Hidden Figures: Linda Denley #BlackHERstoryMonth 14/29 (Patreon)

Master Linda Denley is a 6th Dan Korean Style martial artist (Tang soo do)  who some consider to be the best woman fighter of all time. Denley was born and raised in Houston, Texas, one of 12 children. She was a natural athlete and excelled in many sports as a teenager, deciding in 1973 to study martial arts under Black instructor Robert Torres. Within two years she had recieved her black belt in Tang Soo Do, and began participating in and winning tournaments.  While still in high school, Denley qualified for the Olympics in five track and field, but did not compete; in 1979, she chose not to pursue an opportunity to play semi pro basketball for the Houston Angels because she did not want to give up her career in karate.

Denley was given the nickname, “The Texas Terror” for her aggressive and heavy-hitting strikes. She was ranked best woman fighter in the U.S. from 1973 to 1996, remaining completely undefeated for nine of those years. During her career, Denley won the Battle of Atlanta 11 times, The Diamond Nationals three times, The U.S. Open nine times, The Long Beach Internationals four times and the U.S. Capital Classic nine times. In 1980, she was the first woman to be inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame; in 1982, she was named Kick Illustrated Competitor of the Year. In 1988, Linda Denley joined the Atlanta World Professional Karate Team, which increased her public profile exponentially. She covered numerous martial arts magazines and was featured prominently in the media, which led to her working with high profile clients such as celebrity martial artist Jackie Chan and action star Chuck Norris. 

Denley owns a chain of successful martial arts schools, called the Texas Black Belt Academy, where she serves as Grand Master. Besides teaching full time, Linda Denley gives seminars around the country and promotes her annual Space City Open Karate Championships in Houston. Each year her alma mater, Jefferson Davis High School, has a Linda Denley Day in honor of her achievements.

#HiddenFigures #LindaDenley 

******************

Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren

Follow me on social media!

Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu

Personal Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com

Tumblr for my work: https://sssseren.tumblr.com

Snapchat: sssseren

GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei

******************

Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture'

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6

Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa

******************

Links:

'World Renowned & AOKstrong - Grand Master Linda Denley!:'

https://www.facebook.com/texasaok/videos/1272900736176054/?v=1272900736176054

Linda Denley (Grand Master) - Texas Black Belt Academy:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Athlete/Linda-Denley-Grand-Master-Texas-Black-Belt-Academy-380843655262890/

'Linda Denley - American Karate Champion:'

https://www.usadojo.com/linda-denley/