet. My blood pressure has also improved which is surprised my doctor. At my last visit with him he was impressed with my training and encouraged me to continue.
Thomas D
Pacific Northwest Schools of Oom Yung Doe
San Diego School of Oom Yung Doe

Maurice L

My name is Maurice, 49. I like to stay active, and since I move up here from France, I have been looking for any physical activity, in order to keep me active and healthy. I have tried the fitness clubs: YMCAs and others, but was not totally satisfied. Because I have impression that I got more building of muscles, that was not my goal. I wanted to move in a certain way.
July 2007, on a day off, I decided to tour my neighborhood, especially visiting martial arts schools on Aurora Avenue in Seattle. Before I made up my mind, I went on Greenwood Avenue, there were a sign “Oom Yung Doe” of the Grand Master “Iron” Kim Style. I have never seen that name before; by the window, was a TV screen, showing the Higher Belts moving. I stayed watching over and over, so impressed I decided to walk in the school to get some information about the school from the instructor, Adam. It was Friday, the next Monday, I came back for trial, but it did not take me much time to decide that, this is what I am planning to do. I signed up for a 2 years degree program.
My training started well on July 15, 2007, with some difficulty any beginner student has. But in September 2007, I start feeling some back pain, not unusual thing, we all have back pain some times in our life, especially when we grow older, and overall doing the type of job that I was doing at that time: caregiver.
I started taking some ibuprofen pills, and continue practicing every day, and hiding my pain from my instructor, expecting that will go away, but it didn’t, instead it went from bad to worse. I could no longer bend down to wear shoes without help, very difficult to sit down, to stand up, sleepless over the night, to get into the car, or to step out the car. As a single father with 5 kids to care for, all the household tasks became so difficult for me to fulfill. On November 15, 2007, I was taking one of my sons to the basketball practice, he just signed up and had to meet with the coach for the first time. While we were walking outside the door, I felt my right hip just went off, I almost fell on the floor, I couldn’t walk straight any longer, I don’t remember experiencing such a pain in my entire life, I started crying, but I still wanted to drive my son to the practice, I tried to get into the car, but no way, I could not bend down, even with the help of my son, who started crying as well for seeing me in such a pain.
In December 2007, my Dr. sent me to Swedish Hospital for a MRI, which cost me $4,800.00 since I did not have the insurance coverage. The diagnostic of the MRI was terrifying: the 5th vertebra was completely out of is location, and was pinching the sciatica nerve, which cut the blood circulation to my lower right leg, causing the permanent numbness on my leg since November 15 2007. According to the Dr. the only option I had was surgical, meaning to open my back and remove that vertebra. I was very concerned about my back, I maybe handicap for the rest of my life, and financially how I would afford it etc.
I went back to my local Oom Yung Doe School at Greenwood, talked to Instructor Adam about all this news, with the possibility that I may never be able to practice Oom Yung Doe. Instructor Adam advised me to talk to the Higher Belts before I decide to schedule the surgery. At first, I did not see why. But in the beginning of January 2008, the Oom Yung Doe International Teaching Team, came in town, at the Bellevue School. I decided to go see them. While I was walking in Bellevue School, National Instructor Bob saw me limping. He came closer and asked me what was wrong, I told him all about my condition, and that I was about to schedule a back surgery following my Dr.’s recommendation, but National Instructor Bob started laughing at me, then calmly told me, “Tell your Dr. that you will never have a back surgery.” I did not believe him totally, because we all rely on our Dr.’s, they know our bodies more than anybody else, so I did not say much.


He told me to sit down, remove my shoe from my right leg and put that leg on the table at the school lobby, which I did. He gave me some toes movements to practice 40 times right there, and to be continue at home. Then, he recommended me: Bath Herbs, Herbal Muscle and Joint Kit and special teas to use for about 2 weeks, along with series of personal movements.

I went, and continued to use this treatment as recommended. In about a week, I felt the sensation back on my toes, I was able to sleep better every night. After a month, I was not only able to recover the sensation on my leg, but also to sit down, drive the car, walk, go back to school, and continue to practice my personal movements. In May 2009, I added the Moo Doe Special Back Program, in order to complete my back healing process. Gradually, I integrated the regular Moo Doe lessons as other students. I was 2nd Section level at the time the injury, today I am 6th Section level.
Until today, I never had the surgery, my family is so glad to see me practice like nothing had happened before, I can use almost the full potential of my body, although I still have some physical challenges due to my age, but I feel glad to practice and challenge myself every day. I am so thankful to the Grandmaster “Iron” Kim style, to my Instructors at all levels and to the other students who helped me going through this. Also special thanks to my family for their 24/7 care for me.
I like to say that, I am the perfect living example of what Moe Doe is capable to change in our life. This is not a legend, but a true story, it happened just not too long ago.
Maurice L.

Pacific Northwest Schools of Oom Yung Doe

Southern California Schools of Oom Yung Doe

Midwest Schools of Oom Yung Doe

Wisconsin Schools of Oom Yung Doe