Congratulations Grand Master Stephen Oliver
To all my fellow Martial Artists,
We are delighted to unveil the Go2 Karate Lifetime Achievement & Recognition Award for this month. This remarkable individual stands as a true Martial Arts legend, a globally acclaimed mentor, and an industry trailblazer dedicated to nurturing the growth of fellow school owners.
With the utmost respect, we extend our heartfelt acknowledgment to Grand Master Stephen Oliver, MBA, holding a 9th Degree Black Belt, as the recipient of the Go2 Karate Recognition Award. Grand Master Oliver is an exceptional individual who has profoundly impacted the lives of numerous school owners. His unparalleled ability to uplift Martial Arts school owners worldwide is truly awe-inspiring. Stephen Oliver started martial arts in 1969 with the Jhoon Rhee Institute. He worked his way through Georgetown University, expecting to go on to an MBA and then Wall Street. Hoping at the same time to be the next kickboxing champion training with Jeff Smith and their stable of fighters.
Instead, he moved to Denver in 1983 and opened five martial arts schools in 18 months – 6 in 30 months. Growing to 2,500 active and over $1,000,000 in revenue by age 25. He was a founding member of the Educational Funding Company's Board of Directors and their first high-profile client and national speaker for that organization for close to 20 years. In 1989, he became a NASKA World Tour promoter and ran the Mile High Karate Classic for ten years on that circuit. To date, he's run over 110 Intramural tournament events and has created well over 1,000 Black Belts.
He went on to receive his MBA in 1992. In 1999, he published the first book for Martial Arts School's on Internet Marketing and since has published seven books on Direct Response Marketing and various operational issues related to Martial Arts School operations and small business operations (free copies of two of those books at MartialArtsWealth.com) In the 2000’s he rolled out his Mile High Karate schools as an International Franchise and acquired NAPMA and Martial Arts Professional Magazine.
He's the founder/CEO of Martial Arts Wealth Mastery, which works exclusively with the top 5% martial arts schools internationally to double, triple, and more their net incomes; he has been coaching school owners along with his team that includes former World Champion Jeff Smith and Chief Master Greg Moody, PhD for over 30 years.
Tracy Lee Thomas
8th Degree
Go2 Karate Recognition Board Member
Founder | Go2 Karate
Bob Dunne
Clearwater,Fl
Congratulations!! Very much deserved! The true Millionaire maker for Martial Arts School Owners around the globe!
Paul Prendergast
Master 7th degree black belt
Paul Prendergast Karate
Brick , NJ
Congratulations GM Oliver on this well deserved lifetime achievement award. Crossing paths with you years ago and becoming a member of your group was one of the best decisions I have ever made for my school! Thank you and Congratulations.
Mindi Godfrey
Tulsa, OK
Congratulations GM Oliver! Martial Arts has been your joy and passion for as long as I can remember. I’m delighted to see your dedication to Martial Arts recognized and appreciated by this award.
Daniel Walker
9th dan, Hapkido
Martial Arts Institute, Santa Fe
Santa Fe, NM
Well deserved, Oliver, Kwan Jang Nim! You and your Team provide multiple schools that substantially contribute to the maturing and education of your Colorado communities. As well, you have from when we first met in 1984, continued to help many martial art school owners understand what is necessary to know and do to develop proper income and financial stability while contributing important service to the respective communities - myself included, here in Santa Fe, Socorro, Las Cruces, Las Vegas,NM, Orange County, Ca, and Colonial Hts, Va. I Thank You for sharing your Best with our wonderful industry. Proud of you, KwanJangNim!
Jason Purcell
6th degree Black Belt
Family Black Belt Academy
Seattle, WA
Thank you so much for everything you have done for us. We used to be stressed all the time, worried, and anxious. You have given us the lifestyle of joy, happiness, and excitement. You have given us, a new life!!! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Jeffrey Konich
4th Degree Black Belt - Professor
Family Martial Arts
Hudson, Massachusetts
GM Oliver is a pioneer, and a true legend. I can think of no-one more deserving of such an award. Thank you Sir for paving the way for us all!
Mindy Davis
Black purple 1st degree
Mile high karate
Thornton colorado
Congratulations Master Oliver! The lessons I learned as a kid from your school stuck with me well into adulthood. And now my husband and son get to learn those same life lessons!
