Bob Boggs

Master of the Kenkukan, Olathe, Kansas

Bob Boggs is the founder and Chief Instructor of the Kenkukan, in Olathe, Kansas where he began teaching in thirty years ago. His wife Bridgett, a former State Karate Champion, and his son Travis, an International Karate Gold Medalist, him in administrative and instruction.
A 7th Degree Black Belt, he also holds Shihan and Renshi titles. Bob is one among an elite few in the world who have achieved the coveted Black Belt in Okinawan, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese Marital Arts. Besides personally winning 8 major black belt titles, he recently directed and coached the USA Karate Team to Gold Medal wins at the "94 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russian and brought the USA Team home form the 1995 Mediterranean Games in Greece with 57 medals. You've seen Boggs on NBC's "Sportsworld," ABC's "Wide World of Sport," CBS's "Sports Spectacular: "HBO," and :ESPN."

Boggs began his karate training in the mid-60s on Okinawa under the very famous Grandmaster Taika Seiyu Oyata. Master Joe Lewis, former undefeated World Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion Three times Grand Champion and Boggs' good friend, trained at the same Kenpukan Dojo at this time.

After training several years on Okinawa, Boggs also tested under the late Grandmaster Shigeru Nakamura, Founder of Okinawan Kempo. Returning to the USA, Boggs trained several more years under Oyata who had followed Bob to Kansas. After Shihan Oyata, Boggs trained under world famous Jim Harrison, founder of Bushidokan and Sakura Warrior Arts Systems, and continues to do so today.

Shihan Boggs had an illustrious career, both in competition and administration. In 1975 he was a member of Jim Harrison's five-man National Black Belt Team, which was captained by Roger Carpenter and finished 3rd internationally. In 1976 he was rated in the top forty professional fighters in the USA in 1976. In 1989, Roger Green, an International fighting and forms champion and member of Official Karate Magazine's Legion of Honor and Hall of Fame Society dedicated his 1989 Annual Tournament in honor of Bob Boggs. In 1989 the American Karate Magazine called Boggs the "Leader of Martial Arts in Kansas." In 1991 he was awarded his Renshi Certificate form the Untied States Karate-do Kai Hall of Famer and coach of 7 World champions, John Townsley.

Boggs was State Karate Chairman for the AAU from 19988-1992. During his leadership he was selected as Sports Commissioner for the 1988 Junior Olympic Games, and received the AAU Coach of the year for 1991 and 1992. Besides serving on the USAKF Executive Committee an as and International Team Coach, he serves on the Executive Board of the United States Karate-do Kai and is currently the Chairman of the USKK rank Oversight, Acceptance, and Promotionals. In 1992 Boggs was selected by Karate International Magazine for the Who's Who in the martial Arts Elite.