The Cult of COL according to Bullshido, Part 10

     bemused said, “Well said, Carson. My experience leaving was similar, with similarly excellent results. (I've posted about it before and won't repeat myself.) It was both the hardest and the best decision I ever made.

     “I live in the South Bay and can also offer support. Though my opinion of Tae Yun is harsh, I'm prepared to give any COL or former COL member the benefit of the doubt. While in COL I didn't get along with Kathy, but since getting reconnected through Bullshido we have had some great conversations.”

     bemused said, “I've been rather analytical in my posts, partly out of rebellion. Tae Yun was fond of saying, sarcastically, "You're too smart for me."

     “But one question that has been nagging at me requires that I do some soul-searching as well as analysis to find an answer: What could someone have said, “ that might have influenced me not to join COL or to leave sooner than I did? Answering this question might help friends and family members of those in other cults.

     “I'm sure my parents thought they knew why I joined Tae Yun's world. Both of them could probably see that at 25 I was lonely, alienated, depressed, idealistic, naive. So they never asked me why. Mom got hysterical, saying, "It's a cult! Can't you see?" I just got defensive. Dad was so careful not to put me on the defensive that he said, “ very little. (He told me later that he figured I'd leave eventually, but was surprised at how long it took.)

     “They never asked me how I felt, what was troubling me about my life, what I was looking for that I thought Tae Yun could give me. Meanwhile, I was trying to tell them. In the process I was also trying to recruit them, or at least persuade them to support my decision, which no doubt annoyed them. They didn't look past my sales pitch. They probably thought I'd been conned, and they turned out to be right. What they missed was my plea for help.

     “The one person I felt I could talk to about my disappointments and hopes was a married girlfriend a few years older than me. (We are still friends, and were even through my COL years.) When she and her husband moved away a year or so before I met Tae Yun, I could still call her, but I could no longer spend time with her regularly. This left a hole in my life.

     “Before I met Tae Yun I was desperate, but I wasn't sure what for. I felt unloved, unappreciated, different. I had an active but rocky social life in community theatre groups. I was trying to find a boyfriend and failing. I thought there was something wrong with me. My issues were pretty normal for a twenty something, but being told this by condescending older people didn't help. I also wanted to do something good for the community, but wasn't sure I could offer anything if I was so unhappy myself.

     “At first, Tae Yun's love bombing and talk of saving the world met my needs. I thought she saw something in me that no one else could see, something very special. When she started her harsh discipline, which wasn't long after I moved into full-time COL, I focused on the good times, such as holidays and Self-Discovery Weekends, and on  Tae Yun's visions of the future. So at least my hope of meeting my needs was satisfied.

I might have thought twice about COL if a close friend or family member had asked me two questions, and then really listened:

     “What were you going through emotionally just before you discovered Tae Yun?

How is Tae Yun helping you resolve those particular issues?

     “Answering the first question would have been easy, even after I'd been in COL for a while. In fact, as I was there longer, I perfected my "before" story. The second question would seem to invite a corresponding "after" story, but if I had been gently prodded to answer it honestly and specifically, I would have had to admit that my issues weren't really resolved.

     “My social life in COL was at least as rocky as my theatre social life had been. I didn't have a boyfriend for several years, and when I did have one, we rarely spent time together and never developed full emotional intimacy (let alone physical intimacy). I still felt like I wasn't good enough, and Tae Yun's mounting demands only aggravated this feeling. And while I was helping some people learn martial arts after I'd been studying it for a few years, that doesn't exactly compare with feeding the homeless.

Here's another set of questions that might have gotten through to me, especially as the newbie euphoria wore off several years into it:

     “Whether or not you're with Tae Yun, what do you really want?

     “How close are you to getting what you want?

     “Tae Yun once asked me to name the three things I wanted most in life. They were world peace, artistic expression, and good relationships with everyone around me. I tried to rationalize how COL provided the last one, but I couldn't get rid of the cognitive dissonance. And of course Tae Yun's playing us against each other didn't help. The first one may be impossible, but I could have at least worked to promote peace. The second one was a source of quiet discontent. About five years into life in COL, I predicted that if I left it would be to pursue music, and in that respect I knew myself well.

     “I remember when an MD asked me about stress and stress relief in my life during my    COL years. I mentioned that I had this wonderful fiancé who was overseas much of the time. He remarked that my fiancé must not be really committed if I saw him so little. At first I thought, "But you don't understand! We're spiritually connected!" Yet in the back of my mind I knew he understood quite well and that I wasn't facing Reality. By inviting me to reveal a little and then stating the obvious, he had undone some of the doublethink Tae Yun had imposed. And he did this without criticizing Tae Yun or COL directly, which would have put me on the defensive.

     “So here's the best I can offer at this point, based on my experience as a former cult member. A cult tries to find a recruit's most fervent wishes and associate their fulfillment with the cult's doctrine or leader. If you are a friend or family member of a recruit and you want to keep or get them out of the cult, you have to find these wishes and then gently offer a Reality check without criticizing the cult itself. This isn't easy, but it just might work. I know the COLies and possibly other cult members read this thread. They can try to counteract this method of de indoctrination, but I doubt it will work, because unfulfilled wishes are painfully persistent, truth is inescapable, and expressing oneself to a caring listener is a universal human need.”

     bemused said, “One possible way that a cult member could evade such discussion of goals is to dismiss their old goals as shallow, worldly, small, or selfish. People do change goals in the course of their lives. The old goals may still be much desired, though, and talking about them anyway might make the cult member homesick for their old self. I could dismiss my musical aspirations as unimportant, but they just wouldn't die.

     “Here's a question to ask about a new goal: Does this goal do what it's supposed to, for you or the community? Sometimes the answer isn't apparent until the goals is met. I've talked before about how disappointed I was after I earned my black belt. I wasn't happier, I wasn't "closer to Grandmaster," and I wasn't saving the world. I was "spreading Grandmaster's teaching," but not very far.

     “It might also help to explain the bait-and-switch influence technique, in which someone entices you with a promise, gets you to make a commitment, and then breaks that promise. Car salesmen are fond of this one. They promise a certain price, then get you excited about the car, then "check with their manager" who insists on raising the price. People do this in relationships too. "I promise I'll stop drinking if we move in together." Oops. People's desire to keep their commitments, follow through, and not give up is so strong that they often do so even if the commitments are made under false pretenses. Cult leaders, including Tae Yun, play bait-and-switch with people's wishes, issues, and goals, promising solutions to problems and then trying to change people's perceptions of what the problems or solutions are. Bringing this up with a cult member could be touchy, but if they can understand how bait-and-switch works, they might just start questioning both their old and new goals.”

     bemused said, “Kathy, the SE/Tae Yun marriage was mostly a within-COL event, although the presence of outside people such as the officiator might have been jarring.    What I'm wondering about is whether any exers were persuaded to rethink their COL involvement by outside events or, more especially, by outside people's words.

