As time past, many things changed, as is inevitable. Several distinct trends started to take hold.

When a new school opened, the owner had to sign a licensing agreement.  This I understand, however the agreement stated several key points. First, it outlined guidelines for students testing.  It required that for each test a person pays a certain fee, most of which was to go back to the World Jungyae Moosul Federation (aka. Master Kim) for Federation operations. Part of the operations where to supply the schools with students handbooks, advertisements, forms, etc.  Funny how that worked, it was not the Federation supplying the schools, rather when Master Kim needed a new ad he put the various school owners in charge of creating them for everyone else. When it was time for a revised student handbook, as the old one was pretty much a joke, and largely taken from books written by OHTC master song. (Master Song is one of the only other Masters that Master Kim ever spoke VERY highly of.  I also feel he is of traditional roots, an excellent master and example. I have nothing but respect for this man. A true scholar.)  I found this out when it became my job to revise and re-write the handbook. I spent 2 ½ years and countless hours on the handbook and when it was done I didn’t even get a thank you. You know what I got. I got a “finally”! No compensation for the hundreds of hours taken away from my school. Nothing.  Now don’t get me wrong.  When it was time for the handbook to be re-done, I volunteered for the project, but a little appreciation would be nice.

This was the overall trend.  Master Kim would get an idea and it was up to the instructors to do it.  He is a firm believer in not paying for anything, even it if means not having a professional end result.

It is also interesting to know what the testing fees supported, since it was not the organization as a whole. New Mercedes, new house, new mini-van with a DVD player, immaculate wardrobe, and the list goes on.

Somewhere along the line, things got even more interesting.  Master Kim, after meeting with some master from Florida (I think it might have even been a CMD master??? Big diamond ring on his finger.  I will as a colleague and tell his name when I find out) he decided it would improve the ‘Quality’ if we changed from our current 10 belt system to a 18 belt system.  He met with the instructors as a whole and in private to sell the idea.  I have to admit I was sold and did my best to convince the other instructor that it was a goods idea.  It was my traditional thinking that if you study less at a time you get better at it. But wouldn’t you know, looking back we went to 18 belt, no change in the per test charge (so students paid for an additional 8 tests) and all in all the was no positive change in quality, just the number of people flying through the rank.  The belt race was on. Suddenly, unqualified black belt where popping up everywhere. (this is the same time when the BB test went from 12 hours down to ½ hour).  Funny though, Master Kim thought this would help JYMS to grow, but once the change took effect the opening of new schools stopped.

More to come...