ABOUT | dan-rodarte

ABOUT DAN RODARTE

KENPO KARATE HAS OPENED MY EYES TO THE FUTURE OF FIGHTING & GAVE ME A MISSION I CARRY OUT TO THIS DAY

The History of the I.K.B.A.

The International KickBocking Association

Dan Rodarte had started training with Ed Parker at his first school in Pasadena on walnut street in 1964, were Parker grew large enough to move into a bigger building. Dan helped Carryed in the center Beam to ED Parkers new school along with other colleges’. Dan would study there directly with Ed Parker and after many years of driving back and forth from Whittier to Pasadena to studying with Mr. Parker, Dan would make his first Degree Black belt in 1969 and from then on he would receive his Degrees directly from Ed Parker himself. In 1980 Dan had made his 5th Degree Black belt and at the same time in 1980 Dan Rodarte had just stated to promote Muay Thai

"KENPO KARATE HAS OPENED MY EYES TO THE FUTURE OF FIGHTING & GAVE ME A MISSION I CARRY OUT TO THIS DAY"

Dan Rodarte had his first Event in 1982, the same year Ed parker would make Dan Rodarte the Vice President of the IKKA along with the late Tom Kelly, the original certificate that Dan had designed for Ed Parker is the Certificate that has been used for generations to come. The question of why would Ed parker make Dan Rodarte Vice President could easily be answered back with the amount of work Dan did out of love he had for Kenpo Karate. Dan didn’t chooses to merely exist in it for the sport, but for the art and lifestyle and what it represented, he said “there’s a mystic to it”, this is what captivated him from the very beginning. Ed Parker saw Dan Working hard, not only was he one of his first students , one of his first Black belts but also already with his own school. After seeing Dan starting his promotions with Muay Thai, Dan Rodartes Work and Dedication to Kenpo stood out from the rest. Dan Rodarte had first Started Promoting full contact Karate, his Karate Tournaments were formed by Him and Frank Trejo, if your in Kenpo, then you know who Frank Trejo is. Known among the kenpo community throughout the world, Frank Trejo was one of Dan Rodartes First instructors, he was the head instructor and It was Dan And frank that would Configure Tournament Circuits every Sunday and on any give moment they could configure one.

The Montebello gym would be visited by Ed Parker, Van Halen, Bruce Lee and more,

A growing name in the eye of the public, Dan Rodartes second school named Kenpo Karate School always to show respect to the Parker tradition.

Dan Rodarte would later move on to open up new schools getting his kids involved Ralph Rodarte, Steve Rodarte, and Edmund Rodarte who was named after Edmund Parker. it was Dans son Steve that would take to the Arts like a fish to water. Steven would grow learning kenpo and won the international championships in long beach. Like his father’s interest in other arts , when a Thai instructor from Thailand visited Dan Rodartes School, Dan Invited his son to learn all the advanced techniques he could learn from him, Steve was always at his fathers gym. Steve learned at a young age the art of teaching in groups from his Thai teacher and how to promote from his Father.

Dan would still maintain his spot with the IKKA but needed a name for the fights he was promoting, Dan Rodarte would call it the I.K.B.A. the International kick boxing Association, He called it international because he was bringing in fighters from Around the would, japan, Cambodians, thais, fighters from Mexico and here. Dan Rodarte created the rules of fight, no pads, and no pants, the fighters were now wearing shorts and 8oz gloves. After creating the name and logo, along with Dan Rodartes Experience he would have all he need to introduce the sport into the mainstream media.

Dan Rodarte son wins the International Championship

Dan Rodarte with his original certificate signed by Ed parker.

MUAY THAI DISCOVERS DAN RODARTE

At that time it wasn’t known to the common man, there were only clips on certain channels that you could catch a clip of from over seas. Because of his success from promoting full contact karate , he was approached by a Representative of Thai Community asking if it was possible to throw a Muay Thai show, but it had never been seen live, and there was no Thai fighters for the most part on Dan Rodartes list of Fighters, the Fighters were all Full contact Karate fighters. Dan was given the weights of the fighters from the Representative, Dan took that list of weights and he started searching. Dan ran into a Japanese fighter, a kickboxer with fights in japan and He found two brothers, who were fighters from new mexico and Dan had his main event. Dan Rodarte had the knowledge of the fight game not only a Promoter but a natural match maker, he knew he couldn’t take a karate guy with no experience in the ring and put him with a Thai fighter, Dan said “it wouldn’t be a fight it be a slaughter ,there was one thing to play flag football and there’s another thing to play tackle. Dan put in hard work to set up the fights. The fight went on and the US Fighters held there own, but the Thai elbows were too much to take for the US fighters. It was an over night sensation For Dan Rodarte as it was History in the making, it was the first time it was Done here in the united states, and Dan Rodarte was the first licensed promoter as he was the first to promote it. The state athletic Commission allowed it because they had no idea of what it was, and they had no idea what they were about to see. After a couple of fights the State Athletic Commission banned Muay Thai fights. After it was banned, the fights were moved to an Indian Reservation were the states weren’t involved. They had to have new rules; the Elbows and knees were banned for a very long time and elbows to this day are still not as widely accepted or embraced as much as the Thai fighters from Thailand do.

A questioned was asked to Dan. why go to kickboxing from Kenpo. Dan said “You can see the effectiveness in training, its one thing to throw your arms out and one thing to make physical contact. A man is a creature of habit, you put the gloves on any black belt and he will be shocked because he’s not used to being hit, the kenpo man will be calm and quick but we need to take our art and grow with it as a striker to make it effective and the only way to do that was to fight people who were striking the best, I wanted kenpo to evolve so I was doing my part to open the door for my community to open there minds and explore”

Artical on Dan Rodarte in Muay Thai magazine

In 85 Chuck Norris came to one of Dans last fights, he would start promoting Kickboxing internationally.

KENPO KARATE HAS OPENED MY EYES TO THE FUTURE OF FIGHTING & GAVE ME A MISSION I CARRY OUT TO THIS DAY, MUAY THAI TECHNIQUES ADDED TO KENPO HAS ALLOWED ME TO CREATE AND TEACH THAI KENPO AS WELL AS THE TRADITIONAL

KENPO

Dan Rodarte & Steve Rodarte first father and son to

enter the Masters Martiall Arts Hall of Fame at the same time.

Dan Rodartes achieved success in many ways and also with his son, the first international Kenpo Champion to become the first undefeated international KickBoxing champion in the world. Dan Rodarte and Steve Rodarte are the first father and son to be abducted to the Masters Martial Arts hall of fame 2014 at the same time.