     “I found two outside events especially persuasive. The first was the revelation in the Inside Edition video that the BB/Tae Yun lawsuit had concerned BB's entire inheritance, which Tae Yun hadn't told most of us at the time. The second was an article in New West magazine about a yoga teacher accused of sexually harassing his students who used Tae Yun's same excuse, "Think of all the good energy they're getting!"

     “As for outside people's words, not much got through to me. I can think of only a few instances. One was my mom telling me, referring to COL, "I just want to share you with them." Another was my doctor's comment, mentioned a few posts ago, that I didn't seem as close to my fiancé as I claimed to be. Yet another was my dad complaining that whenever I contacted him at all it was only to ask for money. This last one especially hurt me, because I have always sought my dad's respect.

     “My best girlfriend, with whom I maintained contact throughout my time in COL, never tried to dissuade me from being in COL. But when I started having serious doubts, she was the first person outside COL to whom I expressed those doubts. She was there for me, and she didn't judge me. I don't know whether she could have persuaded me to leave, but if anyone could have, she could have.”

     Jacob said, “there was a mass exodus within a year of inside edition. The part timers who left before, you, the L family (4 people), myself, and there could be someone else I don’t remember, but that’s more than 10..”

     bemused said, “The other full-timers who left were MG and AP, TCS's sister. (MG later went back, but only as a Lighthouse employee overseas.) The part-timers who left were SD and MD, HC and RC, EB and her husband, MD (brother of SD), and PJ, who produced some of Tae Yun's videos. These people, plus you, plus me, plus the L family make 16. When you consider that COL was never more than about 50 people, that's huge.”

     Juliana said, “Here is some help. Came across some blogs from a few key people in Kim's organization that I thought were interesting in giving someone an inside eye in how the same old thing is regurgitated over and over. Her most senior instructor says the following.

     "As you look at stories throughout history, the reoccurring theme of traitors constantly comes up. From the times of Jesus, there was Judas. Be careful how to choose your friends.

     “Look for people that are foxhole qualified. People that you would trust your life with. If you can find those people, even 1, you will be truly blessed. Also, watch yourself. Make sure you never betray those you love or respect. Be a Jung Suwon Warrior and be loyal to your purpose, your teachers, and your friends."

     “I had no idea that the person who would betray me, was Kim herself, the person I put all my trust in. It was also interesting to note that all of these blogs started near the first week of April....obviously a class once again spurred a flurry of "Action". And COL says they aren't reading this, but trust me....they do.

     “So here is a lil help COL in getting your message out there. Cause if I had known the whole story when I was presented with the opportunity of a special training program, I probably would have made different decisions.

     “No doubt the essence of Kim's teachings/training is a beautiful thing, but the beauty and pureness of the message has been drastically distorted and twisted by the Reality of how she lives her day to day life and how she betrays those who put all their trust in her word and faux existence of living a pure life. You and I both know the Reality of what you are living.

     “I've shared a fair amount of what I went through, but I know there are people out there who have been posting on this site who have had experiences with Kim that if were common knowledge what had happened it would have helped others make more informed decisions about what they were inviting into their life. At the time I joined her organization the internet wasn't what it is today, it barely existed. So for those who still are holding back, I'd invite you to help others make informed decisions by sharing in more detail what really happened. A lot of detail has been overlooked. Think about the next person who needs to be able to make a totally informed decision.”

     Kathy Kim said, “They will continue to say lies as that is all they know. How could they recruit people or get people to stay if they didn't lie. Seems funny him Quoting Jesus when he is Jewish. Betray one that you trust? Tae Yun betrays everyone everyday. In what she says and what she does.

     “With everyone that has left, how can we all be wrong? Those there better take a good look in the mirror and see how old they are getting. Who is going to be there for you? All that retirement Tae Yun and Scott has allotted you? Think again. Seems like the only time they love you or want you, is when you can make money for them or do a service that they don't have to pay anyone else to do. Yes I agree JULIANA, more need to tell their experiences. But that has to be up to them. But I wouldn't be a bit surprised to hear more, actually quite soon.”

     RossAnna said, “I think that the only way that this will ever end for Kim and her culties is if she admits to what she has done, seeks out those she has hurt and offers reparation if only in the form of an apology.

     “We all know that this scenario coming to pass is about as likely as hell freezing over.

Following the same rationale, since there is no admission of guilt or apology in the offing, the chances of the posts, blogs, threads, articles, books and even documentaries that are in progress ceasing just because one man out of many has managed to close out a chapter in his life is close to nil.

     “People have been hurt, lives have been destroyed, and what was once possible, has become impossible because of what has been taken away from the exers and the current COL crop. Be it their self-image or their confidence in themselves or the skills they once had that has faded from years of disuse. Time. The time they spent giving their all to one person’s “dream” that led them to neglect their own. The opportunities that passed them by that have since then been long gone, a family, children, and a home of their own. The years of degradation, of pain and false hope. These are things that can never be won back, whether it is in court or other arenas. Horace Mann says and I quote “Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery”. In this case, I have to say that God will stand as the Great Equalizer. All that we do will be judged at the end and no amount of press, or blogs will change the Reality of what has happened to the people that went thru the “gates” of COL. It is not over. It will never be over. Everyone you have ever hurt or lied to or mistreated will see to it. Kim always spoke about how she wanted to spread her “legacy”. How she wanted people to know who she was and what she stood for. Well Ma’am, You got what you asked for. THIS is your legacy. Enjoy.

     “To all you exers, some words from a great man: "The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement. You ought not to be thinking of whether it ends on victory or defeat. Let nature take its course and your tools will strike at the right moment "- Bruce Lee- Tao Of Jeet Kune Do peace.”

     Her Lesson said, “If Col is so religious, they should heed the words in the bible: "I tell you on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter, for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned."

Mathew 12:36-37.”

     bemused said, “I got word that Chica wants to look forward and not backward. I can understand that.

     “My own feelings have changed from wanting to express anger to wanting to understand what happened on a more intellectual level. As I gain understanding, I see that the problem is bigger than Tae Yun, and even bigger than cults. Abuse of power takes many forms. But understanding is not all I seek in life. I think it was Aristotle who said, “The unexamined life is not worth living." It is also true that the unlived life is not worth examining.”

     bemused said, “Actually, to be in COL is to be saturated by an unrequited infatuation with a hazy future ideal. I thought I loved Tae Yun. I loved who I thought she was. I thought I loved my COL "brothers and sisters" too. In this heady state, falling in love was all too easy, despite all Tae Yun's talk about the evils of lust. When Tae Yun granted my emotional attraction to another student official approval, I fell hard.

