Boban Petkovic began his martial arts training in Judo at the age of 10. After five years of training in Judo, he began training in Karate in Yugoslavia under the direction of an instructor appointed by Taiji Kase Sensei in France. Shihan Petkovic was a professional ice skater who performed Yugoslavian folk dance on ice worldwide between 1970 and 1974. He also was a semi-pro hockey player. It was during an ice performance tour in Los Angeles in 1974 that he first met Soke Tak Kubota. Shortly thereafter, he immigrated to the United States and began training under Master Kubota's guidance. He has been training and teaching ever since. Shihan Petkovic is considered one of the best technical fighters ever produced by IKA, and he most definitely has the best footwork. He has won numerous National and International championships in Kumite and continues to train and teach in Glendale, California.