About Us
The History of Crawford's Tae Kwon Do
Crawford’s Tae Kwon Do began in the year 1969 on Platsburg Air Force Base in New York. At 15 years of age Roy L. Crawford emerged from a self-defense confutation battered and beaten, the obvious loser. It was an experience that would forever change his life. It was obvious that the other young man had martial arts experience. It was then and there that Roy Crawford made a vow to better prepare his self for a self-defense confutation should he ever find himself, or anyone in his family, in that situation again and began learning Judo.
In 1970 when Roy Crawfords father was stationed in Wichita Kansas where he would meet his first Tae Kwon Do instructor, John Balee at Midwestern Tae Kwon Do. John Balee was trained in Korea while serving with the U.S. Army and earned a Black Belt Certificate that was hand signed by General Choi Hong Hi himself. A picture of which is in the gallery. In 1970 John Balee won the Korean heavyweight title in a fight judged by General Choi Hong Hi. By the year 1972 under the instruction of John Balee, Roy Crawford had risen to the rank of 1st Dan Black Belt, and the level of instructor, by the age of 17.
In 1973 Roy Crawford returned to Lexington K.Y. where he continued to further his martial arts skills and train students. In 1983 he began a 22 year military career of his own in which time he traveled the world training and teaching hundreds of students. In 1980 Roy Crawford began training his son Jason Crawford at five years of age. In 1990 at 15 years of age after ten years of training Jason Crawford earned the rank of 1st Dan Black Belt under his father at Fort Jackson S.C.
After retiring from the Army in 2005, Roy Crawford is now a Scott County Police Officer. In 2008 Crawford’s Tae Kwon Do joined the Eastern USA International Martial Arts Association, an organization with students and charter schools in over 56 countries around the world. On November 14th 2009, under 10th Dan Grand Master John C. Kanzler, head of the E.U.S.A., Roy Crawford was promoted to the rank of 9th Dan Grand Master. On the same night under 10th Dan Grand Master John C. Kanzler, his son Jason Crawford was promoted to the rank of 5th Dan Master. Roy and his son Jason continue to teach to this day at Crawford’s Tae Kwon Do in Lexington K.Y.
