Mr. Bong Yul Shin was involved in judo as a competitive sport at a young age. He won the High School National Tournament twice and later went on to the semi-finals of National competition. He had received a Bachelors of Arts degree from the prestigious Korean Yudo College, now known as Yong In University. Yong In University is the only Martials Arts University in the world.

Mr. Shin came to the United States on April 24, 1961 to get additional education at the University of Missouri. After Mr. Shin moved to St. Louis, Missouri, he worked with Mr. Bob Wehlen, an English teacher in Granite City, Illinois, to learn English. He later earned his Master's Degree from the University of Vermont in 1970.

Mr. Shin tried to find a summer job while attending school, but soon decided to do what he knew best. In 1963, he opened a martial arts school in South St. Louis. The school was located at 5920 Hampton Avenue. Mr. Shin combined the knowledge that he had learned from his father and that of two of his instructors, Dr. Lee and Mr. Nam Suk Lee along with the education he received from Yong In University, to achieve and develop the highly respected Moo Do Kwan School of Martial Arts

Grandmaster Shin holds the honor as being one the founding fathers of Tae Kwon Do in America. His first interest in martial arts came in the form of Tang So Do. Much like the Tae Kwon Do, Tang So Do uses both the feet and hands to strike and block. At the age of 12, after studying Tang So Do for a period, Mr. Shin started his training in Judo at his father's school in Taegu. Taegu, Mr. Shin's hometown is located approximately 250 miles south of Seoul, the captial of South Korea. Judo is part of the compulsory of education in Korea, just as Physical Education is required in the schools in the United States.

Presently, Mr. Shin is certified by the Kukkiwon in Korea as a 9th Degree Grandmaster in Tae Kwon Do. He is also certified by The Korean Hapkido Federation as a 9th Degree Grandmaster in Hapkido. In July 2000, the board of experts at The International Judo Federation promoted Mr. Shin to 9th Degree Grandmaster. At age 62, he was the youngest person ever to be promoted and certified to 9th Degree Grandmaster. Mr. Shin admits that the young children of today are more interested in the flair, fast action, and blood shown in Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies than they are in the lost martial art of Judo. "Judo," says Grandmaster Shin, "is strength and discipline." All of the martial arts taught by Grandmaster Shin are very heavy on strength, discipline, and endurance. There should be no distinction between the techniques taught to the experienced person and those taught to the inexperienced one. The object in learning the techniques is to defeat an opponent. Martial art is just that an art, not aggressive action, but when confronted with a conflict it can be used as a tool for self-defense.

Grandmaster Shin retired from Anheuser-Busch where he worked in corporate security and self-defense training for executives. He also worked at the Missouri Athletic Club and was a Physical Education Instructor at Washington University.

Martials Arts, regardless of the style (Tae Kwon Do, Karate-do, Hapkido, Akido, and others) all have several things in common. They instill self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-respect. These are as much a part of a martial arts as learning techniques and forms. Regardless of a person's physical size, with the self-confidence you gain in learning martial arts, you will always walk tall. Just as a burglar will choose the easiest house or store to rob, a bully or mugger will usually pick what they perceive to be the easiest person to harass or rob.

Tae Kwon Do is not only a form of self-defense, but also a sport used in competition including the World Olympics. Because it is a contact sport, students must learn which techniques are appropriate in competition and which techniques are for defending ones-self against an opponent that is trying to do them harm. Instructors divide teachings into two distinct classes. Students learn the style used in competition, including how to bow when entering the Dojang (Tae Kwon Do school), how to bow when entering the ring for competition, and so forth. This style prohibits hitting below the belt, punches to any region of the head, and kicks or punches to any region of the back of the body. In addition, competitors are required to wear protective equipment.

This kind and gentle man who holds the esteem of the Martial Arts world, graciously accpets invitations to community gatherings, as well as those from faraway countries like China, Korea, and Russia for demonstrations. He serves on the Board of KYHA (Korea Youth Hostels Association). He is a founding member of the International Council of Martial Arts Education (ICMAE), established in 1978 by high-ranking martial arts educators for the "development and promotion of martial arts education and to build a spirit of friendship and cooperation among all martial artists." He serves as the Missouri State Representative to the World Organization of Mixed Martial Arts (WOMA) whose creed states "we are small in number but we scan world wide to find the best of the best and only those will we accept to be part of our brotherhood. We currently are the largest non-profit ELITE & prestigious brotherhood of mixed martial artist." Grandmaster Shin is the founder of the National Gateway Moo Do Kwan Association. He has Moo Do Kwan (MDK) schools from California, throughout Missouri and into Florida. Grandmaster Shin's most recent honor was when he was inducted into the Missouri Athletic Club's Hall of Fame.