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Grandmaster Roy Kurban
Born	United States
Nationality (legal)	United States
Citizenship	United States
Occupation(s)	Taekwondo grandmaster, 8th dan
Known for	Karate national competitor, Martial arts instructor

Roy Kurban is an 8th degree American Taekwondo martial arts grandmaster and former Karate national competitor. He lives in Arlington, Texas.

Biography

Roy Kurban began martial arts training in 1965, studying Karate under Allen Steen, Larry Caster, Skipper Mullins, Jerry Wiseman, Phillip Ola, and Dennis Dorris. He also trained in Isshin-ryū Karate with Ed Johnson. He earned his first degree black belt in 1968 in Dallas, Texas. As a member of the United States 8th Army in stationed in Seoul, Korea in 1970, he trained for a full year under grandmaster Won Chik Park.

In 1973, Kurban established his own martial school, the American Black Belt Academy, in Arlington, Texas. This same year, he was voted "Best All-around Karate Man in the U.S." by Professional Karate Magazine.

During the 1970s, he was a formidable competitor, and was ranked among the top seven fighters by Black Belt Magazine. It was during this time that he introduced Jin-Song Chung to the United States, a former champion competitor whom he had met in South Korea during his Army enlistment. Chung later opened his own martial arts school in North Dallas and went on to become a grandmaster.

During the 1980s, he made a name for himself as a peace officer instructor throughout the North Texas region, and established an accredited Taekwondo course for the physical education department of the University of Texas at Arlington in 1982, which is still operational.

From 1991 to 2006, Kurban served as Justice of the Peace in North Texas.

He is one of the few Americans to receive a Master Instructor certification from the World Taekwondo Federation. He remains active in the Texas martial arts community, conducting seminars and other events. He is also an active member of the United States Taekwondo Grandmaster Society (USTGS).

Black belts

Kurban earned the following black belts in Karate and Taekwondo:

• 1968 — 1st degree in Dallas, Texas
• 1970 — 2nd degree at the Jidokwan headquarters in Seoul, Korea
• 1972 — 3rd degree in Dallas, Texas from Allen Steen
• 1975 — 4th degree in Odessa, Texas from Master Hee Deok Park, through the Korea Moo Duk Kwan Association
• 1980 — 5th degree and Master Instructor Certificate in Fort Worth, Texas from the World Taekwondo Federation, under Grandmaster Won Chik Park
• 1986 — 6th degree from the World Taekwondo Federation and Ji Do Kwan Association, under Grandmaster Won Chik Park
• 1986 — 6th degree certification in Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo in Arlington, Texas under Master Larry Caster
• 1994 — 7th degree from Grandmaster Won Chik Park through the Ji Do Kwan and World Taekwondo Federation
• 2005 — 8th degree and title of "Grandmaster" by Grandmaster Won Chik Park, president of the United States Taekwondo Grandmaster Society (USTGS)

Awards

• Ambassador of Taekwondo Award, 2010, U.S. Taekwondo Grandmasters Society (USTGS)

Published works

• Roy Kurban (August 1979). Kicking Techniques for Competition and Self-Defense.
• Roy Kurban; et al. (2003). New Gladiators. {{cite AV media}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)
• Roy Kurban (1999 (re-issue)). Practical Kicking Techniques. {{cite AV media}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Roy Kurban (May 2005 (re-issue)). Practical Kicking Techniques. {{cite AV media}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Roy Kurban (June 2010). "Who Else Remembers Grandmaster Allen Steen, The Father Of Texas 'Blood And Guts' Taekwondo Karate?".
• Melinda Folse Kaitcer (April 2010). Grandmaster. The Kaitcer Group LLC. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |introduction= ignored (help), a memoir of Won Chik Park

External links

• RoyKurban.com, offical web site
• YouTube.com, videos excerpts of Roy Kurban from New Gladiators

Category:American taekwondo practitioners Category:Martial arts school founders