     “I think Tae Yun permits romantic relationships for two reasons: she doesn't want her inner circle to look too odd to outsiders, and she knows she can fight people's desire for intimacy only up to a point. Marriages in COL may be manipulated to some degree, but I don't think they are fully arranged by Tae Yun. I don't think she wants to be another Reverend Moon. And forbidding these relationships would cost her too many of her followers.

     “I had a six year on-and-off relationship with CA during my time in COL that had emotionally intense moments but was never consummated. I really did love him. I still love him enough to wish for him to find a partner more suitable for him than I would have been.

     “There were times when I felt like my conversations with CA were sort of scripted. Although I was ahead of CA in belt rank, he was in more frequent contact with Tae Yun, and I suspect that she instructed him on what to talk to me about. There were a few times when I upset everything by wandering off script, bringing up topics that neither CA nor Tae Yun expected.

     “Her Lesson said, “, your situation is quite different. When one member of a couple wants to follow Tae Yun and the other doesn't, Tae Yun tries to break up the couple, despite her protestations to the contrary. Her usual tactic is to make the interested party feel that rejecting Tae Yun is rejecting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill an idealistic dream.

In fact, HC was once a victim of this. HC was married to MT. MT got interested in Tae Yun first, and though I don't know the details of what happened when, MT ended up divorcing HC and joining COL. By that time HC had become a regular Jung Suwon student, and in her newly bereft state she was more vulnerable to Tae Yun's allure. Of course, HC and MT probably tell a different story that doesn't make Tae Yun look like the home wrecker she is.”

      PP noted that Michael Thomas (formerly Steve Mates) and Janet Martin Mates were married but Tae Yun broke up their marriage. They didn’t mind and remained in the circle. Janet later became Holly Chamberlain, named after another student. Oliver Chamberlain, but they were of no relation. Kim just had no originality for COL names. As of 2009 they are still training.

     “Oliver left a long time ago. Holly’s marriage was a surprise to the ex students. It is probably something to do with money, not love, but the love of money is the root of evil.

     bemused said, “The Jung Suwon martial art school is pretty much like any other TKD school, except that every so often their "master" drops in and lectures everyone on some "spiritual" subject. Tae Yun's highest verifiable rank is third-degree black belt, so her claim of being a "master" is questionable but she is qualified to teach. Students who only go to class and don't join Tae Yun's inner circle usually don't suffer much more than some bruises and blisters, and these are typical for any TKD student.

     “To employees that are not part of the inner circle, Lighthouse is pretty much like any other high tech company, except that every so often this weird CEO drops in and tries to give a "visionary" speech.

     “High tech companies tend to be somewhat dysfunctional, which is what makes Dilbert cartoons so popular. Lighthouse isn't the only cult-like one, either; companies like Microsoft and Apple also qualify.

     “I wouldn't call either Jung Suwon or Lighthouse healthy, but I would call them normal in the sense of being within the norm for what they are.

     “I don't know if the name COL is still used, but the people I knew in COL are still there catering to Tae Yun's every whim. The inner circle is where the real sickness is. It's rather like a family that appears fine from the outside but hides the abuse that occurs.”

     Failed Student said, “The inner circle is where the real sickness is. It's rather like a family that appears fine from the outside but hides the abuse that occurs.

     “I rather doubt Jung Suwon is like any other martial arts school. Other schools do not require their students to make a full prostration before their master, nor do other schools require students to sing songs of praise like was quoted in the now deleted Inside Edition video. In every way, from what I have been reading this school is majorly dysfunctional.

     “You are right Bemused said, “, the inner circle people are victims of abuse, but like the ones I have dealt with in my work, they are in denial about that abuse. Like victims, they cover for their master because they believe that were they to leave that environment, they would not be able to function normally. That is in part true, they do need reprogramming to manage their lives, because for so long they have handed over the reins and are controlled by Tae Yun Kim.”

     bibi said, “So, would you call Tae Yun a criminal or not?”

     Failed Student said, “If Tae Yun Kim is manipulating others to achieve her own ends, and in the process depriving them of their rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, then yes, I would classify her behavior as criminal. I am so sick of her caterwauling about how she endured hardships and prejudice and so on, knowing full well that this is all part of her plan to evoke sympathy.

     “From what I have been reading here, I know that most of this is fabrication, that she has used others for her own gain, as stepping stones for her self-aggrandizement. So she has made herself a god to her followers - but even a god is lonely.”

     bemused said, “Most of what I have personally witnessed I would call highly unethical but not criminal in the sense of being illegal. It is not illegal to yell at people and insult them unless they are a member of a protected group (such as minorities or the disabled) and you are not. It is not illegal to ask for personal revelations and then use them against the person later. It is not illegal to suggest low-protein diets and less than six hours a night of sleep and make people feel guilty if they can't do it. It is not illegal to pay low wages and charge high fees. I doubt that it's illegal to claim to be a master without the proper credentials because I doubt that martial arts are regulated by the government.

     “Some of what I witnessed was illegal. There are laws about how many people can live in a house or apartment of a given size, and these limits were often exceeded. For example, a couple of times I lived in a three-bedroom house with about 10 people. In one of those houses I shared a small master bedroom with four other women. There was barely enough room to walk between the sleeping bags on the floor. I also remember a time when Tae Yun was supporting a local political candidate. We donated to his campaign and were reimbursed by Lighthouse, which was and still is illegal. Tae Yun also had four of the children of her COL students smoke and drink in a misguided attempt to dissuade them from experimenting later on.

     “Others have witnessed or experienced more serious illegal activities, including physical beatings, sexual abuse, house arrest, tapping the phone of a critical former student, use of pirated software, and having employees work for free while collecting unemployment. While living in Vermont she was accused of arranging fraudulent marriages but was apparently acquitted. She was also sued for fraud by a young husband for lying about her fertility and by a young student whom Tae Yun had talked out of her inheritance. Recently she was in a suit/countersuit with a former employee and lover concerning bad business practices and palimony. Allegedly she has also cheated on her taxes.

     “I think she's a criminal, but ultimately that is for the law to decide, if she ever ends up in a criminal court.”

     Failed Student said, “ I am trying to look at this as an outside observer, and as such, I have to wonder what is going on in the minds of the COLers that this has come to pass.

     “I would assume that these people are intelligent, and that before they entered into this arrangement, for the most part, they lived in comfortable circumstances, had decent paying jobs or the ability to make a living, and had families in which they were involved.   

