Richard Kim 

1917-2001

Here is a brief bullet point biography of Sensei Kim’s life.

1917 – Born in Papaaloa, Hawaii
1924 – Began Judo instruction
1927 – First saw Karate and began instruction under Yabu Kentsu.
1933 – Studied Karate under Sadao Arakai, Tachibanna, Higashionna, Mizuho in Hawaii.
1930s – Trained in boxing in Hawaii.
1935 – Joined the merchant marines.
1937 – Met Yoshida Kotaro for the first time in Sendai, Japan.
1941 – Again met Yoshida Kotaro in Shang Hai.
1941-1945 – Was in Shang Hai and studied Chinese Internal systems with Chen Chin Wan, Hsu Chao Lie and Wang Xiang Zhay. He went to both St. John’s and Tung Wen College in Shang Hai.
1948 – Moved to Yokohama Japan.
1949 – Met and trained with many of the great Japanese masters of the time – names like Sawai, Oyama, Kotaro, Ueshiba, Minatoya, Kinjo, Yamaguchi, Kanken and Ohno Kumao.

1957 – Met the Lee brothers in San Francisco. Taught in the Lee’s mother’s garage until 1964.

1959 – Moved permanently to San Francisco, California. Taught at Duke Moore’s dojo on Market Street.
1964 – Took over the Chinese YMCA Karate program.
1967 – Voted Sensei of the Year by Black belt Magazine.
1968 – Became director of the IAKF US Team.
1970 – Became a resident instructor at the San Diego summer camp hosted by Sensei Nishiyama.
1971-1974 – Wrote regular monthly column in Karate Illustrated magazine called The Classical Man.
1973 – Voted as the Man Of The Year by Black Belt Magazine.
1974 – Produced The Weaponless Warrior published by O’Hara Magazine.
1974 – Came to Canada for the first time.
1977 – Became Chief Instructor of the Guelph, Ontario, Canada, summer camp.
1982 – Released The Classical Man.
1983 – Released Kobudo #1. First Western Canadian Summer Camp.
1985 – Released Kobudo #2.
1987 – Released Kobudo #3.
1999 – Promoted to 10th Dan by The Hawaii Karate Kodanshakai.
2001 – Passed away. Was posthumously promoted to 10th Dan by the ITKF and Hidetaka Nishiyama.