Welcome to
Mile High Karate®
Thornton
Personal development and leadership training for kids, adults and families since 1983.
Thornton, CO 80233(303) 280-1839MileHighKarate.com
Thank you for your interest in Mile High Karate®
We are excited about the prospect of helping you or your child achieve the many benefits of karate. Self-defense, flexibility, cardiovascular conditioning, muscle tone, self-discipline and self-confidence are only a few of the advantages you can gain from this program.
Since 1983, Mile High Karate has helped thousands of children, teens and adults become stronger, more focused and more confident people. This guide is here to help you decide whether we are the right school for your family.
Before your next lesson, please read it together and answer the questions below honestly. At that visit, our program director will answer your questions, explain how the program works, and help you set goals for your progress.
Stephen Oliver
Grand Master Stephen Oliver
Inside
Before your next visit
Take a few minutes to talk through these questions as a family. There are no wrong answers. They simply help you decide whether Mile High Karate is right for you.
- What do I like about the program?
- What benefits do I expect to gain from karate?Think about it for your child, and for yourself.
- Which days will we attend classes?Most students train two days each week. Choose two days from the class schedule.
- Will I live by the values of the student creeds?
- Can I set a goal and follow it through to completion?It takes about 48 months to achieve Black Belt.
- Can we see ourselves participating as a family?Many children who enroll have one or both parents training with them. Consider enrolling as a family.
- Will we support our school and share its value with others?The quality of our school depends largely on the quality of our students. Our most committed students are referred to us by family and friends.
- Am I ready to commit?At your next lesson, our program director will explain tuition and the payment options available and help you choose the one that fits best. When enrolling a child, we encourage both parents to attend. Adults are welcome to bring any family member affected by the time or financial commitment.
What is the focus of our curriculum for kids and families?
At Mile High Karate, character development and leadership training come first. Karate is how we teach them.
Stephen Oliver’s program was designed together with experts in the field of education to provide social, physical, emotional and attitudinal growth.
Why karate instruction will benefit your child
Our program works hand in hand with a child’s schoolwork, building self-discipline, self-confidence, mental alertness and goal-setting skills. Young people learn that through dedicated, focused work, all worthwhile goals in life are possible.
Parents have credited our program with improved grades, the result of greater motivation, direction and self-confidence.
Goal setting
Every child learns to set short-term, intermediate and long-term goals. Every child’s long-term goal is the Black Belt: a symbol of excellence in martial arts, and a tool instructors and parents use to develop desire, tenacity and follow-through in any activity.
Schoolwork counts at Mile High Karate
Exam emphasis on schoolwork
All young people in the program bring copies of their school grades, complete parent and teacher intent-to-promote forms, and complete exam qualification forms before testing. All of this supports our focus on academic excellence and on contributing to the family and the community.
Our instructors work hand in hand with schoolteachers and parents to ensure a well-balanced, focused development process for each child.
Proper use of skills
We constantly remind every student that karate skills must never be used to bully or to start a fight. They are for self-defense only.
Character training and development
In their first four months, every new student works through four character blocks alongside their physical training.
Good attitude
Teaches the value of having a good attitude.
Success in life is determined, more than anything else, by attitude.Good habits
Teaches the value of having good habits.
Good habits are hard to make but easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to make but hard to live with.Good self-control
Teaches practical ways to handle emotions.
A mighty person is one who has control over their emotions.Good manners
Teaches the importance of courtesy and respect.
“You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
School Safe / Street Safe
Alongside the character blocks, students learn to recognize danger early, avoid it when they can, and respond calmly when they can’t.
ABCs of conflict avoidance
How to avoid confrontation and conflict.
Stranger alert
How to identify a lure, and what to do if it happens to you.
Five rules of safety
What to do if confronted, and how to resolve the situation peacefully.
Trust your intuition
Practical techniques to fine-tune each student’s awareness and intuition.
Black Belt habits at home
What students learn on the mat carries into home and school, with tools that parents and instructors use together.