     “How then can they allow this to happen to themselves - to work intolerably long hours and be poorly compensated, live cramped together like sardines and have only sleeping bags and no privacy. How did they lose their self-respect and permit Tae Yun to beat them into submission - both mentally and physically? From what I have read here, Tae Yun is worth somewhere in the area of 25 million, and her followers have nothing. Do they not ask themselves why they are living communally while she has a mansion all to herself, where they are not even allowed to sit on her couch? Again I ask, what is "Our Purpose"? It seems to me to be meaningless, in the light of the world they inhabit. Why do they not stand up for themselves and ask for a piece of the pie, so to speak? Why do they not band together and file a class action suit against LWS and get due compensation for their labors?

     “Concerning the martial arts end of things, I have certainly encountered weirdo masters in my time, but never have they elevated themselves to the level that Tae Yun has. I do not believe any dojang had a picture of the master to which one made obeisance either. The closest I came to such was a Buddhist monastery I visited where there were larger than life pictures of the dead leader. I refused to bow to them.

     “So I don't know if bibi said, “ is baiting anyone, but as long as one does not make unsubstantiated claims, there is no basis for litigation. All my comments are based on what has been posted by others, or from my actual experience, with documentation to back it up. Matters in Vermont were never as bad as stated they are in California.”

     bemused said, “You ask good questions. Since you were also a student of Tae Yun, you can probably answer some of them yourself. But except for a brief time when a few of the instructors lived with you, you weren't in it "full-time." You still had your own house, job, and outside friends. So you probably don't know firsthand how someone can get in so deep.

     “Tae Yun hand picks those in her inner circle. I know this because in several COL classes she told us what she looks for in a new COL student. She picks smart, hard-working people who are emotionally needy and idealistic. She tells them what they want to hear about how special they are and about the possibility of a better world. She doesn't invite them in right away she waits until they want it badly.

     “It's a classic bait-and-switch or lowball scam. After the student commits to COL based on their enthusiasm, Tae Yun slowly introduces her own agenda and rules. If the student complains, she appeals to their pride by asking, "So, you can't hack it?" She also appeals to guilt by comparing their "small mind" complaints to her grandiose vision.

So that's how vulnerable people get lured in. To understand why they don't mutiny, you have to understand how they leave.

     “When a student has doubts, they keep those doubts to themselves. If they express them, they find themselves the subject of a fiery COL class. Two people can't conspire because everyone is encouraged to "help" everyone else stay "focused." So they leave one at a time. After they leave, often the suspicion of other former members remains.

A class action suit requires getting a lot of people on the plaintiff side to agree. Ironically, having been in a cult predisposes people to avoid acting as part of a group.”

     mvgalardi said, “Am I glad I found you guys and this thread: I was training at JSW for the later part of last year and I was almost immediately immersed in the JSW culture. From the million times of bowing during class to giving up my personal time to help out at the school. I felt that my work was being appreciated, I guess not.

     “What bothered me a lot was when Kim led class, she would never demonstrate the moves that she was teaching us. If she was a 10th dan, a simple front kick, or spinning roundhouse kick should be nothing for her, but when I asked her to demonstrate I would receive a "how dare you even think about that" look from either her or the instructors.... weird....

     “Also, there were times where some of the white belts needed help with simple moves and as much as I wanted to help them, I was literally yelled at for trying to help them practice.

     “I guess it all comes down to wanting something that I thought I wanted but later turns out I didn't. There was this one guy who was a Blue Belt, left for a while and came back and worked up his way to a purple belt. And he would be responsible for helping teach the kids and he could barely negotiate a simple side kick!

     “And when he would do it, he would become so winded it wasn't even funny. A intermediate-advanced student failing to complete a basic move.....interesting. The same guy who claimed to be in "Kim's Inner Circle" and that’s where I thought I wanted to be, but if it wasn't for this post, and all the stories that I read, I would be down that same path.....thanks guys.” 

     Kathy Kim said, “Welcome mygalardi...I'm glad you feel better after reading the posts. But did you leave before you read this? Just curious. There are good martial art studios out there. Just keep looking. Not all are cults. Give thanks to God that you have been saved from what might have been years of pain, like others that have been there. Thank you so much for sharing.”

     mvgalardi said, “I just feel so bad for all of you who went down the path further than I have and have suffered so much pain and anguish. There was a time that I wanted the type of life that she advertised and I would have given up almost anything to follow her. I just feel so bad for all of you that have lost so much.”

     saman said, “Well, guys, I saw that your "little fiend" - oops, I meant friend, Kimmy has made another contribution to the plastic surgeons and TKD Times. If you need a laugh or purge, go check out the recent issue. I had to sit down in Barnes & Noble and rest for a moment. Couldn't bring myself to read or buy it, but I did look at the pictures with serious astonishment.. Many are retreads of the crap on her website. I noticed that a Sarah was the author. I think you guys have referred to her on this thread.     

     “Congratulations to mvgalardi for getting out early.”

     bemused said, “Welcome, Wohali. About the "three dudes" who have followed Tae Yun the longest, only they know for sure why they stay. I was there for ten years myself, so I can speak from my own experience.

     “Tae Yun is a master actor and manipulator who can make people feel really appreciated and special if she wants to. She is good at creating the illusion of a spiritual journey, and cherished illusions die hard.

     “It's also part of human psychology that once people have committed to something, they justify the rightness of that commitment even in the face of contradictory evidence. Those are among the reasons I stayed so long.

     “The "three dudes" are in it far deeper than I ever got. They have leadership roles and responsibilities in her school and her company that must be hard to walk away from. They also have a financial stake, because Tae Yun puts most property in their names. They stand to lose a lot if they leave. They would pretty much have to start their lives over.”

     TheWanderingTaoist said, “I was just thinking and please folks don't take this the wrong way. But all of you former or reformed ATC'ers have you all considered getting psycho therapy to try to undo some of the terrible things the bitch did to you? Seriously there are therapists that specialize in cult abuse victims and could help remove some of the evil negative programming she inflicted.

     “I was just reading My Space pages of active ATC'ers and its so alarming how every paragraph has the words "great grandmaster Tae Yun, etc". Its obvious her power lies in making people unable to think for themselves. Who cares what Tae Yun said, “. I adore my master who I studied with, but I don't quote his quotes in every paragraph I write. And I seldom mention him to anyone, actually no one except for the one person I still keep in touch with from the school. In fact he doesn't want to be called a grandmaster and for at least two years he kept from anyone that he had been tested and promoted to grandmaster. So how does this crazy lady get off telling her students to call her great grandmaster? First of all there is no such thing in Korean martial arts as a great grandmaster. And another thing the My Spacers that are in their 40's with ATC headbands look ridiculous. Anyone should know if the are forced to wear a headband at their MA school that something very fishy is going on.

