Career in United States
In 1969, Kang emigrated to the United States along with his family. Soon after arrival, Kang continued practicing Taekwondo at his father's newly established martial arts school, the New York Taekwondo Academy. In 1973, Kang received his 1st Dan Black Belt. At 13, Kang started working at the New York Taekwondo Academy, and was named Head Instructor two years later, by 1977. At 22 years old, Kang bought the academy outright from his father in exchange for paying off debt and living expenses for 20 years. In 1982, he was appointed Vice-President of the American Black Belt Federation and Director of M.I.T. Taekwondo Program, and by 1986, Kang received his 7th Dan Black Belt.
In 1989, Kang founded the Johns Hopkins Taekwondo Program, in Baltimore, Maryland. A year later, he was declared the Director of the program. In 1992 he Founded the American Black Belt Association. He later became the president of the International Taekwondo Black Belt Association, which he and his brother Grandmaster Ho-Sun Kang operate.
Between 1990 and 2002, Kang established several Taekwondo schools under the 'T. Kang Taekwondo' (TKT) brand in New York City, often teaching at these locations in-person.
By 2004, he had been operating ten affiliated martial arts schools, including a branch in Puerto Rico. In 2007, Actor Michael Imperioli cited Kang's instruction as a significant influence on his personal development. He has been a long-time student of Kang, appearing in several of his later instructional media releases. Kang's father, Suh Chong Kang, promoted Kang to the rank of 10th Dan Black Belt on January 25, 2020.
Kang was inducted into the Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame in 2024. After this induction, he was appointed Vice President of the organization. Kang has individually promoted thousands of Black Belts.
| Rank | Year | Awarding Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Dan Black Belt | 1973 | New York Taekwondo Academy |
| 7th Dan Black Belt | 1986 | — |
| 9th Dan Black Belt | 2007 | All American Tae Kwon Do Federation |
| 10th Dan Black Belt | 2020 | All American Tae Kwon Do Federation |