Chief Master David Kowkabany
Chief Master David Kowkabany
Chief Master David Kowkabany is an 8th DEGREE BLACK BELT certified by the American Taekwondo Association who began his martial arts training at the University of Florida in 1980.
Chief DK in the Early Years
His first formal training in the martial arts began in Wado-Kai Karate and Isshinryu Karate at the University of Florida, training in university classes and in the evening club classes.
After moving back to Jacksonville in 1984, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of North Florida in 1985. At that point, he began training six days a week in Songahm Taekwondo under Grand Master Bill Clark in Jacksonville, Florida.
He began teaching as an Assistant Instructor in 1988 and became a Certified Instructor in 1990.
While training and teaching in the martial arts was his passion in the evenings, Chief DK also worked for 12 years in Prudential’s home office in Jacksonville, where his primary role was producing training materials and running training seminars on investment products.
During his years of competition, Master Kowkabany was ranked in the top ten in the world in sparring and weapons; and served as the Assistant National Tournament Director of the American Taekwondo Association from 2008 – 2020.
Chief Master Kowkabany Earning His Titles
In 2004, he was promoted to 6th Degree Black Belt, and in 2005, he was dubbed as Master Instructor by Grand Master Soon Ho Lee.
In 2010, Chief Master DK tested for 7th Degree, and was promoted in 2011. In 2012, he was dubbed as a Senior Master by Grand Master Soon Ho Lee.
He earned his 8th Degree Black Belt in 2017, and in 2018 he earned his title of Chief Master Instructor presented by Grand Master In Ho Lee.
In addition to his teaching credentials and being Legacy 3 certified (able to certify other ATA Instructors) Chief DK also carries the Protech Instructor certifications for Olympic Sparring, Spontaneous Knife Defense, Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention, Pressure Point Control Tactics, Jahng Bong (bo staff) mid-range and long-range, Jee Pahng Ee (cane), Bullying Prevention (course designed by Olweus), Tai Chi, and is Certified as a Team Sparring Coach, and as a Legacy Instructor Facilitator. He is also a Certified Level 1 and Level 2 Warrior Krav Maga Instructor. He has qualified as a Tier 4 Firearms Instructor to teach Firearms Safety, Dry-Fire training, and the College Bound Readiness curriculum (CBR). In the early 2000s, Chief DK ran a Toastmasters Gavel Club at KFMA that prepared many of our teenagers for college.
In 1996, Chief Master Kowkabany and his wife, Chief Master Laura Kowkabany, moved to Tampa to open their ATA school in the Tampa area.
Chief DK Still Teaching Daily
To further develop his skills as an instructor, Chief DK has attended numerous training sessions with Grand Master Bill Clark (his personal instructor), Grand Master Cesar Ozuna (founder of the Songahm Taekwondo Federation and Martial Arts Systems), and Grand Master Todd Droege. To be the best instructor, you must learn from the best.
After 46 years of training and 38 years of teaching, Chief Master Kowkabany still teaches a full set of daily classes five days a week, as well as specialty clinics on sparring and self-defense.
With no plans to retire, he still finds joy in teaching and maintains a deep passion for the traditional martial arts.
For more information regarding our Family martial arts classes, just give us a call at 813-540-5528. KFMA is located at 13910 Monroes Business Park, just two doors down from the Tampa Bay Brewing Company off Racetrack Road.
To see more photos of Chief Master David Kowkabany from his years of training, please take a look at this gallery:
https://teamkowkabany.com/gallery/nggallery/team-kowkabany/historical-photos-of-our-chief-masters
Kowkabany’s Family Martial Arts is chartered with the American Taekwondo Association: https://atamartialarts.com/