Charles Bouton

Charles Bouton serves as Executive Director of the American Karate Black Belt Association Chin Sook Hage Kwan. He began his training in a style which eventually became known as Dai Ni Gojuryu, but at the time he started was simply referred to by his sensei as "Tode". He developed an immediate love for the martial arts which has never left him. In addition to the Dai Ni Gojuryu system, which he today heads as president and headmaster of its international association, he trained in judo, aikido, jujitsu, batto-jutsu, iaido, aiki-jujitsu, and two styles of tae kwon do.

 Bouton became associated with the Allen Steen group in the 1960's. The average karate student of the era was generally in his 20's, Bouton being from 5 to 10 years younger than his peer black belt group in the Dallas area, was generally considered a "kid", and not taken too seriously by the older generation who were active in tournament competition. But, two of Allen Steen's instructors, Richard Jenkins and James Toney took a shine to him, and took him under their wing in instructing him in Steen's brand of Texas Blood and Guts Tae Kwon Do Karate. Because of the time in which he came into the Southwest Karate Black Belt Association, Bouton had the opportunity to train under such Pioneers as Allen Steen, Pat Burleson, and Skipper Mullins, Royce Young, and Art Heller, as well as train and teach with the likes of Keith Yates, David Archer, Bob Potter, Billy Simmons, Fred Wren, Dennis Gotcher, Ronnie Cox, Dennis Cox, Demetrius Havanus, Jim Butin, and the many other fine stars of the Allen Steen / Pat Burleson stable from the 1960's and 70's.

 Bouton, because of his early entry into martial arts, had a tournament career as a black belt that spanned two decades. He had wins in such national tournaments as the United States Karate Championships, the Central North American Karate Championships, Jack Hwang's All American Tae Kwon Do Open, and held a World Lightheavy Weight Full Contact Karate/Kickboxing title, undefeated, for three years. He also had nearly uncountable wins in numerous state and regional tournaments. Bouton taught for a good number of years in Allen Steen's Lubbock school, while continuing to practice and teach the Dai Ni Gojuryu System in both, his own school in Plainview, Texas, and in a club located at a local Lubbock television station. Almost all of his Dai Ni Gojuryu students, also, became students at Steen's Lubbock school, and a good number of Steen's Lubbock school students became Dai Ni Gojuryu students. Thus, began a marriage of the two systems.

 After Steen began negotiations to sell the Lubbock Texas Karate Institute school to the local program director, who was a brown belt, Andy White and Bouton (who were teachers in the school) didn't agree with the ideas of the new potential owner. They broke away and opened their own school, known as the American Ni-Goju Karate Association, and the now combined styles were for the first time offered to the public as a single unified system.

 Bouton later owned and operated schools in Clarksville, Texas, and founded "Lubbock Karate" in Lubbock, Texas, which is now owned and operated by Bouton's senior student, John Liles.

 Bouton, also known as Father Photius Bouton, is also an Ordained Greek Orthodox Priest. Since opening his Lubbock Karate School, operating it very successfully for many years, and promoting many fine Black Belts, his usual religious vocation called more and more demandingly, and he the sold Lubbock Karate School to his Senior Student, John Liles, 6th Dan, and has recently relocated to his new Parish responsibilities in Amarillo, Texas.

 Charles Bouton also is senior member of the board in total years of martial arts training having trained a bit over 54 years in the Dai Ni Gojuryu karate system and holding black belt ranking slightly over 48 years.

He served as High Dan Board Chairman from 1981-1997 and as Executive Director of the Association since 1981.  Bouton was inducted into the Texas Martial Arts Hall of Fame in May of 2000.

Bouton wears many hats. He is, forever busy traveling to give a test in some city, attending a Martial Arts seminar, teaching a Karate, Aikido, Aikijitsu, Batto Jutsu, Judo, Jujitsu, or Tuite and Kyusho Jutsu seminar, attending to the managerial duties of the Association and High Dan Board, bringing and keeping us all together. Giving of himself best describes Charles G. Bouton