HOW IT ALL STARTED
GRAND MASTER ROY KURBAN
“REPETITION IS THE MOTHER OF GENIUS”
Grand Master
Roy D. Kurban
Grand Master 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. He also spent a full year in Korea training with Grand Master Won Chik Park. He currently holds a Ninth Degree Black Belt from the United States Taekwondo Grandmaster’s Society, and is one of the very few Americans to receive a Master Instructor Certificate from the Kukkiwon.
Grand Master Kurban won 127 awards in National and International competition, including 80- 1st place and Grand Championships and has been a martial arts instructor for over 47 years.
Co-founded the Traditional Karate League in the 1980's.
Grandmaster Roy Kurban’s professional resume also includes his service as an instructor for the United States Army and National Guard, Great Southwest Police Academy (Texas), and for U.S. Treasury and FBI agents. In 1982, he also established an accredited Taekwondo course for the University of Texas at Arlington Physical Education Program..
1965 - Began Taekwondo training under Allen Steen, Larry Caster, Skipper Mullins, Jerry Wiseman, Phillip Ola, and Dennis Dorris. Also trained in Isshinryu Karate with Ed Johnson.
1968 - Awarded 1st Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo – Dallas, Texas.
1970-71 - Trained under Grandmaster Won Chik Park while stationed with the U.S. 8th Army, Seoul, Korea.
1970 - Awarded 2nd Degree Black Belt at the Ji Do Kwan Headquarters in Seoul, Korea.
1972 - Awarded 3rd Degree Black Belt in Dallas, Texas by Allen Steen.
1973 - “Best All-Around Karate Man in the U.S.” as quoted by Mike Stone in Professional Karate Magazine.
1975 - Awarded 4th Degree Black Belt through Korea Moo Duk Kwan Association with the test conducted by Master Hee Deok Park in Odessa, Texas.
1980 - Awarded 5th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructors Certificate under the aegis of the Kukkiwon with the exam conducted by Grandmaster Won Chik Park, Fort Worth Texas.
1986 - Awarded 6th Degree Black Belt under the Kukkiwon and Ji Do Kwan Association, conducted by Grandmaster Won Chik Park. Concurrently awarded 6th Degree Black Belt certification in Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo by Master Larry Caster in Arlington, Texas.
1994 - Awarded 7th Degree Black Belt by Grandmaster Won Chik Park through the Ji Do Kwan and Kukkiwon.
2005 - Awarded 8th Degree Black Belt and title of “Grandmaster” by Grandmaster Won Chik Park, President of the United States Taekwondo Grandmaster’s Society.
2014 - Awarded Ninth Degree Black Belt by Grandmaster Won Chik Park after testing under the aegis of the United States Taekwondo Grandmaster’s Society.
Grand Master
JENNIFER BRANCH
Master Jennifer Branch recently earned her 8th Degree Black Belt, or 7th Dan, in Taekwondo. The United States Taekwondo Grandmaster Society awarded her 6th Dan in 2008, and 7th Dan in 2014, under the aegis of Grandmaster Won Chik Park, 9th Dan, and Grandmaster Roy D. Kurban, 9th Dan. Master Branch’s rank has also been recognized and certified through the American Karate Black Belt Association, Chin Sook Hage Kwan.
Decades of dedicated training has earned Master Branch many accolades including being ranked as a Top Competitor in the Southwest Region by Karate Illustrated Magazine (1986), a nationally accredited publication. Her competitive resume includes a corporate sponsorship by Meridian Service Corp. which provided funding for national and international competition such as the International Tournament of Champions in Bermuda, L.A. Internationals, Battle of Atlanta, Fort Worth National Pro-Am, National Karate Open Finals, Gulf Coast Nationals, and the United States Karate Championships, the latter at which she earned Black Belt Forms Champion in 1985 and 1986.
Grand Master Jennifer Branch founded TEAM ZEN Champions for Life which is a 501(3)c non-profit dedicated to enriching youth leadership and goal setting skills through the discipline of Taekwondo. Donations made to TEAM ZEN fund competitions, trainings, scholarships, and black belt certifications. You can learn more about TEAM ZEN at http://www.teamzenchampions.org/about-team-zen/.
1974- Began Taekwondo training under Grandmaster Roy Kurban at the American Black Belt Academy in Arlington, Texas.
1975-2010 – Competed in local, national, and international events
1981 – Top 5 Jr. Fighter in Texas, A.O.K.
1982 – Top 10 Jr. Competitor – Southwest Region, Official Karate Yearbook
1984-87 – Top 3 Adult Competitor, Forms & Fighting, A.O.K.
1985-87 – Regionally Ranked Forms and Fighting, Karate Illustrated Magazine
1990-95 – Top Competitor, Eagle Award Winner, Traditional Karate League
1996 – Texas State TKD Championships, Gold & Silver Medalist
1996 – First Female to perform Demonstrations at Ft. Worth International TKD Championships
1996 – US National TKD Championships, US Olympic Training Center, Silver Medalist
1996 – Awarded 5th Dan Master Certificate under the aegis of Grandmaster Kurban and Grandmaster Won Chik Park, World TKD Federation
2008 – Battle of Atlanta, 1st Fighting, 2nd Forms
2008 – Awarded 6th Dan under Grandmaster Kurban and Grandmaster Won Chik Park, USTKD Grandmaster Society
2009 – W.T.F. US National Qualifier, Sport Poomsae, Gold Medalist
2010 – 42nd Annual US Karate Championships, Texas Legends Team Match
2014 – Awarded 7th Dan under Grandmaster Kurban and Grandmaster Won Chik Park, USTKD Grandmasters Society and the American Karate Black Belt Association.
2018 – Who’s Who Legends Award presented by American Martial Arts Alliance.