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horim2004
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Latest Journal Entry: Apparently i am a "gwai loh"... July 01, 2008, 02:26am
Profile:  "Just as the Sakura is the flower among flowers, so is the Samurai the man among men."
I personally believe that traditional Samurai were too rigid and inflexible. They possessed many inherent traits that i consider weaknesses in their adaptability. However, i can't help but admire the Samurai drive for perfection; the single-mindedness in which they pursued their goals, ideals, and desires. Such things inspire me to pursue my own dreams with the same intensity of single-minded determination and resolve.
 "As a budding seed will one day grow into a beautiful flower, so too should a boy grow into a beautiful man."
The Hwarang are little known outside of professional martial artists and Koreans in general. They were Korean Knights; similar to Samurai and western Knights, but existed long before them. The Hwarang and Hwarang Do (Way of the Flower Knight) began in the 3rd century, and became a fully complete and established system of education by the 6th century. As my family clan is the Gyeongju Kim (Shi Gaiden Pa branch), its reasonable to assume that some of my ancestors were Hwarang. The Hwarang inspire me in that a person should grow into something beautiful; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I try to model the way i live my life by using the best traits from these educated warriors.
 “A tiger never returns to a prey he did not finish off. There are none.”
I've always been fascinated by lions and tigers. I supposedly have some kind of cosmic/ mystical connection with them, since in every astrology chart i've ever consulted the 2 have always been my symbol. I personally have never believed in that mumbo-jumbo; however both lions and tigers do possess traits which i admire, namely: strength, courage, cunning, and ferocity. My name, which is Kim Ho Rim, actually means Golden Tiger in the Forest. Ironically, it is a derivative of my chinese zodiac. Although i do experience mercy, pity, and sympathy, i generally do not show it to others... especially not to enemies. Enemies should always be devoured, with nothing left behind.
 “Fire, the inner fire, is the most potent of all force, for it overcometh all things and penetrates to all things of the Earth.”
Although by birth i'm associated with Sehkmet (Vengeance, Conquest, and War), by my own choice i'm associated with Thoth (Knowledge and Wisdom). Learning is something i try to do in every situation; nothing is really wasted as long as something is learned from the experience, and then later applied. I'm not religious, and don't worship any gods. But i do find the god Thoth possesses admirable qualities, and so i therefore take on those qualities myself. I especially try very hard to establish and maintain relationships with people whom i also find these qualities inside of, in order to both learn from them and grow as a person. Knowledge, wisdom, and experience are key factors that when properly applied, can lead to very satisfactory results. The god Thoth inspires me to never stop learning, and to keep an open mind.
 “Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Next is the sparrow with broken wings. I won't name her, to save her some embaressment. But she's been a true inspiration in my life in recent times, and has reminded me why i work as hard as i do, and dream the dreams that i have. It's my greatest wish in life to become a proper husband, and a loving father. I'm quite far from it at the moment... but one day i will be, when i'm prepared. Thank you sparrow.
 "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." - The Litany Against Fear, Dune.
Last, but not least, is my White Lotus. What can i say? Although we're no longer together, i will always love her forever. There may be circumstances which control certain actions from us, but there is no force that can control how we as individuals feel inside. There is no force which can take away the fire of the inner being. Although i don't exactly agree with the above quote from Frank Herbert's Dune, it does have merit and usefulness. Plus it's her favourite quote.