Ben Brown
Head Coach - Kru - Owner
PHAS3 Muay Thai
Santa Rosa Ca
Master Oliver has been one of the most influential, relevant, and impactful instructors I have had in my 47 years as a Martial Artist.
If his impact on me, my business, my students, and my family are any measure, it is clear no man deserves this recognition more. I salute you sir. Congratulations.
Congratulations, Grand Master Oliver, on your Go2 Karate recognition award! Your dedication to the martial arts community has been truly remarkable, and it is an honor to see your hard work acknowledged in this way.
Over the years, you have profoundly influenced my life as I ran multiple martial arts academies. Your expertise, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the art of all martial arts have not only enriched the lives of countless students but have inspired me to strive for excellence in my practice and teaching.
Your passion for martial arts and ability to impart wisdom and knowledge to your students is remarkable. Your dedication and tireless efforts have left an indelible mark on the martial arts community, and this recognition is well-deserved.
Once again, congratulations, Grand Master Oliver. Your achievements and contributions to the martial arts world inspire us all. Here's to many more years of success and continued influence in the martial arts world!
Denise Morin
5th Degree
Go2 Karate Recognition Board Member
Go2 Karate Editor
Richard Hackworth
Grand Master
American Dragon Korean Martial Arts
Ocoee, Florida
Congratulations to grandmaster Stephen Oliver on receiving this award. I have been thoroughly impressed by his work to raise the standards of teaching in training in the martial arts community. He has worked tirelessly to raise the level of professionalism being practiced in our industry to make it a legitimate profession. Tens of thousands of instructors and school owners have benefited from his advice and mentoring. I am happy to see him receive the recognition that he deserves.
Jan Lappin
5th degree Master
Middleburg Martial Arts
Middleburg , FL
Congratulations Sir !
Very well deserved. You have had such a positive impact on myself, my schools and so many schools . You have been very influential in upgrading and professionalizing our industry. Thank you !
Marty Callahan
Chief Instructor 8th Degree Black Belt
Shotokan Karate Leadership School
Santa Rosa, CA
Congratulations, Grand Master Oliver. You are the best.
Travis Tooke
5th degree Black Belt/Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts
Houston, TX
Congratulations Master Oliver on achieving this great award! I can't think of anyone more deserving of this recognition than you. Around the world there exists incredible martial artist's, leaders, role models and genuinely good hearted, caring people. But there are very few who possess all of these qualities and who continue to improve with time. You have positively transformed the martial arts world as we know it today. I'm grateful for your guidance over the years and for always giving your very best to your students.
Jack DeSousa
7th Dan Black Belt
Martial Arts Advantage
Centerton Arkansas
Congratulations Sir. This is so well deserved. You contribution to the growth and success of Martial Arts and school owners is monumental. Thank you.
Ron Kuhn
6th Dan Renshi
PMA Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, In
Congratulations to Grand Master Oliver! This is a well deserved honor!
Paul Prendergast
Master 7th degree black belt
Paul Prendergast Karate
Brick , NJ
Congratulations GM Oliver on this well deserved lifetime achievement award. Crossing paths with you years ago and becoming a member of your group was one of the best decisions I have ever made for my school! Thank you and Congratulations.
Ali Christensen
3rd Degree Black Belt
Mile High Karate
Thornton CO
Congratulations Grand Master Oliver! Training under you for over 20 years has been a privilege. You have built so many people up and helped improve martial arts across the world!
Stephen Oliver is known across the martial arts industry as the “millionaire maker” because he’s helped so many school owners turn their schools into literal million-dollar schools… In knowing him for over 20 years I can tell you he’s a lot more than that…
His Mile High Karate schools have trained 10s of thousands of students and if you get the opportunity to go to one of their Black Belt Retreats and go through the difficult requirements, they take these students through you’ll see what high quality (and respectful and disciplined) students his organization produces. It’s impressive and inspiring. It’s hard. While I’m sure he’d be humble enough to give most of the credit to his instructors, you’ll find out he’s about real, serious martial arts and training…
As a part of the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery Team, I work with him on training some incredible school owners… Some people might think this is all about money and “business” yet I always hear him talk about how excellent business in this industry has to include excellent martial arts, instruction and high integrity or it will fail. It’s probably why the schools that work with him have great long-term success in the top 5% in the country.
