Grandmaster D'veed Natan

Grandmaster D'veed Natan (納騰 徳維,大師範)10^th Dan (十段 - Judan) Black Belt  in Ryukyu Kenpo Kobujutsu was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He started his martial arts training while attending Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Missouri, in 1959, when he was eleven years old.  Later, as part of the United States Armed Forces (Army) stationed in Seoul, Korea,  Kyo Seng Chou was his instructor in Tang Soo Do (唐手道), Soo Bahk Do, Moo Duk Kwan with the Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA). The training was three hours a day, six days a week for eighteen months. In 1966, now 18, he received his Shodan (初段) in Shin Shin Jujutsu from Grandmaster Wilson; and Shodan (初段) from the KTA. In 1967, at age 19, he received his 2^nd Dan (二段) Black Belts and a license to teach from the KTA.
                While a science major (Geology/Biology) attending the University of Missouri Kansas City, D’veed began learning and teaching ‘Chinese’ Kenpo Karate. Soon, he was employed full time as manager for Traco International, a large international chain of Kenpo schools. By the time Choon Lee arrived in 1974, Natan-shi was deep into ‘Chinese’ Kenpo and made a conscious decision to remain involved with the “Chinese” Kenpo system of self defense instead of returning to Taekwondo. In 1975, he opened his own full time professional dojo. In 1976, he was appointed chairman of region 5 for AAU Karate and received a Shodan (初段) in the Okinawan Kenpo weapons system of Seikichi Odo from Master Bill Marron.
                In 1976, Oyata, Sensei came to the United States. D’veed was waiting for him when he arrived from the airport. Master Oyata gave D’veed’s Dojo the name, Ryukenkan, or Academy of Ryukyu Kempo*. D’veed became Master Oyata’s first ‘transfer’ student. Having successfully made the jump from one system to a radically different one, earlier; D’veed had no trouble adjusting to the instruction of Oyata, Sensei. For ten years, D’veed, daily, learned and practiced Master Oyata’s Ryukyu Kempo*. From three times a week to almost daily, he was in contact with Oyata-san. Not a week passed that he didn’t learn, personally, from Oyata, Sensei; private lessons, in small group classes, or in personal conversations. In 1977, Master Oyata conferred upon him a Shihan Menjo (師範 免状). D'veed had been participating in open ‘point’ competitions since 1969; but, he withdrew from ‘point’ kumite and concentrated, instead, on bogu kumite, which he had been practicing since 1972.
* Ironically, Master Oyata’s instructor, Saikou Shihan(最高 師範) Shigeru Nakamura, spelled Kenpo correctly in his English transliterations. An early film taken in 1968, shows Master Oyata doing Kata in Kansas. A makeshift title spells Kenpo correctly at this time. Later, Master Oyata’s students spelled the name as it is pronounced; due, to lack of familiarity with Japanese grammar. Master Oyata doesn't care to correct it and it has been too long in usage, now, to change.
        By 1979, D'veed's style had changed so much that it no longer bore any resemblance to his teachings of just a few years earlier. In August 1979 he captured the Heavyweight Championship in bogu kumite, defending his title until his retirement in 1981. Before retiring, he spent five months teaching in Israel, introducing Ryukyu Kenpo here.
Oyata, Sensei promoted D'veed to Renshi and 6^th Dan Black Belt in 1984. At this time, D'veed started traveling with Master Oyata across the United States, giving seminars and interviews with him. He represented Master Oyata in Europe and the middle east.
        Due to orchestrated political machinations, D'veed was forced out of Master Oyata’s organization. Keeping with the tradition of Karate masters before him, when circumstances made it impossible to continue training with his teachers, D’veed struck out on his own. In 1987 Master Natan moved to Israel. There, he combined and modified (over a fifteen year period) what he knew into Lanten (Lantian)(藍天) Ryukyu (Liuqiu)(琉球) Kenpo (Quanfa)(拳法) Kobujutsu (古武術). The training with Master Oyata was the key to this process. Saikou Shihan Seikichi Uehara’s, ideas and principles, as taught to D’veed through Master Oyata, transformed the old ‘Chinese’ Kenpo Karate techniques (and understanding of their kata) into something new and totally different.
             D'veed Natan, Hanshi received his 10^th Dan (十段 - Judan) Red Belt  in Lanten Ryukyu Kenpo Kobujutsu from the Ryukyu Kenpo Karate Kobudo Rengokai in 2006, an 8^th Dan (八段 - Hachidan) Red Belt in Ryukyu Kenpo from Midori Yama Budokai in 1996, a 6^th Dan (六段 - Rokudan) Black Belt in Shin Shin Jujutsu (新進 柔術) from Grandmaster Leo D. Wilson in 1996, 6^th Dan (六段 - Rokudan) Black Belt in Ryukyu Kempo and Kobudo from Taika Seiyu Oyata in 1984; 5^th Dan (五段 - Godan) Black Belt in Okinawan Kobudo from 8^th Dan Master Bill Marron in 1996; 5^th Dan (五段 - Godan) Black Belt in Hapkido from 8^th Dan Grandmaster Gunter Bauer. He is the retired undefeated heavyweight champion of the United States, and former #1 world rated heavyweight fighter in bogu kumite. He is the Headmaster (大師範) of the Ryukyu Kenpo Kobujutsu Kai (琉球 拳法 古武術 会); and, the Chief Technical Officer of the Ryukyu Kenpo Karate Kobudo Rengokai (琉球 拳法 唐手 古武道 連合会), both internationally recognized organizations with branches in Israel and the United States. He is: the Israeli Representative for the World Martial Arts Society, headquartered in Helsingborg, Sweden;  and Kempo International; and, Senior Advisor for Kempo International. He teaches at the Ryukenkan (琉拳館)(Academy of Ryukyu Kenpo) at 17 Strauss in Downtown Jerusalem, Israel (02-624-1288). Saikou Shihan Natan (徳維,最高 師範) attended the Coach's Course (Course Mei'amen) at the Israeli Sports College, Wingate Institute, and is a licensed martial arts instructor with the Ministry of Education in Israel.

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