Allen R. Steen is an American martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

 practitioner, teacher, and promoter

Promoter (entertainment)

An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...

. He was taught by Jhoon Rhee, the "Father of American Taekwondo

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...

", and was the first of Rhee's American students to reach black belt

Black belt (martial arts)

In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...

 standing. He was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame

Taekwondo Hall of Fame

The Taekwondo Hall of Fame ® is an international organization of technical advisors who are themselves members of the World Taekwondo Federation , International Taekwon-Do Federation , and other major taekwondo entities...

 in 2007.

Steen was a business student at the University of Texas when he began studying under Jhoon Rhee in 1959. He achieved his black belt in 1962. Following Rhee's departure from Texas, Steen set up his own school in Dallas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

, which grew into a network of schools throughout the state.

In 1964, Steen founded the Southwest Karate Black Belt Association, which in 1972 became the American Karate Black Belt Association.

In 1966, Steen won the Long Beach International Karate Championships

Long Beach International Karate Championships

The Long Beach International Karate Championships — is an International Karate and martial arts tournament in Long Beach, California. It is well-known due to several appearances of the famous martial artist legend Bruce Lee, and his use of the one inch punch...

, in the process defeating both Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...

 and Joe Lewis.