I consider him a good friend, so I believe it’s OK to say I get to know how much he cares about all of this – the success and value we give to students… the critical value of what we do in the martial arts, and of course, how important it is for school owners to create schools that provide a great living and successful life for them and their families, Grand Master Stephen Oliver is an incredibly deserving recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Go2 Karate! Congratulations Grand Master Oliver!
Greg Moody
8th Degree
Go2 Karate Recognition Board Member
Stephen Del Castillo
7th degree
Krav Maga Martial Arts
Tampa
Congratulations Grandmaster Oliver! You truly deserve this accolade. Thank you for all you have done for so many but, most specifically, for me and consequently for my students, staff and school as well. I am grateful.
Tim Harrison
Grandmaster
TM Martial Arts
Plainfield, IL
Congratulations Sir! The number of martial artists that you have guided on the journey to success is uncountable. Thank you for all you do for the industry as a whole and for me personally!
Amanda Christensen
3rd Degree Black Belt
Mile High Karate
Thornton Colorado
Congratulations Grand Master Oliver - Much deserved award! You have been the absolute most positive influential force in my life and the life direction of our family as both our Martial Arts Master and our Business Coach and Founder of Mile High Karate. Your vision and future sight, ability to “sort through the weeds” and commitment to constant improvement inspired my love of martial arts and personal and business growth. It is with my deepest appreciation for your sincere drive to help others succeed by push, prod or pull that I am very pleased to see you honorably recognized with this award! Congratulations
Joe Corley
PKA WORLDWIDE CEO, 10th Degree Black Belt
Joe Corley Karate
Atlanta, Georgia
Over the past six decades, I have had the opportunity to see and hear from a fair number of forward-thinking, insightful, proactive, persistent, and effective leaders.
STEPHEN OLIVER‘s success has been built around all of these traits, combined with his abilities to steadfastly press his client to seek to understand the WHY’S; and like good teachers on the mat has kept them focused on the basics.
As a result, he-with his former instructor and now his inimitable copilot Jeff Smith- has created such an impressive group of GRAND MASTERS in the Martial arts business.
Congratulations, Grand Master OLIVER for your incredible, focused and well-deserved successes all around!
STEPHEN OLIVER success
Sebastian Mejias
Professor
Samurai Inti Martial Arts
Texas
Congratulation Grand Master Oliver in your Lifetime Achievement. You have change the life of countless people and fellow martial artist. I can’t think of anyone who deserve this award more in our Industry. I can’t thank you enough for all the great lesson you taught me. May God bless you with a long healthy life so you can keep helping people. Professor Sebastian Mejias Samurai Inti Martial Arts 7410 Preston rd 105 Frisco Texas
Antonius Bittmann
NA
Hunterdon Academy of the Arts
Flemington, NJ
Grand Master Oliver, Hearty Congratulations on this much deserved and long-overdue recognition!! Your many contributions to the field of Martial Arts are exceptional. By sharing your experience and amazing insights, you have helped countless martial arts school owners around the world improve their businesses and create wealth for their families. Thank You!
Cindi Moulton
2nd degree black belt
Northglenn Co
Congratulations! Thanks for tge opportunity to work with children. To make lifelong friends. Proud to be a M.H.K. black belt.
Delfino Candia
Master Candia
America's Best Karate
El Paso, TX
congratulations
Blayne Bonfoco
Black Belt Brazilian Jiu jitsu
Belize
Grand Master Oliver is a true inspiration, having created a incredible legacy for himself and everyone he has worked with.
Joe Droual
Soke
New York Martial Arts
Setauket ny
Congratulations Steve Many blessings!
Peter Harnisch
Denver , CO
Congrats on an amazing career Master Oliver. Wishing you continued success!!
Toby Milroy
Master
Fl
Congratulations Sir! Well deserved for a lifetime of contribution to the industry, school owners, instructors, black belts and students!
Congratulations Grand Master Oliver on your achievements in the business and martial arts worlds. Your success in the martial arts business world is impressive, but I appreciate your academic background as a National Merit Scholar, Georgetown University and University of Denver graduate. You are probably the most well rounded person I know, and I am happy to call you friend.
Laurie Peterson
6th Degree
Go2 Karate Recognition Board Member
Senior Counsel
