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Advisory Members

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dan.anderson
Dan Anderson, 10th Dan

Dan is known as “Super Dan” during his competitive career in which he won over 70 grand champion titles. He has further established himself as an expert teacher in the Filipino arts and has written extensively on American karate and Arnis. Based in Oregon, he has combined his vast experience into a unique blend of combat styles into the Anderson Martial Arts Systems, which he teaches around the globe. 

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017
jeff.smith
Jeff Smith, 10th Dan

Jeff is not only one of the most winningest point-and full-contact fighters (a seven-time PKA world light-heavy weight champ) ever but has established himself as a visionary in the area of business management and marketing for the martial arts industry. Originally from Texas, Smith moved to Washington D.C. and was instrumental in helping the late Jhoon Rhee set up his international empire.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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Bill Wallace, 10th Dan

Bill is widely known as “Superfoot” because of his incredibly fast left leg enabling him to win almost every major karate tournament in the 1960s and ‘70s and then go on to win 23 consecutive professional bouts as the PKA middleweight world full-contact champion. Also an internationally known teacher, Wallace earned a master’s degree in Kinesiology from Memphis State University. An author and film actor, he continues to give seminars around the world.

Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS

Of course Allen Steen, the AKBBA Founder and President Emeritus would be the first individual listed. See a more complete profile under A Martial History.
Ronny Cox
Next would be one of the AKBBA/CSHK founders, Ronny Cox. Mr. Cox was among the AKBBA/CSHK founders and one of the greatest fighters in the karate circuit of the ’60s and ’70s. He was an original black belt in Steen’s Texas Karate Institute and became an Addison, TX police officer. Mr. Cox was the first Association Secretary and instrumental in our early years. He was shot and killed during a drug operation of the Addison and Dallas Police Departments in December of 1986. He continues to be missed by the Board and membership of this Association.
Roy Kurban, 10th dan
Vice Chairman Emeritus

Roy Kurban began his martial arts training in 1965 under Texas Karate greats Allen Steen, Larry Caster and Skipper Mullins, earning his black belt in 1968. While in the U.S. Army he spent a full year in Korea training with Grand Master Won Chik Park. Mr. Kurban is one of the most decorated fighters in the history of sport karate. He won 127 awards in national and international competition including over 80 first places and grand championships. He was ranked in the “Top Ten” fighters by Black Belt Magazine, Karate Illustrated, Official Karate and Professional Karate. Mr. Kurban was a founding member of the Amateur Organization of Karate (AOK). Mr. Kurban has served as an instructor for the U.S. Army, the National Guard, the Great Southwest Police Academy, and for U.S. Treasury and FBI agents. He also established an ongoing accredited karate course for the University of Texas at Arlington P.E. department. He has served as the Rules Commissioner for the Karate International Council of Kick Boxing (KICK) and was as a referee for international kick boxing and Olympic Taekwondo tournaments. He founded the American Black Belt Academy in Arlington Texas in 1973 where he trained many national and world rated fighters.</p><p>He was named the Black Belt Magazine “Man of the Year” in 1981 and is in too many national and international Halls of Fame to list. He served many years as a certified peace officer and judge in Arlington, Texas. He currently is Assistant Chief of the Tarrant County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office. He is recognized by the Taekwondo Grandmaster’s Society, and is one of the few Americans to receive an Instructor Certificate from the Kukkiwon World Headquarters, Seoul, Korea.

 

Richard Jenkins, 10th dan
Secretary Emeritus

Richard Jenkins, a Texas karate pioneer, served as high dan board and association secretary from 1985 to 2001, is a charter member of the old Southwest Karate Black Belt Association, original AKBBA, and current American Karate Black Belt Assn-CSHK. He began studying Shotokan Karate in 1958 while in the U.S. Navy earning 1st Dan in 1961. Studying several martial arts styles, he holds dan grade ranking in Judo, Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan, Okinawan Dai Ni-Gojuryu, Tang Soo Do, Taekwondo Moo Duk Kwan and has studied Aikido, Nunchaku, Sai, Bo, Yawara Stick, and Kama.

He’s the original program director for Allen Steen’s Texas Karate Institutes, helping establish comprehensive business, financial, student recruiting, and advertising programs that helped build one of the most successful string of karate schools and systems in Texas and the nation.

