Mile High Karate is run like an academy, not a drop-in class: a written multi-year curriculum, professionally trained instructors, a Black Belt that takes about four years to earn, and a final test that has historically run about 48 hours. Founded by Grand Master Stephen Oliver in Lakewood, Colorado, on August 6, 1983, Mile High Karate has promoted more than 1,000 Black Belts, ages 5 to 76. This page sets out the standard behind that number.
Business structure and the art are allies
Mile High Karate has never treated professionalism and tradition as opposites. A school that cannot pay its instructors cannot keep good ones, and a school that closes cannot teach anyone. Structure — written curriculum, instructor training, testing standards, parent communication — is what lets a standard survive past one instructor and one decade. As Grand Master Oliver puts it in The McDojo Myth: “Systems don’t eliminate excellence. They make excellence repeatable.”
The standard, piece by piece
A multi-year program with a clear goal
Every family begins with an introductory lesson with an instructor, and the program is built around a long-term goal the family chooses: the Black Belt. Consistent students reach it in about 48 months.
A written curriculum and a rank standard
Every rank has a written requirement. Students advance by meeting it, not by time served or by payment. Character is part of the curriculum: Mile High Karate teaches nine qualities of a Black Belt alongside the physical skills.
Faculty
- Grand Master Stephen Oliver, founder and CEO, 10th Degree Black Belt, a student of Grand Master Jhoon Rhee and a school owner since 1975. About Grand Master Oliver.
- Grand Master Jeff Smith, Chief of Instruction, 10th Degree Black Belt, the first Professional Karate Association (PKA) World Light Heavyweight Champion (1974), who retired with a 32–1 record and 16 knockouts. About Grand Master Smith.
- Instructors who come up through the Mile High Karate pathway from student to leader, assistant instructor and instructor.
How instructors are trained
Mile High Karate instructor development follows Extraordinary Teaching, the system written by Grand Master Oliver and Grand Master Smith: weekly instructor training, observed teaching with specific feedback, and promotion based on demonstrated teaching ability, not rank alone. The leadership program is treated as education. Read more in how Grand Master Jeff Smith trains instructors.
The Black Belt test
Candidates complete informal pre-tests, a formal pre-test and a written examination, then finish at a three-day Black Belt Retreat in Breckenridge, Colorado. The testing has historically run about 48 hours from start to finish. New Black Belts receive their belts on stage at the annual Black Belt Extravaganza.
“Nobody is insane enough to give a test for 48 hours — but that’s what makes this so great, so good, so real.”
— Bernard Kerik, former New York City Police Commissioner, on the Mile High Karate retreat and testing program
The outcomes
- More than 1,000 Black Belts promoted since 1983, from age 5 to age 76.
- At Mile High Karate Thornton, well over 30% of active students are Black Belts.
- Students who stay long enough to teach: the leadership pathway produces assistant instructors, instructors and school owners.
Long-term students are the clearest measure of teaching quality. Families stay when their children keep improving.
What premium tuition pays for
Professional tuition is what pays for professional teaching: trained instructors who make teaching their career, a multi-year curriculum, classes small enough for individual correction, leadership development, and a school that will still be here when your child reaches Black Belt. Compare it with private music lessons, travel sports or tutoring, not with a drop-in fitness class.
Tuition depends on the program and how often a student trains. Before you enroll anywhere, ask to see the monthly tuition, every program-length option, what is included, and the cancellation and freeze terms, in writing. For Thornton programs and current options, call (303) 280-1839 or visit ThorntonMHK.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mile High Karate a McDojo?
No. A McDojo is a school that sells rank students have not earned. At Mile High Karate a Black Belt takes about 48 months of consistent training and ends with informal, formal and written tests and a three-day retreat in Breckenridge, where the testing has historically run about 48 hours, judged by senior Black Belts. Mile High Karate has promoted more than 1,000 Black Belts since 1983, ages 5 to 76.
Why does a professional martial arts school cost more than a recreation-center class?
Tuition pays for what a family is actually buying: trained professional instructors, a written multi-year curriculum, small enough classes for individual correction, leadership programs, and a school that will still be open when the student reaches Black Belt. A low-priced class usually means part-time instructors, larger classes and a high turnover of both staff and students.
Is the Black Belt at Mile High Karate earned or bought?
Earned. Students advance by meeting a written standard at each rank, and the Black Belt is awarded only after the pre-tests, a written examination and the retreat test. Rank is never tied to payment.
Is Mile High Karate traditional martial arts?
Yes. Mile High Karate teaches American Freestyle, which grew from Grand Master Jhoon Rhee’s Tae Kwon Do. Founder Grand Master Stephen Oliver trained under Jhoon Rhee, and Chief of Instruction Grand Master Jeff Smith was the first Professional Karate Association World Light Heavyweight Champion.
What should a family ask before enrolling at any martial arts school?
Ask for the monthly tuition, every program-length option, what is included (testing, uniforms, equipment), and the cancellation, freeze and moving policies, all in writing, before you sign anything. A professional school will be glad to show you every term.