Kids’ Self-Discipline Sheet
Students write down things they did at home or at school without being told by a parent or teacher. They bring the sheet to class when ten lines are filled so an instructor can check it. After 30 lines, they receive a discipline award at their next belt graduation.
Parent’s signature / date · Instructor’s signature / date
Weekly Job List
“On a quest to be the best. Develop good habits that will last a lifetime!” Each week, students check off jobs around the house and at school, and a parent inspects and approves the list.
| Job | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean room | ||||||
| Make my own bed | ||||||
| Self-care | ||||||
| Brush my teeth, morning and night | ||||||
| School | ||||||
| Complete homework promptly | ||||||
| Family | ||||||
| Treat my parents and siblings with respect | ||||||
Programs for every age
Every class combines self-defense, fitness and personal development, taught at the right level for each student.
Children, ages 4–6
Our youngest students build listening skills, coordination, focus and confidence in classes paced for young children.
Children, ages 7–12
Kids develop real self-defense skills, fitness and leadership while working toward their Black Belt, one belt at a time.
Women and men
Dedicated adult classes for self-defense, strength, flexibility and stress relief. No prior experience needed, at any age.
Families
Parents and children train side by side, share the same goals, and celebrate each other’s progress.
Your path to Black Belt
Every rank is earned. Before each exam, students show their effort at home and at school as well as on the mat. Graduations are family celebrations, and parents are part of every step.
Results from families like yours
“Karate is really our second home.”
“I was a student at MHK when I was a kid and the life lessons I learned stuck with me as I got older. When I became a parent, I wanted my son to have those same life lessons. Not just confidence, but the discipline and work ethic, the whatever it takes attitude, perseverance to get through hard things. My son is very introverted and struggled a lot with social anxiety. Since he has been in karate, our extended family compliments him all the time on his confidence and leadership abilities. He is now a part time instructor and part of the ambassador team. He has made so many friends (so have I) and karate is really our second home. … I love how supportive the MHK community is and I encourage everyone I meet to try martial arts. No matter your age. I am 45 and still training, I like to try to keep up with the kids!”Mindy Davis
“The best decision we made for our sons.”
“The best decision we made for our sons. Consistent character, leadership and personal development. Sustained athletic and intellectual growth. Owners and adult leaders who genuinely care about your kid. …”Elizabeth Galentine
“My kiddos have been doing karate at Mile High for almost 2 years, my husband and I finally joined and are on our third class and my body has never felt so amazing! I recommend Mile High Karate 1000/10!!! All of the instructors are awesome.”Lindsey Griffin
“This school is quite magical!! It teaches and propels the students mind toward positive outcomes in many situations. The community and family feels authentic and genuine!! … My Nephew is learning that he has a voice and how to defend himself.”Charles Cordier
“Family run, with that unique old school touch that makes you feel welcome and at home. … They’ve been able to learn structure and discipline in a fun way. Our oldest son have found great role models that have inspire him, and we’ve seeing so many amazing attributes flourish in him, in just a couple of weeks.”Julian Romero
“Mile High Karate has been amazing. We enrolled my 6 year old because he desperately needed some focus. In the last 6 months he has shown incredible changes. At the same time he absolutely loves being there. …”Michael Brace
“They help parents to raise good human beings.”
“Wonderful school! They not only teach martial arts, they help parents to raise good human beings; you can quickly see the impact of their great teachings reflected at home. The instructors and leaders are fantastic and always show genuine care for all the students.”Noelia Quiroz Serrate
“The team at Mile High Karate in Thornton is First Rate. Their attention to detail and positive feedback really helped our child embrace the core principles of the program. …”Nolan Snyder
“… my now 9 year old son has greatly improved his motor skills as well as his emotional management, the key is to trust the method in the end the results are very worth it.”Daniel Almaraz
“Very nurturing environment — each trainer was so patient with our almost 4 year old. We look forward to more classes!”Kelly Parpovic
“The staff is supportive, friendly and knowledgeable. Mile high karate has really helped my daughter with her self confidence.”Jason Hill
“Great school. Very leadership focused, with an emphasis on commitment.”Rachel Meints
“If I could give 6 stars I would!”
