Dr. Kimm was not only a student in pursuit of a degree in Marine Sciences, but also a Marine Corp Cadet with military training in the afternoon. The commander of the 8th US Area Command and Commander Kim Won-suk of the Korean Marine Training Corp agreed that Dr. Kimm would be allowed to leave the drill area at 5:00 pm every afternoon. Dr. Kimm was required to teach Hapkido to the 8th United States Army Pusan Area Command. He taught self-defense to the US helicopter pilots and Military Police Officers from 6:00 to 8:00 and then from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. Dr. Kimm learned to speak English from them. One of his students was Colonel Angle Myers' son. Colonel Myers suggested that Dr. Kimm should go to the United States to further his education and teach martial arts. Since Colonel Myers had one time been stationed near St. Louis, he was familiar with colleges in Missouri and Illinois. The colonel wrote to Dr. Mark Skully, President of Southeast Missouri State College (now University), explaining Dr. Kimm's desire to study in the United Stated and teach martial arts. Dr. Skully wrote a letter of invitation to Dr. Kimm stating that he would be hired as an instructor of Physical Education and also allowed to take courses toward a degree program.

 
Dr. Kimm was most impressed by Grandmaster Yoon's philosophy. He now looks back and realizes that this philosophy alone probably prompted an all important decision that had taunted him for such a long time. During one class, Grandmaster Yoon drew a line approximately five feet long. He then asked the class how the line could be made shorter. After several unsatisfactory answers, he turned to the board and drew a second line which was longer than the first line. The line then looked shorter. This was like an awakening for Dr. Kimm. It made so much sense to him and it was so easy for him to relate this to his own situation with the Kwon brothers. He then realized that it was better to improve and strengthen one's own line that to cut an opponent's line. Instantly, Dr. Kimm realized that his philosophy applied not only to the dojang, but outside the dojang in everyday life.

Dr. Kimm matured during the four years of college. He read extensively the biographies of different martial arts masters of Korea, Japan and China. He also read about the lives of famous generals, politicians and philosophers. Even more than that, he often visited Tong Do and Bum Uh Sa temples and learned Zen from the masters. Dr. Kimm learned that life is short and that there is always sadness and suffering that cannot be avoided.

Upon graduation from college, Dr. Kimm did not want to take advantage of personal friendship with Dr. Skully's invitation, so Dr. Kimm took the required Korean National Examination in English, Korean History and his major subject . These are used for selecting students for overseas study. Only four hundred students are allowed to study overseas each year. Dr. Kimm passed the examination and Dr. Min Kwan-sik, who was the President of the East Gate Gym, a member of the Senate, and later became Minister of Education and Vice President of the Korean National Assembly, praised Dr. Kimm's achievements in both martial arts and academic areas. Dr. Min advised Dr. Kimm to learn as much as he could, to serve as a cultural ambassador, and to spread Korean martial arts to those who are interested in achieving a higher level.

After four years in Pusan, Dr. Kimm received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Science and was commissioned as a Marine Lieutenant. With his degree came something much more significant: Dr. Kimm began to realize that he had allowed the four Kwon brothers to cloud his life. His original objective to train hard in order to prepare for revenge suddenly reversed himself and he understood that without the strong hatred they had kindled, he would have never endured the training and would have never succeeded. He had succeeded.

In 1963, before Dr. Kimm left Korea for the United States, he visited the Kwon home and told them to forget the past for the sake of the new generation. Dr. Kimm also promised that there would be no hard feelings in the future. When Dr. Kimm offered to help them with their sons' education, they did not say a word to him. They just sat there and lowered their heads.

Dr. Kimm was invited to become an instructor at Southeast Missouri College by Dr. Mark Skully. He arrived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in November 1963. His main teaching curriculum was martial arts. After teaching for six years, Dr. Kimm invited Park Lee-hyun to take over his position. Master Park was taller than Dr. Kimm and his specialty was flying kicking techniques using big circular movements. Master Park and Dr. Kimm performed many demonstrations at tournaments throughout the United States. One of these tournaments they attended was Bob Yenell's in St. Louis where Dr. Kimm met Bill Wallace, the World Karate Champion. Mr. Wallace and Dr. Kimm became friends during this meeting. At the tournament, Mater Park executed a low spinning back kick at full speed. Dr. Kimm was supposed to jump over the kick, but his timing was off and Mater Park kicked the calf of Dr. Kimm's leg with his heel. This sent Dr. Kimm into the air and he fell with a beautifully executed high back fall on the hard floor of the basketball court. Dr. Kimm spent the following two weeks in the library moving as little as possible.