Relevant Credentials

 

• KODOKAN JUDO, 5th DEGREE BLACK BELT (Expert Teacher) - as certified by the hand of Kaichi Tei-Judo 8th dan and the Menji Jingu Budojo Shiseikan Honbu located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo-Japan and the Kokosukai Budoin/International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF). Rank awarded by these two prestigious ​organizations is fully accredited by the Japan Ministry of Education and sanctioned by His Royal Majesty the Meiji Emperor. During the years of 1984 through 2005, Kevin James held dan rank through affiliation with Southern California NANKA Judo and the United States Judo Federation (USJF). He was coached by the great Shigeru Yamamoto Judo-7th DAN, Benso Tsuji Judo-7th DAN, and Harlan Emerson a Judo 4th-DAN. 

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• CHUNG DO KWAN TAEKWONDO, 4th DEGREE BLACK BELT (Master Teacher) - as certified by the hand of Grandmaster Duk Sung Son-9th Degree Black Belt   (June 17, 1922 - March 29, 2011), the co-founding President of the World Taekwondo Association. Grandmaster Son began studying Tae Kwon Do in the 1940s under the leadership of Won Kuk Lee, the founder of the Chung Do Kwan (school of the Blue Wave) and style of Taekwondo. Grandmaster Duk Son Sung inherited the leadership role of the Chung Do Kwan in 1950.

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              About Duk Sung Son - Grandmaster Son is a legend and pioneer in the global Taekwondo community. He is best known as the man who personally awarded Black Belt rank to the late great Jhoon Rhee who is widely regarded as "The Father of Taekwondo" in America. Grandmaster Duk Sung Son inherited leadership of the global Chung Do Kwan family of schools from the system founder, Won Kuk Lee. Chung Do Kwan is one of the original 9 schools/styles of Tang Soo Do that ​united to form Taekwondo in 1955. Grandmaster Son taught at many prestigious universities and colleges in the United States including: U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Princeton, New York University, Fordham University, Brown University, Harvard University, and M.I.T. Grandmaster Son has authored two textbooks on Tae Kwon Do, the first book is titled “Korean Karate, The Art of Tae Kwon Do” and the second book is titled “Black Belt Korean Karate”.

 

kevin James is a Master Teacher under Grandmaster Jung Kil Kim-9th Dan -  Kevin James enjoyed the distinct honor of serving as Head Instructor Judo (Korean Yudo) under Colorado's own Jung Kil Kim best known as 'Grandmaster Tiger Kim". Tiger Kim’s Academy of Tang Soo Do, Taekwondo & Hapkido is located near downtown Denver. Jung Kil Kim held the highest rank attainable (9th DAN) in all three of Korea's premier martial arts; Tang Soo Do, Taekwondo, and Hapkido. 

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• Historical Achievements of Grandmaster Tiger Kim

  • A first-generation member of the first Black Belt Graduating Class in Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do under the system's founder,  Hwang Kee. By tradition, first-generation black belt alumni are qualified by their Dan Bon seniority the option to launch and lead a Moo Duk Kwan organization of their own. This tradition is also common in Japan and China only in circumstances where the black belt is certified directly by the hand of the system founder.

  • President of the World Taekwondo Moo Duk Gwan Association

  • Former President of the Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA)

  • Vice President of the Pan American Moo Duk Kwan Association 

  • Colorado State President of the A.A.U. Taekwondo Olympic Committee.

  • Author of the 'Official Encyclopedia of World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Taekwondo & International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) Forms'.

  • 2010, recipient of a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' from the U.S. Taekwondo Grandmasters Society.

  • Director, Pan American Moo Duk Kwan Strategic and Organizational Planning Committee.

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• OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN AUTHENTIC JEET KUNE DO; Instructor Competent - with certificates awarded from the hand of Sigung-Richard Bustillo, a multiple-time International and United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame award-winner, a multiple-time Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame inductee, an advanced black belt degree holder in several martial art disciplines, a certified US Olympic Training Center & USA Boxing Coach, a certified Muay Thai Kru, a grandmaster 11th-degree black belt in Filipino martial arts as recognized by the Council of Grandmasters of the Philippines, and well known former senior student of the late Bruce Lee. 

• Kevin James has also studied under Dan Inosanto (the world's foremost authority on Jeet Kune Do), the great Ted Wong (the last person among the Jeet Kune Do Nucleus to train with Lee up to the time of Lee's passing), Howard Williams (the youngest student to train under Bruce Lee on a regular basis starting at the age of 15), and the incomparable Jesse Glover who was Bruce Lee's first student in the United States, a 2nd-degree black belt in Judo, a successful Judo competitor, and best known as Bruce Lee's first official Assistant Instructor and Co-Instructor. Sijo-Jesse Glover went on to create the martial art of Non-Classical Gung Fu. *See our photo gallery of Kevin James training with the legends named above.

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• CO-FOUNDER & NORTH AMERICAN DIRECTOR of Combat Judo International™, the largest and fastest-growing non-sport judo organization in the world. Over 400 members drawn from 20 nations. The curriculum is fully accredited by the US Army War College in cooperation with the US Secretary of Education, the Council for Higher Education, and authorized by the US Joint Chief of Staff.

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• The United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame' (USMAHoF) honored Kevin’s 30 years of exemplary service in providing security training and budo education to the military and law enforcement tactical first responder community. Kevin James received numerous Letters of Commendation and Appreciation from distinguished clientele such as; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, all five branches of the US Armed Forces, US-friendly NATO member forces, the United Nations, and Private Military Companies in the USA and Europe.

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• United States Navy, Special Operations Parachutist & NEC-9502 Master Training Specialist (MTS) and Active Federal Government Consultant / Lead Counter-terrorism Instructor -  with the US Department of Defense and US State Department’s high-threat operations Worldwide Protective Services (WPPS) program. Kevin co-authored course curriculum and led in the delivery of pre-deployment training to prepare civilian security specialists for work in Iraq, Afghanistan, regions of Africa, and other non-permissive environments. A significant portion of Kevin's curriculum included high risk entry team close-quarters battle (CQB), small unit tactics, room clearing, and actions-on-contact utilizing a pistol, shotgun, and carbine. Personal combatives (self-defense) utilizing bladed weapons, resisting arrest-control and restraint techniques, and tactical handcuffing. A US Navy master training specialist (MTS) is the highest instructor/trainer award and credential issued to a US Naval instructor-trainer.

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• Head Coach & Instructor of Gi & NoGI Judo at TapOut LA - Kevin led Judo and full-contact budo classes at TapOut LA Gym in downtown Los Angeles, California. Between 2008 and 2015, TapOut LA was widely regarded as one of the top #10 MMA training centers in North America. Household names in the UFC, Bellator, K-1 Kickboxing, frequently trained at TapOut LA; Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, Rhonda Rousey, Michael Bisping, Quinton’ Rampage’ Jackson, Urijah Faber, and A-list celebrities.

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