     “And I won't even get into how ridiculous the Jung Suwon cooking blogs are. Apparently she is an expert on everything from MA, mind control rituals, to gourmet cooking. Maybe she can start her own cooking show on TV where she bosses around someone else while they do the cooking. Even some of the things quoted of her on the food blogs is scientifically inaccurate and funny that someone who claims to be a "Doctor" would say those kind of things. What and Where did she get her PhD. or M.D. degree?”

     (Taoist) Wohali said, “ I don't know what kind of degree she has. She just carries around the "Dr." in her title.

     Failed Student said, “In Vermont, she claimed she had a PhD in "Human Resources". Well, maybe there's some truth to that, but not in a positive way.

     “Then again, while she resided in our fair state way back in the eighties, she only went as far as claiming to be a "grandmaster". I guess once she took to the air and landed in California, all those additional titles were added, since she had no history there and once she changed her name from Kyong Ae Fontaine to Tae Yun Kim, she could be anyone she wanted and there was no one to dispute it. All her little toadies that she brought with her would back up any of her assertions too.”

     TheWanderingTaoist said, “She's a PhD in Human Resources? Okay I'm trying hard to hold back the laughter. There's just some subjects that are so lame no one she be allowed a "doctor" title just for studying them. Actually I wouldn't be surprised though if she had a lot of background in the psychology field because the better brainwashers do.

     “I didn't know she brought anyone along with her from VT to CA. I thought she started a whole brand new cult once she landed in CA and changed her identity. If you really think about it makes you think she has major low self esteem problems for her to need to self appoint herself grandmaster and require everyone to kiss her ass thus creating the obviously now over-inflated ego. What's up with Vermont anyway? I mean it seems like a lot of the New Ager/Shambala book authors all started in Vermont. I got mixed up in a Native American cult from VT.

     “Its just amazing how people self appoint themselves special titles and degrees. I think I will self appoint myself something but I'm still debating what. It's going to have to be something big in order to outdo the others! lol I'm being sarcastic btw because I just recently discovered this guy I used to study with who started TKD after I did is now magically a 6th degree master. IF a person studied non-stop from the time he started in Real TKD they might possibly be a 3rd degree by now if they were really superb. And thing is he wasn't. So his belt with 6 gold stripes is an insult to our real Korean master who he left and an insult to all who studied with him. The Star Trek stripes on his dobak sleeves though are just plain retarded. Some people need to get their head out of fantasyland.”

     Failed Student said, “She brought along about ten zombie followers with her to California, about half of whom have since left and tried to restore some sort of normalcy to their lives. Without their help, she never could have established herself in California, as she needed the money they earned from the jobs they got in Silicon Valley, and her right hand man, Scott, had the organizational skills to get things rolling.

     “Concerning your comments about VT Wohali.....It is true that way back in the sixties, VT was populated by "The Great Unwashed" - those that had been to Woodstock, others that were avoiding Vietnam service, and others just rebelling. Lots of New York City folk, like Senator Bernie Sanders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield who founded Ben & Jerry's, and Alan Newman, co-founder of Seventh Generation, to name but a few. Yes, there are also some wacko New Agey types, but that is true in every state, and California is sometimes referred to as "The Land of Fruits and Nuts"....

     “One more thing about VT Wohali...the Native Americans consider this state to be sacred ground, and as such they respect it and will not build upon it. Other groups also believe in the sanctity of this state, and that whenever Armageddon occurs, VT will be a safe place.

     “Tae Yun has no formal training in psychology, but in her first profession (the world's oldest as some have stated here), she learned about human frailties etc and learned how to manipulate no doubt. After all, that profession is all about fantasy and making the customer feel good at least temporarily, and certainly living in a cult situation is a fantasy world.

     “Her self esteem? It's probable she has the "Napoleonic Complex". Look at Dear Leader Kim Jong Il with all his titles.

     “They are both short of stature, both use outrageous hairdos to add a bit of height, and both will not tolerate a scintilla of challenge to their absolute authority.”

     June 26, 2009

     Failed Student said, “The cult leader suffers from delusions of grandeur, and as such may actually convince him or herself that they converse with God. As far as the followers believing that, it probably is "the big lie"...hyperbole repeated often enough becomes truth. Remember Hitler had nearly everyone convinced that Jews were to blame for everything that was wrong with Germany and it's economy. Those that weren't convinced dared not speak up or they would end up in Auschwitz too. So the cult leader rules with a combination of intimidation, peer pressure, unquestioning belief, and fear. Those that do not learn from the past...”

     Failed Student said, “As far as calling Kimmie an "older Korean lady”. I would replace the word "lady" with "woman". A lady in any culture does not use the F word, be lacking in common courtesy, "paint up like a tramp", use lies and deceit to obtain money, not pay debts, and so on.

     “In all fairness, when she was living in Vermont and quite a few years younger, she could wear slim fitting clothes, although even then, I thought they were inappropriate for this environment, as she stood out in any crowd.”

     Kathy Kim said, “I remember once asking if she was an angel. I was having a private class in her "special" office" I am laying on the floor with only candle light. Then when she has you rise with your eyes closed, she has all the lights on bright behind her. Then she has you open your eyes and all you see is her outline and all the glowing light. I'm sure it is an intended effect. By the way. She never answered if she was an angel, even though I was crazy enough to ask, she just did he all knowing smile.”

     Failed Student said, “Yeah, that "aura" crap was one of her trademarks. She had a poster made with her picture to advertise for the school here and she told us the printers tried but couldn't remove the light area surrounding her head.. Gimme a break.

     “To be rational about this, all those religious icons and such that show halos around saints are probably just the way the viewer perceived the "holy one" at the time - a mixture of awe and backlighting.”

     Shadow Dancer said, “One of the problems kimmy has is that any scrutiny shows just how bogus she really is. She then makes the COL'ons responsible for defending her even when her image is just a tissue of lies. Her only credentials are a 3rd degree in TSD. She cannot defend or support her claim to grandmaster status... let alone the fictional great-grandmaster status. Though, I believe the 'great' prefix is due to her spawning other grandmasters... sort of like a grandmother being over a mother and a great grandmother being over a grandmother.

     “Her contributions to class are basically yelling 'acha, hiacha'. In the years that I trained, she never once was in the lines doing the sparring or actually showing a complete MA form. She never once herself taught a class with the bong. At most, she would do a demo on a completely compliant instructor. She was able to do the splits during warm-ups, but this was probably a skill she developed in her first profession.

     “Like all cults, the first step is to love-bomb the raw-meat recruits. Only later does the continual talks about obedience and discipline come in.”

