OfficialKarateMag

04/09/2026

Celebrating a Lifetime of Martial Arts: From competitors to comrades, lifelong friends gather at Capital Conquest in Ottawa, sharing stories, laughter, and a good charcuterie. A true testament to the enduring bonds forged through decades of dedication. Special note; Johan Skalberg flew in from Sweden and Peter Gilpin from Thailand.

04/05/2026

Total new revenue: $418,500 to $558,000 per year.
From four emails. Emails you could have sent last month.

"Most supplement companies focus on getting new customers. Smart ones focus on keeping the ones they already have.

04/01/2026

03/31/2026

03/31/2026

This video will have you choked up, with happy tears but it’s worthwhile. Keep remembering to spread kindness throughout every day since tomorrow is never guaranteed. Xoxo ASL

12/31/2025

A Texas Legend Returns Home:
Remembering Grandmaster Allen R. Steen

By Grandmaster Andrew Linick, Judan • Publisher: Official Karate™ Magazine • Founder (1972): Karate Masters Hall of Fame®

There are teachers, and then there are architects. Grandmaster Allen R. Steen was both.

The martial arts world has lost one of its foundational figures—a man whose influence stretched far beyond the dojang walls . . . whose vision helped transform what was once viewed as an exotic foreign discipline into a cornerstone of American fitness and character development.

When Allen Steen stepped onto the mat after witnessing a Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee demonstration in Texas during the early 1960s . . . he couldn’t have known he was beginning a journey that would alter the trajectory of martial arts across an entire region—and eventually, the nation.

What he did know, even then, was that this art demanded everything: precision, heart, and an unyielding commitment to excellence.
Steen didn’t just train.

He absorbed, refined, and then rebuilt. Earning distinction as Jhoon Rhee’s first American-trained black belt was merely the opening chapter.

What followed was decades of tireless work establishing schools throughout Dallas, creating competitive platforms, and—perhaps most importantly—raising the bar for what it meant to be a martial artist in America.

His founding of what became the American Karate Black Belt Association wasn’t empire-building for its own sake.

It was infrastructure. It was a recognition that without systems . . . without accountability . . . without shared standards . . . the art he loved would remain fractured and inconsistent.

Steen understood that legitimacy required organization, and organization required leaders willing to do the unglamorous work of setting rules, testing standards, and holding the line when shortcuts beckoned.

Texas didn’t become a martial arts powerhouse by accident. It became one because Allen Steen planted roots deep and refused to let mediocrity flourish.

His reputation for demanding discipline wasn’t cruelty—it was respect.

Respect for the art. Respect for the lineage he inherited from Jhoon Rhee. Respect for every student who walked through his doors seeking knowledge and guidance.

The thousands of black belts who can trace their lineage to Steen carry more than techniques.

They carry a philosophy forged in sweat and tested in competition: that excellence is non-negotiable, that tradition and innovation can coexist . . . and that a teacher’s greatest legacy isn’t trophies on a shelf—it’s the character of the people they’ve shaped.

At Grandmaster Rhee’s memorial, it was fitting that Steen stood to speak—first student honoring first teacher, completing a circle that began with a single demonstration and grew into a historic movement.

Today, that circle expands once more as we bid farewell to the man who helped define what American martial arts could become.

Grandmaster Allen R. Steen leaves behind more than schools, more than an association, more than medals and memories.

He leaves behind a standard—one that continues to challenge, inspire, and elevate everyone who steps onto the mat with purpose.

To his family, students, and the countless lives he touched: we stand with you in grief and in gratitude.

To Grandmaster Steen resting peacefully in the Dojo-In-Sky:

Thank you for showing us that building something lasting requires more than talent—it requires courage . . . consistency . . . and an unwavering belief . . . that future generations deserves our very best.

Rest in peace, Sir. Your legacy stands.
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