THE ORIGINS OF THE AMERICAN KARATE BLACK BELT ASSOCIATION CHIN SOOK HAGE KWAN

In 1964 Allen R. Steen formed the Southwest Karate Black Belt Association. Mr. Steen was an international champion and widely known as the father of “Texas Blood and Guts Karate.” He opened the first commercial dojo in Texas (one of the first in the nation) and was the founder of the United States Karate Championships in Dallas (one of the three major national tournaments in those days).

The Association became a “Who’s Who” of the top competitors in America. Dominating the ranks of national fighters were Association black belts such as J. Pat Burleson, often called the first national champion and the promoter of the famed Texas State Karate Championships; Skipper Mullins, 5-time world champ; and Demetrius Havanas (for whom the “Golden Greek Award” is named).

Karate in America, and especially in Texas, was hard and tough (hence the “Blood and Guts” nickname). One national competitor stated that he didn’t compete in the Lone Star State because, “I don’t want to travel a thousand miles to have my teeth knocked in by some Texan.” The Association soon grew so large that in 1972, the name was changed to the American Karate Black Belt Association.

The original AKBBA consisted of several “branches,” each with its own administrators. Mr. Steen would officially authorize schools to form their own AKBBA branch so that individual needs could be meet. Many of the schools or organizations would maintain concurrent membership in one or more other associations (JKA, USKA, ITF, etc.).

THE AKBBA UNDERGOES TRANSFORMATION

In the early 1980s, after years of successful school ownership and tournament promotion, Allen Steen migrated to other successful business ventures. He began to divest his holdings in karate schools and tournaments to various students and friends.

Mr. Steen states that he never intended the organization to be come the individual property of any one person or group. In a 1999 discussion with the AKBBA–CSHK High Dan Board in Houston, Steen explained it was his intention that any of the black belts of his lineage and the lineage of those other founders could and would maintain the legacy. He had hoped it would continue long after him and he never incorporated the association nor sold the rights to the name for that very reason.

Most of the original branches of the AKBBA have morphed into their own, separate organizations. But two remain active today, operating independently and each with their own directors. One AKBBA branch is  under the patronage of the Chin Sook Hage Kwan High Dan Board, whose members are in a direct lineage to the original SWKBBA/AKBBA under Allen Steen. The AKBBA–CSHK is nonprofit and has focuses on the standards of performance and practice of the martial arts set by Steen, and the other founders of the 1960s.

Another AKBBA branch operated under the direction of the late Walt Mason who purchased one of Steen’s schools in the early 1980s. Mr. Mason focused on the commercial aspects of karate as well as tournaments. Mason was instrumental in the growth of the AOK (Amateur Organization of Karate), which helped to established uniform standards and judging in Texas. Today his son, David Mason, continues to operate, in partnership with Texas martial arts veteran, Mr. Barry Guimbellot, the organization developed by his father.

THE CHIN SOOK HAGE KWAN

As mentioned, after Steen’s departure from the helm, many of his associates who had established their own schools and had national reputations in their own right, focused on their own organizations. The face of tournament karate had changed, and so did the karate-school business. However several original AKBBA black belts were still teaching and practicing Texas “rough and tumble” karate. One of them was Charles Bouton, who continued to use the independent region that Steen had granted to him in the early 1980s.

Bouton had come into the SWKBBA in the 1960s as a Dai Ni Gojuryu black belt wanting to cross-train. After earning black belt certification with Steen, Bouton taught in his schools. In March of 1981, Steen traveled to Bouton’s school in Clarksville, Texas where he licensed Bouton to use the AKBBA name and to form his own organizational branch. Bouton became an instructor in Steen’s Lubbock Texas Karate Institute and later opened his own school, Lubbock Karate.

During this period Bouton reconnected with an old friend, Richard Jenkins (a teacher and mentor) from the original SWKBBA. Jenkins was operating his Brownfield Karate Institute. They joined together to carry on the Texas-style tradition. They were joined by another original AKBBA member and champion, Ronnie Cox, of Dallas and several other noted instructors and champions.

In early March of 1986, the name “Chin Sook Hage Kwan” was appended to the organization’s name to differentiate between the two remaining branches of the original AKBBA. Chin Sook Hage Kwan was derived from a term that the original group had jokingly bantered about, “Texas Kwon Do.” The name Texas comes from the American Indian “Tejas,” which literally means “friendly.” Friendly in Korean is “Chin Sook Hage.” Thus the name “Friendly School” or “Chin Sook Hage Kwan” was coined to represent the old phrase, “Texas Kwan Do.”

In 1997, the emblem of the AKBBA-CSHK was redesigned to reflect the uniqueness of the organization. In July of 2010 the emblem was modernized even more to update the look and to establish a new identity going forward into the 21st century. High Dan Board Member Keith D. Yates (who, ironically, designed the very first AKBBA shield for Mr. Steen back in 1972) did the redesign.

OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

We operate under the guidance of a High Dan Board composed of several of the original SWKBBA/AKBBA black belts from the ’60s and ’70s; Keith D. Yates (one of Steen’s original black belts) serves as Chairman, Charles Bouton is the Executive Director, Steen black belts James B. Toney, Royce Young and Richard Jenkins are Emeritus members as is Tim Vought (an original black belt of Ed Daniel). Several other board members have been added over the years (see their bios on the High Dan Board page).

We are a Texas, Non-Profit Corporation and the High Dan Board serves as the legal Board of Directors. Individuals who rank 3rd Dan and higher and who operate their own schools and clubs compose our Affiliate Members. Students joining under an Affiliate are considered Associate Members.

There are currently several Dantai (organizational) Affiliates: Kokusai Dai Ni Gojuryu Karate Kyokai, Dragon Society International, Shorin Aikibudo Association, The American Karate and Tae Kwon Do Organization, and the International Modern Arnis Federation.

An intricate weaving of circumstances created and continues to form the AKBBA-CSHK. It is a captivating story acted out by a kaleidoscope of powerful and unique players. All of the first generation of Allen Steen’s original SWKBBA/AKBBA black belts are now well past the half-century mark in age (and some have been passed on to an eternal Dan). But, the “Texas Blood and Guts” American Karate and Tae Kwon Do styles and the high physical and mental standards they lived, breathed, and bled still lives on under the direction and leadership of the High Dan Board.