     Failed Student said, “As I sit at my laptop this evening, sipping my first glass of Pinot Grigio, looking forward to my supper of stuffed artichoke and caprese salad, I think about the genesis of my involvement in a cult. Of course, the martial arts school did not advertise itself as that, and my desire to learn to defend myself after reading of a local horrendous crime, propelled me to join.

     “There were several factors that caused me to be drawn in rather swiftly, and I have detailed those in my probably never to be published manuscript. After about a year of suppressing my doubts, I could no longer contain them. I believe way deep down in all of us is the desire for personal freedom, and as I saw my freedoms being further eroded almost daily, I rebelled, just as the Hungarians, Czechs, East Germans, and now the Iranians are rebelling against tyranny.

     “So to those still involved with Kimmie, I ask you to consider seriously whether you are better off now, being her follower, than you were before joining JSW/COL. No matter how bad your family situation was, they are family, and blood is thicker than water. Kimmie and her lieutenants are sucking you dry, and once you are of no further use to them, they'll toss your empty shell out, or pound you into nothingness.

     “I don't know how to convince you, how to give you a spine, how to raise your sense of self-esteem and self-worth, and make you understand that there is no future for you with kimmie, because kimmie only cares about kimmie.

     Shadow Dancer said, “Why not stare at the sun and then look at a dog turd? Wah Ma'am.... you have da same ennagi !”

     “I think the most lasting damage caused by lil' kimpers is the inability for me to trust someone again. To have given that much devotion, trust, and a major part of my life, in the quest to expand my awareness and grow/develop; and then to find out it was just a fraud to enrich her, basically broke my heart and spirit for many years. It was devastating to realize that I was nothing more than a starry-eyed dupe who was completely expendable in her eyes.

     “On top of that, she poured out her poison into my children's ears about me. It took years to undo the damage her lies and misrepresentations caused between us. But now, they have seen both sides and know where the truth is.

      “Kimpers... you are building up one massive karmic bill in this life that is going to take many lifetimes for you to pay off. You destroy the ability of people to trust, have faith, and be able to freely love. What do you think should happen to you in the here-after?

     “You like to talk about how you help people. Well, who exactly, has been helped in the long term? With so many 'Failed Student said, “s', how can you think of yourself as a great teacher? The more someone knows you, the more they lose in their life. How do you justify that?

     “You are like a wall-street raider towards people. You split up families, sell off the assets, enrich your coffers, throw away the used-up husks and then tell everyone how you 'improved' their situation. If you want to improve the world, go to North Korea and disrupt their lives for a change.

     “One of your favorite talks was how you felt abused because you 'saved' someone's life and all they wondered about was where their luggage was. Aren't you leaving out the part about how you inspect their luggage first to determine if they need to be 'saved' and then create some bogus emergency to which you ride to their rescue? After that you present them with a huge bill for which they need to kiss your butt in gratitude. What is it with you that you require such outpourings of thankfulness? Is it because you realize that you actually never did anything, and you need their affirmation to salve your conscience about fleecing them?”

     bemused said, “According to previous posts, she has had her face and breasts done and has had liposuction. Of course, she used money collected from COL fees and Lighthouse earnings (COL cheap labor) to pay for it. She lied to COL about her operations and said, “ she had abdominal cancer having to do with a previous pregnancy in which the fetus died. COL would hold special meetings to pray for her. When I left she told me not to tell anyone about her "health problems" or I would be cursed with some sort of "bad enagee." She wants to guilt trip COL but wants the public to think she's exceptionally healthy.

     “I didn't witness the operations, but I was once sent on an errand to the office of one of her doctors, Dr. Zandy. I was surprised to see "Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery" on his door but told no one at the time.”

     Kathy Kim said, “Bemused - do you remember way back when we went to outside Dr Zandy's office and they were doing some kind of filming? It's a vague memory for me, but she used her wiles on him, to get a cheaper price in the surgery, is my thought. That is why he was invited to our parties and our testing and such. She had Spencer convinced she had cancer surgery, when in fact it was a boob job. When he was told that he found out the truth for himself. Wonder why he would never talk to her again? We know how she lied, imagine being her husband and finding that out.

     bemused said, “I remember the tithing, although I forget who came up with the idea. (Kimmie often hinted at what she wanted so she had plausible deniability when someone suggested something that didn't pan out. For example, she hinted about inheritances, but that's another story.) Most of the instructors were promoting tithing, although BBE briefly objected to it, thinking it was a burden most of COL couldn't bear (he was right). Kimmie "humbly" said, “ 10% was too much and suggested 5%, but when most of us couldn't do it she got mad.

     “Kimmie had a skewed sense of give and take. If we complained about high fees, we were ungrateful. If she gave us cheap clothes and jewelry, we were supposed to be grateful, especially if she had worn them. Nothing we gave her, no labor, devotion, or money, was ever enough, but even the slightest bits of attention from her were supposed to highlight her generous nature.”

     bemused said, “I didn't witness the filming. At that time I was one of the newest COL members, privy to nothing and everyone's doormat.”

     WhiteBear said, “It's all about the money with Tae Yun. Back when collecting unemployment while working at LWS was the thing to do, the state gave lump sums at one point. Each COL member who received a lump sum check immediately turned it over to Tae Yun. All except one student who chose to use the money to pay off some personal debt. That student never heard the end of it. Many a class revolved around how "greedy" the student had been for not giving the money to Tae Yun.”

     bemused said, “That happened en masse after I left. I went through something less severe but similar. I was unemployed for three months and worked for Lighthouse for free, but I hadn't previously been a permanent Lighthouse employee.

     “I had been contracting to other companies through Lighthouse and working on Lighthouse's documentation on the side for free. I was looking for another contract that I could do through Lighthouse, but AP and KS were too busy finding the exiting DKP a job to find one for me. My debt increased a bit during that time.

      “This would never actually happen, but it's fun to think about a hypothetical COL class on Tae Yun's greed, in which students give her grief about her house, car, shopaholic, appropriation of students' money, etc.

     “Speaking of shopping addiction, I once ran into Tae Yun at Marshalls in the Great Mall. I was at the mall looking for something, I forget what, and I was still her student. She was with SC, and she had an entire shopping cart full of cheap handbags. Even at the time this seemed obsessive-compulsive to me.”

     Failed Student said, “I think you may be right WhiteBear said about my gender being an issue. Even after not being tested with the other founders of her school, when I tested several months later with a bunch of new students, she still failed me. It was for one of two reasons - either she did not want to promote me as a female to equal or close to equal rank with her senior male students, or she was punishing me because I backed out of a business partnership with her then husband.

