7th Dan – 1927 – 1994

Master Ormanian, 7th Dan, originally began his martial arts training in Judo at the Downriver YMCA in Wyandotte, Michigan. The year was 1962. By chance, he met a student of Tang Soo who also trained at the YMCA on alternate evenings. The next night, he went to watch a class. Master Drouillard, (#757) the first American to receive a Black Belt in Tang Soo Do and the first to open a karate club in Michigan was instructing the class at the time.

Master Ormanian joined the club, but after a few months, Master Drouillard became ill and Master Russ Hanke, who was a 1st Dan, took over and became instructor.

In October of 1966, Master Ormanian was awarded his Black Belt. His son Aaron, who was also studying the art, became a Cho Dan in 1967 at age 15 – a first in the Detroit area. In April of the following year they both left Master Hanke to start their own school, the Korean Karate Academy in Allen Park, Michigan.

In the summer of 1977 Master Ormanian began training again with his first instructor, Master Drouillard. The two then joined with Master Gary Hasson to form the American Korean Karate Association. He later moved on in March of 1983 to form his own association, retaining the name of the “Korean Karate Academy”.