MISSION

The unique mission of the Korea Institute of Martial Arts (KIMA) and Applied Martial Science Institute (AMSI) is to be a force of positive, proactive impact in the lives of individuals, the performance of organizations, and the protection of society. Together, KIMA and AMSI achieve this mission through the cultivation of martial arts mastery, martial science research and development, and martial leadership.

The joint mission charter of KIMA and AMSI encompasses the following diversified areas:

*Traditional combat-authentic martial arts training for individuals, groups, and academic institutions
*Assessment, examination, certification, and advanced continuing education for traditional authentic Black Belts and Master Instructors
*Applied Leadership and advanced management training, education, and accreditation for traditional martial arts school operators/owners
*Postgraduate-level multidisciplinary research on martial science, human peak performance, biokinetic and sports sciences
*Specialized elite tactical and survival training for military, law enforcement, and private sector security organizations and personnel
*Standardized international credentialing for military martial artists transitioning to the civilian world
*Strategic martial science-based leadership consulting, executive performance coaching, and high- performance teambuilding for corporations and organizations

Mastery of the martial way—“do”—is a neverending process of self-mastery, gradually attained through the discipline of scientifically based physical training combined with philosophically based mental-spiritual training. Martial artists and martial science practitioners endlessly strive for total mind-body integration , total human peak performance, and total character leadership to make a positive difference in society. This is our vision of the meaning of martial arts and the application of martial science. Pursuant to our vision, we seek to attract students, instructors, schools, and leaders from all fields who are devoted to the special path of attaining mastery of the martial way.

The most common long-term goal of a Martial Artist is to become a Black Belt. However, many Martial Artists equate attaining a Black Belt to becoming an expert in Martial Arts. This train of thought in itself is misguided. In reality, becoming a Black Belt truly signifies that one has merely become proficient in the basics of the specific Martial Arts style, system or discipline that they have chosen to study and practice. At this point they are ready to begin truly “learning.” Many Martial Artists fall intro the trap of believing that they have learned all that they have to learn of a particular style, and all that is left is to become a Master or Grandmaster someday in the distant future through repeated practice and aging. While this may ring true in some aspects, in order to become a true “Master” of the Martial Arts, one most learn to understand the hidden meanings of being a Black Belt, and how to separate a specific “style” or “system” from the holistic integrated view of Martial Arts. The universal “do,” the martial way, transcends any particular style or system through the universal principles Martial Science.

We seek to attract, recruit and retain members who understand that becoming a Black Belt merely means proficiency in the basics of Martial Arts. Once they have become proficient in the basics, they must be willing to take these basics to the next levels of development, learning and application. They must be willing to transcend and transform their study and practice of the Martial Arts into the study and practice of Martial Science. We seek to cultivate Martial Science practitioners who will embrace the holistic integrated principles of The Style of No Style, Technique Versus Concept, and Attributes of Character and Performance.

The Style of No Style

Martial Science embodies the simple idea of being a “style of no style,” or a “system of no system.” Martial Science is not a style in itself— it is a comprehensive study of human combat taken as a whole, free from the limitations of specific styles or systems. Martial Science is the utilization of scientific methods which measure, examine, and improve the effectiveness of martial art techniques as applications of larger concepts. Martial Science frees a Martial Artist not to limit themselves to a fixed set of techniques and instead explore broader combative concepts. Martial Arts styles and systems tend to limit the Martial Artist to what technique is “right” and what is not. Placing such restrictions on a practitioner restricts both their technical growth and their holistic knowledge of concepts. Once a Martial Artist embodies the principle of style of no style, they will be free to grow through the application of Martial Science.

As the Martial Arts and the nature of combat have evolved over many, many years, it is necessary to incorporate and integrate concepts and techniques from diverse disciplines in order to adapt. Martial Science allows a Martial Artist to achieve this adaptation. The foundation of our scientifically developed training curriculum is a strong base of traditional, combat-authentic arts. We train in these traditional arts while at the same time incorporating open-minded flexibility and tactical versatility into our approach—not limited to specific styles and systems. The basis of our training approach is a strong, structured traditional foundation combined with a modern mindset of no style/system boundaries.

Technique Versus Concept

Martial Artists tend to focus on the idea of “techniques” as individual actions or moves. Just as the idea of styles and systems can be limiting, excessive focus on “technique”—as opposed to the broader idea of “concept”—can be limiting as well. If one focuses purely on executing individual techniques, he/she can completely forget or miss the larger concepts from which these techniques are properly applied. Focusing on concepts will enable the range of available techniques for application to multiply. Hundreds of individual techniques are learned on the path to Black Belt, but holistic knowledge of just a few broad concepts can enable a Black Belt to have access to unlimited techniques and applications at will—without memorization or repetition of pre-set techniques. In essence, technique is not applicable without conceptual foundation. It is this exact mindset that allows a Martial Artist to step outside of the box and begin to transcend towards Martial Science. Combative situations are unpredictable and uncontrollable. If Martial Artists fixate themselves on only a limited or pre-planned set of techniques, the results could be detrimental. Adaptive, holistic conceptual knowledge is the fundamental key to countering and adapting to the chaotic nature of combat. Being within a box will present you with barriers—eliminate the barriers and the possibilities will be limitless, transcending specific techniques and systems and evolving to universal concepts and applications.

Attributes of Character & Performance

Our members seek to embody excellence in the essential character and performance attributes of a Martial Science practitioner, a follower of “do,” the martial way. To be a true Master of Martial Science, one most strive for the highest ideals and performance in Mind, Body and Spirit. All three must exist together, as one may not function alone without the other two, and two may not function efficiently without the third.

Mind: Never stop learning. Always enhance, improve, and increase the quality and quantity of knowledge in Martial Science. A stagnant mind is the mind of one who has given up on growth. The intellectual knowledge of a Martial Science Practitioner is grounded in the study of human biophysics, biomechanical and kinetic sciences, and extends ultimately to many fields of humanistic and academic pursuit.

Body: Never stop striving to improve the performance, conditioning, and holistic health of the body. Scientifically approach physical fitness from the standpoint of cardiovascular, endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, agility, and bodily toughness, combined with proper nutrition, lifestyle and wellness practices. The body is the framework of the physical being of a Martial Artist. Without a solid framework, the Mind and Spirit will be limited in what they can achieve.

Spirit: This is the glue that holds Mind and Body together, yet it is the hardest to easily define. The Spirit is improved and strengthened through the discipline of meditation and mind over matter, ki/chi power and life force cultivation, the practice of spiritual faith, and acts of humanitarianism in bestowing good will upon others. Each society or culture may have a different concept of Spirit. In the world of Martial Arts setting, many will call this “heart.” It is the essential element of human and moral character.