     “As I have previously mentioned, the Chinese symbol for trouble is two women under the same roof, and by that same token, she didn't want any woman gaining in rank and thereby presenting a challenge in some way.

     “So when I finally tested again a year later, I decided to force her to promote me no matter how badly I did. And I deliberately did badly, daring her to go back on her promise of a double promotion if only I would test. She promoted me as promised and then took it away and more, dropping me back to white belt and suspending me for three months. She probably thought I would do as Scott did and beg to return, but I didn't. She begged me to return, but I wouldn't return to the school, and eked out a few private lessons from her. She was like a fisherman, tossing me bait, trying to reel me in, but I broke the line just as she thought she had me.”

    bemused said, “I became a female black belt, but I was never "honored" with enough "trust" to earn such a "special program." I'm guessing that EAS and Sarah K., at the very least, are treated this way. I've compared them to abused wives before and will do so again. They stay due to fear, hope, and Stockholm Syndrome. Like an abusive spouse, Tae Yun alternates her tyranny with praise and gifts.

     “I think that Tae Yun is insecure about her femininity, which is why she obsessively modifies herself surgically, wears too much makeup, dresses provocatively, and has to get more attention than any other female in the room. She gives "makeovers" to her female students, but this is so she can clone herself, so she can make those she perceives as rivals less threatening. She tends to see malevolent seductive behavior in female students, but I think in most cases she is projecting her own motivations. She claims that other women are jealous of her, but often she is the jealous one.

     “She has internalized the prejudices of which she was once a victim. She believes what her Korean culture and the Bible say about women, although she exempts herself. No matter how hard her female students try to prove they are not what she says they are, they never succeed, especially since she keeps them sleep-deprived, gives them crazy diets, and plays them against each other.

     “It's as if Tae Yun has two people in her psyche, a female high-school Miss Popularity contestant and a male banana republic dictator, and both hate women.”

     Failed Student said, “I give you an A+ for that analysis Bemused.”

     bemused said, “I think Kimmie's insecurity in regard to other women is one reason why she interferes with and breaks up relationships.

     “It probably gets under her skin to see another woman happily in love. When she draws the man into JSW or COL and breaks up the relationship, it's a clear victory. When she draws the woman into JSW or COL, she increases the woman's self-doubt and gets chances to undermine it further.

     “Kimmie allows some romantic relationships within COL, but only if she gets to micromanage them. Each partner must love Kimmie more than their partner or they get punished for it. EAS got punished, and according to other posters Sarah K. did too. I wasn't punished for my relationship with CA, but we never got really close, not like my husband and I are close now. And I'm not talking about physical closeness, I'm talking about being best friends.”

     bemused said, “I was thinking about the hair-pulling WhiteBear mentioned, and I remembered when my mom had her hair pulled while in a brief marriage to an abusive man. He ripped her hair so badly that half of it was ragged short. My mom asked me to cut it, and looking back I feel like I was an enabler, helping her hide her suffering from the world.

     “A few years after I joined COL, Tae Yun suddenly got this idea that all the women should cut their hair short. She said long hair contained "old energy." My theory about this used to be that she envied women with hair better than hers (she wears wigs for a reason), and maybe that's partly true. But I have a new theory.

     “Tae Yun often disguises punishments by giving other students the same regimen as a "special program." For example, in the first thread Juliana said, “ talked about how when she was punished for some sort of mild physical encounter with an instructor with a severe diet, several other women were put on the same diet so she wouldn't appear singled out. Another poster explained that the rash of name changes that afflicted COL at one point was due to a student whose credit Tae Yun had ruined changing their name to hide their debt.

     “My new theory about the haircuts is that Tae Yun ripped a female student's hair, had that student get a haircut, and then made all the women get haircuts due to "old energy" to hide what happened. I think I have an idea who the victim might have been.”

     WhiteBear said, “Good theory Bemused. I can totally see that happening, hiding the reason for the haircuts so as not to have one stand out. I remember all the women being told to get their haircut short and about the "old enegee".

     “Another thing that could back up your theory is that Tae Yun herself often cuts students hair these days. The 'being dragged around by the hair incident' I refer to is fairly recent, within the past few years. It is probably something she has done all along when she gets really pissed off. It is scary to have her cut your hair. You have to say "wow ma'am, it looks great!" or appear ungrateful. Some students have cried afterwards and then learned to have an excuse to leave when she asks for her hair cutting kit.

     “Failed Student, the black belts on the JSW website are real although many have been double, triple or quadruple promoted to their newest rank. Tae Yun stated many times that as founder of her own art, she can and will promote any one at any time as she feels like it. It is hard to know what rank is based on. Some have worked very hard and have the skills, others are more "honorary" much like receiving an honorary PhD.”

     Kathy Kim said, “I remember when I was there. My hair never got cut. I just wore wigs. Course I have worn wigs on and off for most of my life. The only thing I didn't like is she had me wear my wig at the end, during class. I didn't care if people saw me without my wig, but apparently she did. All the black belts that were black belts deserved to be black belts when I was there. The junior and the seniors. They were the best I have seen.”

     July 20, 2009

     bemused said, “Failed Student said, those are all likely factors in why Kimmie asked the women to cut their hair. Kimmie loves to humiliate. As for choice, I resisted cutting my hair for a while. Kimmie made comments about my not trusting her or supporting the group. The other women made comments too. I finally caved in because I felt uncomfortable being the odd one out in a group to which I wanted to belong.

     “Later Kimmie suggested some of us grow our hair out. She also recommended color changes to some women, seemingly at whim. I think part of it was she enjoyed telling people what to do in a very personal area and seeing them go out and do it power for its own sake.

     “Kimmie also likes to do COL women's makeup. She's competent at it although she uses too much and sometimes goes for effects that only work on stage.

     “The first time she did mine I wrote in my journal that I felt she was taking away my identity. I also complained about her criticism of my looks while doing it. I said, “ that some people had told me I was pretty enough to be a model, which was true, although I'm sure not everyone who looked at me thought that (I was in my 20s). Kimmie was pissed.     It was around the time of the tithing incident, and between the makeup and the money, she threatened to dismiss me.

     “Kimmie thought I had thin, narrow lips, and one time when she was doing my makeup she gave me bozo lips. I tried not to complain, but she could tell I didn't like it and again accused me of not trusting her. Obviously, I had reason not to.

     “One time when she was doing my makeup she used mascara to darken my eyebrows. It's a gentler look than using a pencil. I remarked that I always did that even before I met her, and she got pissed. I thought she would be pleased, but I guess she didn't like me having any good beauty ideas on my own.”

