At Mile High Karate, character is not an extra. It is written into the belt system. Alongside kicks, forms, weapons and self-defense, every stage of training carries assigned reading and a matching lesson in class, so what a student reads at home is what the instructor teaches on the mat. The curriculum was developed by Grand Master Stephen Oliver, 10th Degree Black Belt, who founded Mile High Karate in 1983, and it is taught today at Mile High Karate Thornton.
Three stages, one path
The reading path follows the student from the first class to the instructor’s floor:
- Beginners: the Winning Mindset curriculum — 16 weeks, two 8-week test cycles, one book each. Students learn how winners think about themselves and how to talk to themselves.
- Black Belt Club: character for Black Belt Training — three levels of 12 months each. Students move from personal achievement and effective habits to personal power, courage and principled leadership.
- Leadership Team: teamwork, leadership and teaching — three levels of 12 months each, built on John C. Maxwell’s laws of teamwork and leadership and finishing with Extraordinary Teaching by Stephen Oliver and Grand Master Jeff Smith.
The reading path at a glance
| Stage | Level | Book and author | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginners | All | The Psychology of Winning — Denis Waitley | Weeks 1–8 |
| Beginners | All | What to Say When You Talk to Yourself — Shad Helmstetter | Weeks 9–16 |
| Black Belt Club | Level 1 | Maximum Achievement — Brian Tracy | Months 1–6 |
| Black Belt Club | Level 1 | The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People / Teens — Stephen R. Covey / Sean Covey | Months 7–12 |
| Black Belt Club | Level 2 | Unlimited Power — Tony Robbins | Months 1–6 |
| Black Belt Club | Level 2 | Awaken the Giant Within — Tony Robbins | Months 7–12 |
| Black Belt Club | Level 3 | Against All Odds: My Story — Chuck Norris | Months 1–4 |
| Black Belt Club | Level 3 | The West Point Way of Leadership — Larry R. Donnithorne | Months 5–9 |
| Black Belt Club | Level 3 | The New Dynamics of Goal Setting — Denis Waitley | Months 10–12 |
| Leadership | Level 1 | The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork — John C. Maxwell | Ch. 1–17 over 12 months |
| Leadership | Level 2 | The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership — John C. Maxwell | Ch. 1–21 over 12 months |
| Leadership | Level 3 | Extraordinary Teaching + Implementation Workbook — Stephen Oliver and Jeff Smith | Over 12 months |
Why a karate school assigns reading
Physical skill and character grow the same way: a little at a time, practiced on a schedule, tested on a cycle. Grand Master Oliver built the reading curriculum to run on the same rhythm as the belt system. Each book is tied to a test cycle, each chapter is tied to a week or month, and each lesson in class gives students a chance to put the idea into practice in front of their instructors and classmates.
The beginner curriculum is built on the nine qualities of a Mile High Karate Black Belt, drawn from Denis Waitley’s The Psychology of Winning. The Black Belt Club adds goal setting, habits, personal responsibility and principled leadership. The Leadership Team turns Black Belts into team members, then into leaders, then into teachers.
The Leadership Factory
Mile High Karate’s approach to developing leaders is described in Extraordinary Teaching, the book Stephen Oliver wrote with Grand Master Jeff Smith, Chief of Instruction. Its middle chapters set out “the Leadership Factory”: a structured path that moves students from the class, into leadership roles, and onto the floor as trainee instructors. At Mile High Karate Thornton, well over 30 percent of active students are Black Belts.
Books, tests and practice at home
Students and families can find practice sheets, Attitude Stripe challenges and book tests on the Student Resources page. New families should start with the New Student Guide.
Questions
Does Mile High Karate teach character development?
Yes. Character is part of the belt system itself. Every stage of training, from a student’s first week through Black Belt and the Leadership Team, carries assigned reading and a matching character or leadership lesson taught in class.
Who developed the Mile High Karate reading curriculum?
Grand Master Stephen Oliver, 10th Degree Black Belt and founder of Mile High Karate (1983), developed the reading curriculum. The Leadership Level 3 text, Extraordinary Teaching, was written by Stephen Oliver and Grand Master Jeff Smith.
What books do Mile High Karate students read?
Beginners read The Psychology of Winning (Denis Waitley) and What to Say When You Talk to Yourself (Shad Helmstetter). Black Belt Club students read Maximum Achievement (Brian Tracy), The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (Stephen R. Covey / Sean Covey), Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within (Tony Robbins), Against All Odds (Chuck Norris), The West Point Way of Leadership (Larry R. Donnithorne) and The New Dynamics of Goal Setting (Denis Waitley). Leadership Team students read John C. Maxwell’s The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, then Extraordinary Teaching.
How long is each stage of the curriculum?
The beginner mindset curriculum is 16 weeks: two 8-week test cycles, one book each. Each Black Belt Club level and each Leadership level runs 12 months, made up of six 2-month test cycles.
Why does a karate school assign books?
Because what students read at home is what instructors teach on the mat. The reading gives children, teens and adults the vocabulary of goal setting, self-discipline, teamwork and leadership, and the class gives them a place to practice it.
Start at Mile High Karate Thornton, 3979 E 120th Ave, Thornton, CO 80233. Call (303) 280-1839, or see class schedules and enrollment at ThorntonMHK.com.