“Mile High Karate in Thornton has an amazing program! If I could give 6 stars I would! The program is more than just leading to kick and punch. My daughter has learned mental and physical toughness along with life skills that will last …”Doyle Davis
“We’ve been bringing our son here for well over a year now and I can say nothing but positive things about MHK! The staff are amazing and they all go out of their way to make you feel welcome. AND the values our boy is learning are lessons that he will use throughout the rest of his life.”Jason Anderson
“Becoming a Black Belt at Mile High Karate was a life altering experience for me and my family. I learned so much during my 7 year journey. It helped me in so many ways. …”PJ Magin
“We love MHK! They have become like family for the past 8 years. My daughter started when she was 6 and I couldn’t imagine where we’d be without karate. They have helped all of us grow both physically and personally.”Kadee Kline
“We chose the right place for our sons journey to black belt. … The confidence he has learned to have in himself would be worth it on its own …”Angela Covington
“Great people. We’re all different but with the same goal of black belt excellence.”Trevor Gebhardt
Reviews from the Mile High Karate Thornton listing on Google. Some are shortened; “…” marks where text was omitted.
The history and evolution of our martial arts style
The style we teach at Mile High Karate evolved from traditional Korean styles known in the early 1900s as Tang Soo Do. Grand Master Jhoon Rhee became the first Korean instructor to professionally teach Korean martial arts in the United States, in 1956.
His first two Black Belts, Allen Steen and Pat Burleson, became early tournament champions and the premier instructors in the Texas–Oklahoma region. Their schools produced Pat Worley, Jeff Smith, Larry Carnahan and Gran Moulder, who went on to teach a young Stephen Oliver in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Jhoon Rhee moved to Washington, D.C., in 1962. Through his friendship with Bruce Lee and the many sport and full-contact karate champions developed at his Institute, the style gradually evolved into what we now call American Freestyle.
Jhoon Rhee built his curriculum on three elements: practical self-defense without impractical tradition; personal development through self-esteem, goal setting and personal discipline; and artistic content through musical forms.
At Mile High Karate, Grand Master Oliver reinstated traditional forms for their artistic and historic value, and accelerated the personal-development side of the program with eight success skills and attitudes and many goal-setting elements. He continues to keep the curriculum current while reinforcing the traditional values of honesty, courtesy, integrity, perseverance and self-control.
At leadership levels, students add Filipino weaponry, traditional Okinawan Ko-Budo weaponry, modern boxing, kickboxing basics, and grappling from jujitsu and judo.
Grand Master Jhoon Rhee
Father of American Tae Kwon Do · 1932–2018
Every Mile High Karate student trains in a lineage that runs directly back to Grand Master Jhoon Rhee, 10th Degree Black Belt.
Jhoon Rhee came to the United States in 1956 and became the first Korean instructor to teach Korean martial arts professionally in America. In 1962 he moved to Washington, D.C., and founded the Jhoon Rhee Institute of Tae Kwon Do, which became famous worldwide.
In the mid-1960s he developed friendships with Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. His tournaments were among the first major karate events in the United States and hubs for champions including Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis and Jeff Smith.
In the early 1970s he developed padded sparring equipment that let students practice safely and realistically, helping create both point and full-contact karate. He also invented musical forms, adding artistry to martial arts performance.
Jhoon Rhee taught Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and other world-famous boxers, along with many Senators and Members of Congress. His Black Belts include Tony Robbins.
As his schools turned more toward children, he championed educational excellence, community values and personal excellence, with self-defense and competition as valuable by-products. That philosophy lives on at Mile High Karate.