     Failed Student said, “I have to agree with you Bemused. Kimmie's make-up is stage-worthy. Talk about a painted woman. I remember when I was at her house and she was putting her face on, she would apply those ridiculously long false eyelashes. Then the exaggerated lips, and so on. No wonder people stared at her in the street.

     “I was looking at that video of her at Michael F.'s wedding - there again, it was all about Kimmie, as the bride had to show her gratitude to Tae Yun, then break a board with an axe kick, in her wedding dress for crissakes. How ridiculous can you get? Anyway, she was wearing that ill fitting pick pants suit, and her boobs were out of proportion with the rest of her body, and I think that if she fell down face forward, she'd bounce right back up again. Is she not aware of the spectacle she makes of herself, or does she just not care?”

     WhiteBear said, “Wow Bemused, great questions! Behind each question are so many stories of how she manipulated us.

     “I witnessed beatings being carried out via Tae Yun on her speaker phone. Yes, she has that much power over her followers. Giving orders as to who will be beaten, by whom and how many whacks are to be given. All this and never a reason as to "why?".

     “Getting back to your questions Bemused these are on target, yes, hitting a bull's eye with each one. Back when Hello 123 posted and sort of lit up this thread, Tae Yun would say in class that we should all read it, Bullshido, to see what others are saying.  Needless to say that didn't last too long. Soon she told us not to read it, especially when one student forwarded Bullshido to other students (several ended up leaving because of it...). Man oh man did that student get in "trouble" and called out in front of the class.

     “Sarah K. monitors what we post as part of her job but for sure other's are reading this too.   They read in secret, hiding from Tae Yun and don't dare discuss what they have read amongst themselves.

     “When Chica began to share her story, Tae Yun came out and really gave it to all the COLer's about reading Bullshido. She said and I quote, "These instructions are direct from God: you will be spiritually dead if you listen to the evil people". Sadly, there are some who follow her instructions to the letter and will never apply critical thinking to Tae Yun's teachings or actions. To use God to manipulate her followers so as not to possibly have them connect the dots and question her is sinister to say the least. This is why it is forbidden to form close friendships in COL, just as in Bullshido it is an opportunity to "compare notes" and discuss how we really feel about what goes on in Tae Yun's martial arts teachings.

     “Bemused said, any one of your questions might just connect with that "burr in the saddle" that a COL student is struggling with or perhaps a new student who is having second thoughts about her. Excellent work!

     “By the way...we are not "evil people" Tae Yun.”

     Kathy Kim said, “Not only are we not Evil people" "she is not God." She is about as far as you can get from God. If you read the Bible as it should be read...you will see that she has a lot to answer to God about. Bemused said, “, you always hit it right on the head.....I hope they listen, or as White Bear says, it puts a burr in their saddle....”

     bemused said, “I know firsthand that Tae Yun attempted to plagiarize an exercise book. She asked CW to compile a book of "energy exercises" with pictures, and when she ran out of material from Jung Suwon stretching and her energy forms she started having CW copy pictures and instructions from another exercise book.

     “JW tried to warn Tae Yun that this was plagiarism. Tae Yun's huffy response was that martial arts are the most ancient form of exercise and that all exercise books ultimately plagiarize that body of knowledge.

     “It's a moot point because Tae Yun's exercise book wasn't published. If it had been and the author of the other exercise book had found out and sued, I would have liked to see Tae Yun try the justification she used on JW on a judge.”

     bemused said, “Tae Yun whacks people and has others listen in on speakerphone? That's doubly twisted. I suppose having others witness the punishment makes all the COL students fear punishment more. Yet it increases the chances that someone who brings charges against Tae Yun will be able to call upon firsthand witnesses.

     “All of the questions I posted are questions I asked myself when I began to think about leaving. It's heartening to hear that some COL students secretly read Bullshido, and that some have left because of it. It's too bad Chica took down her posts (for a good reason, to repair her relationship with her mother), because they were some of the most telling on the thread.

     “The best people to help COL escapees are family members though. Even a somewhat dysfunctional family usually welcomes back its lost member and can provide emotional and financial support.”

     WhiteBear said, “Bemused, imagine COL class with everyone sitting in a circle. Tae Yun conducts class from her room using the house intercom system via the phone. She would then call out a student to go in the center and go to push-up position. She has the instructors carry out the beatings in front of everyone.

     “I don't know for sure if she did whacking with her stick and had others listen in but it is quite possible. Classes used to be taped as you remember. I was witness to the secret phone tapping of Kathy. I believe she wants students to know what she is capable of to keep them in check. It works, you become careful of what you say on the phone and try not to step out of line and get called out in class.”

     July 28, 2009

     bemused said, “Tae Yun teaches COL classes by remote control now? She never did that while I was there. Either her vanity or her health must be compromised.

     “I remember witnessing one beating of that type, where the recipient, CS, was in push-up position and Tae Yun whacked him on the butt with her staff.

     “She actually did it at the end of JSW class in the dojang. She later claimed that CS had asked to be punished in this way for something he wanted to stop doing. I thought at the time that it was just another "The few, the proud, the COL" thing, but I should have taken it more seriously.”

     bemused said, “If CS wanted to press charges I'd be willing to be a witness, but somehow I doubt he would, because at the time he confirmed that he did ask for this punishment, and there might be a statute of limitations besides. It's worth mentioning that CS is over six feet tall, built like a tank, and an ex-marine.

     “But I wouldn't put it past Tae Yun to punish weaker people in this way without their consent. Or with a "consent" obtained through pressure to be a "trusting" student.

Court cases and negative press haven't dissolved COL before. Tae Yun seems to be getting progressively worse, and I hope that if she gets too extreme a mass exodus will result. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I do know of one cult that dissolved itself when the leader got out of hand.”

     PP noted, maybe CS was into beatings and therefore liked it, but still it’s not right. Also Kim’s spying on her students through the intercom and the painting is kind of weird.

     Failed Student said, “Well Bemused said, I hope this situation gets to the breaking point and it resolves without too much bloodshed. I concur that Tae Yun appears to be on a downward spiral, exacerbated no doubt by her losing her looks despite all the plastic surgeries.

     “I believe those that come from dysfunctional families are the ones that endure the beatings and other harsh treatment without a whimper. This is the milieu that they were exposed to prior to joining Tae Yun, so her discipline is but a continuation of that lifestyle.  Victims of abuse go from one abuser to another because of their own poor self image.

     “In reading the news, the many thousands that escape North Korea each month are being re-educated so they can function in South Korea. They have only known a dictatorship that controls their every move, so freedom has to be taught to them.

    “In this same way, those that escape Tae Yun will need some time to re-adjust to normal society. The young fourth dan that she has probably knows only life within the confines of JSW and will find it even harder to adjust to the outside world once madame croaks or he makes his move to leave.”