In 1970 he, Fred Wren and Mike Anderson opened five karate schools in St. Louis. In late 1971 Anderson and Jenkins opened three schools in Oklahoma City. In 1974 with Walt and Debbie Bone, opened schools in St. Pete, Seminole, and Largo, FL. In 1979 opened his own karate school in Brownfield, TX which he ran successfully for over a decade until following his father’s death moved home to take over operations of their family-owned Northeast Houston community water utility system.

He was also a noted fighter winning or placing in numerous local and national tournaments such as the Texas Open Karate Championships, American/Taiwanese Team Full Contact Matches, Illinois and Florida State Championships, Karate Olympics, and All American Open.

1988 he was awarded AKBBA Instructor of the Year, in 1991 appointed a Shihan in North America for the International Ni Goju-Ryu Karate-Do System, 2004 inducted into the Texas Martial Arts Hall of fame. On retirement from the High-Dan Board in 2012 he was inducted into the prestigious Karate Masters Hall of Fame, and 2019 inscribed into the Who’s Who In Martial Arts Library.

Grandmaster Jenkins’ martial arts career spans over six decades. He has produced many black belts, champions, and successful school owners in their own right, and still in demand continues to pass along his experience and wisdom helping others become successful instructors and school owners.

James B. Toney, 10th dan
Chairman Emeritus

James Toney AKBBAJames Toney served with distinction as our Chairman from 1997 to 2011. He was one of the original board members of the old Southwest Karate Black Belt Association and of the original AKBBA. He began his karate training in the early 1960s at the Texas Instruments Karate Club. He always considered himself a student, achieving black belts in TaeKwonDo MooDukKwan, TaeKwonDo ChungDoKwan, Okinawan Dai Ni Gojuryu, and Jujitsu. He was named Shihan for North America by the Kokusai Dai Ni Gojuryu Karate Kyokai. Many champion fighters of the early era called Mr. Toney sensei.

For years he was research geologist at the University of Texas at Arlington. He was a true Texas and American Karate pioneer, and much of what made karate in the Southwest the toughest and fastest growing in the nation, can be attributed to Mr. Toney who passed away in 2015.

Keith Yates, 10th dan
Chairman Emeritus

Keith D. Yates is recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on the martial arts. Starting his training in 1965 at the age of 14, Yates became one of the youngest black belts in the country when he earned his rank at age 17 from Allen Steen. He established a reputation as one of the top kata (forms) practitioners in the Southwest. After a successful tournament career he embarked on a study of other martial arts and has earned black belts in Japanese Ju-Jitsu and Okinawan Kobudo. 

Mr. Yates was a member of the original Southwest Karate Black Belt Association and was on the Board of Directors of the original AKBBA. He was the designer of not only its original red, white, and blue shield emblem but the updated one currently in use. He created the original lineage chart of the Allen Steen Black Belt line which was published in Black Belt Magazine as “The House that Steen Built.” 

Mr. Yates began the first college “karate for credit” program in the Southwest in 1972 at Southern Methodist University and he served as an adjunct professor at SMU for several years in both the Physical Education and Communications Departments. Allen Steen states that Mr. Yates is the longest, continually-teaching karate instructor in the state of Texas. In 2001, he became just the fourth person that Mr. Steen promoted to the rank of 10th Dan.

Mr. Yates was the head-coach of the U.S. TaeKwonDo Children’s Demo team that performed on the National Mall in Washington D.C. at the unveiling of the Korean War Memorial in 1995. He has authored 15 books and written over 500 magazine articles. He serves in leadership positions in several other national and international organizations and is in several legitimate Halls of Fame. Recognized as an outstanding instructor and innovator he is in frequent demand nationally. 

He graduated from SMU and Dallas Theological Seminary where he did his master’s thesis on the “Spiritual Aspects of the Martial Arts.” 

Royce young, 10th dan
Vice-Chairman Emeritus

We are saddened to report that Royce Young, a Texas karate pioneer, passed away on March 12, 2022. Royce Young, a Texas karate pioneer, served as AKBBA Vice-Chairman from 1997 to 2011. Beginning his training in 1964, he was one of the earliest students of the Texins (Texas Instruments) Karate Club and he took over as head instructor at that club from his teacher, Allen Steen. Royce promoted many students to black belt and they continue his legacy teaching in clubs and schools across Texas.