I've been studying, observing, and speaking to people on what it means to be Goth. So far i've managed to find some extremely intriguing information, but i haven't been able to sift through it all yet. As i make progress, it will be updated in my journal. Since coming here to VF two years ago, i've made many great friends here in Toronto, in the USA, and around the world. I've even had several chances to meet my VF friends in person, and continue to meet the friends i've made here in this interesting online community. Anyhow i'm also a korean-canadian, 32 years old (i look very young for my age, and sometimes mistaken for a teenager... which is sometimes amusing but for the most part not). I love movies, all kinds of music (with a preference to hard and fast kinds), reading, and sports (playing sports... i hate watching it on tv). My favourite love in life is the martial arts. My background is in Taekwondo, and i've cross-trained in dozens of other styles. My main area of expertise though is Japanese swordsmanship, where i am a 2nd degree blackbelt in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido (an ancient sword form style), and a 1st degree blackbelt in Kendo (modern sword fighting). I am also a level 1 Tai Chi Chuan instructor of the Chen Style, and teach a regular class. I used to love competing in tournaments whenever possible, testing my ability and skill against others - and of course also meeting new people. I had made many friends in the iaido and kendo tournament circuit, and my only chances to meet them would be at these regional or national tournaments... and then fight them ^_^. I have many regional gold medals, 2 silver national medals, and 1 silver international medal. The medals are nice to look at... but they don't mean very much. The friendships i have made, and the victories i've been able to take from my most skilled opponents were always the most important to me. I had quite an impressive collection of Chinese and Japanese swords (authentic ones) but have either sold them or given them away as gifts. I have 1 left that i have kept, a hand-forged folded steel Japanese blade shaped in the Shinogi Zukuri katana style. It has a beautiful cloud hamon pattern along the blade, and i have modified the handle length to 12 inches down from the original 16 inches (it was much too long). I've also re-wrapped the handle using genuine silk, and replaced the old scabbard cord with a silk one. The scabbard i stripped and sanded, then refinished using a high quality black laquer. The one thing i have not been able to get around to changing is the polish on the blade... it is barely adequate and does not bring out the fine details in the hamon. One day when i get off my lazy butt i will have it sent out to a professional polisher 8-). I also love to read, my favourite subjects/ genres are (in no particular order): fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, classics, epic poetry, historical, mythology, conspiricy theories, and world/ foreign affairs. My education is from the University of Toronto, specifically in English Lit and European History. Unfortunately i have not been able to complete my final semester yet, due to real life getting in the way (bills and other you-know-what... sigh). I also try to keep an open mind, as open as possible. There are just too many things in this world to learn and discover, i don't see a point in limiting oneself by closed-thinking. I'd just like to mention again that i do not like to participate in the "Rating Game". If you are going to rate me, please by all means do so; but don't expect a 10 from me just because it was what you had rated me. Its quite possible that i will not even rate you back at all, and i may even Power Bomb you instead if i believe that was the reason you had rated me in the first place.
Some Personal Photos of Me:  This is me around 3-4 years ago, competing at a small regional tournament. The iaido kata i'm performing there is Sampo Giri (3 cuts). I won 1st place there... which was pretty meaningless for me since i only had 3 other competitors to beat. I felt kinda bad for the guy who came in last; no medal for him.
 Here i'm in a kendo match with my classmate, also around 4 years ago. We wear full armor called Bogu, which protects our head, throat, chest, arms, and groin areas. I've found that studying both kendo and iaido helped me greatly in rounding out my abilities in the use of japanese swords and sword fighting. Kendo helped me greatly in developing senses of judging distance, guaging speed, and focusing power. It's also essential for developing muscle-memory... or to be more metaphysical, Zanshin, "The Mind with No Remainder".
 A chart showing the 10 angles for iaido cuts. These are specific cutting angles developed to maximize the chances of severing the object of the cut in half, causing instant death. It is the standard chart that is included in the handbook of iaido, written by Haruna Matsuo Sensei. The information is based on centuries of battlefield studies concerning instant-death strikes observed on corpses. The body outline is actually based on Haruna's physical proportions, so there are also notes included as to exactly where the cut should begin, which bones to cut through or to avoid, and where the cut should exit. I should say that these types of cuts will only work with a proper katana, and only if the wielder is properly trained in cutting technique. If the sword being used is not a true sword, it will snap when entering the target. If the technique is not proper and exact, the cut will not be straight and will stop prematurely, not causing instant death, and probably causing wrist injury to you... if you're lucky. If you're unlucky, your opponent will have sliced you in half instead. Please, to anyone reading this, do not try to cut anything without professional supervision or training. And to all psychos who might be looking at this and getting any ideas... good luck, you won't get very far.
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