Grand Master Stephen Oliver, MBA
Grand Master Stephen Oliver, MBA, is a 10th Degree Black Belt and the Founder and CEO of Mile High Karate and Martial Arts Wealth Mastery, one of the martial arts industry’s leading coaching and consulting organizations for professional martial arts school owners.
A martial arts school owner since 1975 and business coach since 1985, he has spent more than five decades building, operating and advising successful martial arts schools. He also serves as CEO and Chairman of NAPMA (the National Association of Professional Martial Artists) and Publisher of Martial Arts Professional magazine. He was promoted to 10th Degree Black Belt in April 2026 and inducted into the Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame in August 2026.
Martial arts background
Stephen Oliver began training in 1969 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with Bob Olinghouse and Gran Moulder, Black Belts teaching for the Jhoon Rhee Institute. He began teaching in 1974 and opened his first school in 1975, at age 15. He trained at the Jhoon Rhee Institute headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 1976 and returned in 1978 to earn his First Degree Black Belt from Jhoon Rhee, with one of the highest scores ever given on the Black Belt exam. In 1980 he became head manager of the Jhoon Rhee Institute while attending Georgetown University. He has also trained in Kenpo Karate, Goju Ryu and Judo.
Academic background
- MBAExecutive MBA, Executive Program, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver
- ABGeorgetown University, Washington, D.C., cum laude
- 1978–80University of Tulsa, University Scholar and National Merit Scholar
Building Mile High Karate since 1983
Stephen Oliver founded Mile High Karate in Lakewood, Colorado, on August 6, 1983. Within three months the school had grown to more than 150 students, and additional Mile High Karate locations followed throughout Colorado.
In 1989 he launched the Mile High Karate Classic international competition, which held NASKA’s highest World Tour rating from 1989 to 1999 and drew competitors from all 50 states and abroad. He served on the Board of Directors of the North American Sport Karate Association from 1989 to 1999, including as National Sanction Director.
Rank
- 1978First Degree Black Belt, awarded by Grand Master Jhoon Rhee
- 19946th Degree Black Belt, promoted by Grand Master Jhoon Rhee
- 20068th Degree Black Belt, promoted by Grand Master Jeff Smith
- 202610th Degree Black Belt (April); Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame (August)
Community
Mile High Karate has been active in charitable and community outreach since 1983. It was the number-one contributing school to Chuck Norris’s Kick Drugs Out of America program, has supported The Children’s Hospital Foundation, and its staff have volunteered in hundreds of area schools.
Grand Master Jeff Smith
Grand Master Jeff Smith, 10th Degree Black Belt, is one of karate’s legends, alongside Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Joe Lewis and Bill Wallace. A student of Jhoon Rhee, he became an internationally recognized martial artist in the 1970s.
On September 14, 1974, he won the PKA World Light-Heavyweight Championship. On October 1, 1975, he defeated Karriem Allah at the Capital Centre near Washington, D.C., on the closed-circuit card for the Ali–Frazier “Thrilla in Manila,” seen by an audience estimated at more than 50 million.
He coached the World Champion United States Karate Team and the Junior National Team, is a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame, and was the first recipient of the Bruce Lee Award, selected by Mrs. Bruce Lee and Karate magazine.
He has appeared on ABC’s Wide World of Entertainment, The Champions, Showtime, ESPN and pay-per-view events, has been featured on the covers of the major martial arts publications, and was named one of Washington’s top athletes by Washingtonian magazine. He performed at the White House for the “Kick Drugs Out of Your Life” campaign, and with Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Great American Workout and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness. He is co-author of Extraordinary Teaching.
Come train with us
Call to schedule your next lesson, or stop by and watch a class. Bring the whole family.
(303) 280-18393979 E 120th Ave, Thornton, CO 80233 · In the Mission Trace North Shopping Center
© 1985–2026 Stephen Oliver. Mile High Karate® and Stephen Oliver’s Mile High Karate® are federally registered trademarks in the United States and Canada of Mile High Karate, LLC. Building Successful Kids™.