Once upon a time, a guy choreographed the fight scenes for the third installment of the movie trilogy, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” That guy now lives in Seoul.

His name is Kent Kim and he recently began sharing his wisdom and passion for martial arts training with Koreans and foreigners alike via personal kickboxing training sessions on the rooftop of his apartment in Haebangchon, central Seoul. In the shadow of Seoul’s most noticeable landmark, Namsan Tower, his students can hit and kick out the frustrations of a tough week at work.

“Sure, I enjoy working out with my students, but it is more about our community,” Kim said. “Every now and then we go out after training. This neighborhood is perfect because we can just go get some barbecue with everyone after. I really love that camaraderie.”

Born in Kyoto, Japan, to Korean parents then moving to America in his early teens, where he spent the better part of 30 years, Kim is fluent in Japanese, English and Korean. While he had visited Korea in the past, he officially moved here just over three years ago. After a stint of corporate life and a partnership to run a popular restaurant and bar in Itaewon, Kim felt it was time to jump back into what he loves ― teaching martial arts.

“I was just thinking one day, ‘OK, what am I going to do out here in Korea?’” Kim said. “And I remember saying that I needed to teach kickboxing. If it wasn’t going to be my main job then at least a secondary business. I had to do it.”

Kim likens kickboxing to eating three meals a day and says it is something he simply needs to do.

Kim was a well-known martial artist on the world scene from the late 1980s to early 1990s with more than 200 first place finishes in martial arts full combat tournaments. He competed and finished first in international tournaments including the U.S. National Karate Foundation’s National Championship and the Hard Contact Karate World Championships in Japan.

He is also no stranger to cameras and movie sets. In 1992, Kim was contacted by a supervising production editor of the movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time.” After initially being hired as a stunt extra in the pre-production stage, his martial arts skill landed him a permanent spot on the set as the stunt backup for the main villain and he was promoted to assistant technical advisor.

“I choreographed just about 40 percent of the fight scenes in the movie,” Kim said. “It was really fun. I was all over the movie.

In some scenes I have a mustache and others a full beard.”

Kim’s screen-time increased in the U.S. with him landing roles in commercials and has continued while living here in Korea. Kim has appeared on popular dramas including “Cinderella’s Sister,” “Swallow the Sun” and “Shut Up! Flowerband.” With his Japanese language skills, he typically plays a Japanese mafia member or some other “bad guy” character.

“But at the end of the day, martial arts is where my heart lies. For me it is what keeps me going,” Kim said.

Teaching kickboxing on his rooftop is a fairly recent undertaking. Wanting to be active on a daily basis, he decided to start offering personal kickboxing and boxing classes. As his student base grows, the vision of what he is accomplishing does as well.

Inspired by a friend’s story of starting and living in a personal training yoga studio in Tokyo, he intends to make his lessons a full time occupation. “I’m just not a corporate kind of guy,” Kim said.

At the moment he teaches small groups or one-on-one style sessions. On Kim’s rooftop, everyone acts, talks and punches as if among friends.

“If you are in a group, he is great at connecting everyone that’s up on the roof,” said Kristin Winn, a 28-year-old English teacher living in Seoul. “You can even network while working out.

“He makes it easy to work out,“ Winn said. “Time flies because you are talking and laughing while working out. He also attracts very positive people because he is so positive. It doesn’t really feel like a training session, it feels more like a good time.”

Which is exactly how Kim intends it to be. No matter what stresses life may throw at his students, he feels there is always time for a good session of right hooks and jump rope. Not to mention a team barbecue after. 

(Yonhap News)