Grand Master Stephen Oliver in the Media

Grand Master Stephen Oliver, MBA, 10th Degree Black Belt, is the founder of Mile High Karate, CEO and Chairman of the National Association of Professional Martial Artists (NAPMA), and the driving force behind Martial Arts Wealth Mastery. A direct student of the Jhoon Rhee lineage since 1969, he has spent four decades teaching martial arts school owners how to build profitable, professional schools through proven marketing and business systems.

Media & Industry Presence

Stephen Oliver has a substantial media and industry presence centered on martial arts business, school operations, coaching, and professional development. He is best known as the founder of Mile High Karate (established 1983 in the Denver, Colorado area), a longtime leader in NAPMA, publisher and columnist for Martial Arts Professional Magazine, and founder and CEO of Martial Arts Wealth Mastery. His footprint is strongest in martial arts business and professional circles, built through sustained output — columns, books, and coaching media — and recurring features in industry publications and podcasts over 20+ years.

His coverage includes detailed biographical profiles, magazine columns, features and covers, multiple books, podcast interviews, video content, and industry awards with strong peer validation. Industry writers have dubbed him the “Mile High Maverick” for his innovative franchise and business approach. His current focus includes AI-powered scaling, BJJ and MMA expansion, and dual coaching for both martial arts schools and financial advisors.

Official Bios & In-Depth Profiles

Career overviews highlight his Jhoon Rhee lineage training, the founding and scaling of Mile High Karate (multiple locations, franchise elements, 1,000+ black belts promoted), the Mile High Karate Classic NASKA World Tour event (1989–1999), NAPMA leadership, an MBA from the University of Denver (1992), and decades of coaching impact.

• Mile High Karate — About Stephen Oliver: training, business growth, achievements, charity work, and magazine cover features.
• Martial Arts Professional — About Stephen Oliver (full biography): NAPMA program development (Maximum Impact, Inner Circle, Peak Performers), CEO/Chairman and MAPro Publisher, columnist, books, and Hall of Fame induction.
• Go2 Karate — Grandmaster Stephen Oliver: Lifetime Achievement & Recognition Award profile with peer testimonials from school owners worldwide.
• Amazon Author Page and LinkedIn (Martial Arts Wealth Mastery & Advisor Wealth Mastery) company profiles.

Featured Magazine Features, Profiles & PDF Reprints

Stephen Oliver has been featured on the covers of Martial Arts Professional, Martial Arts Business, The Eagle Express, EFC All Stars, and other industry magazines over the decades, and served as a Martial Arts Professional columnist for 10+ years (reaching roughly 23,000 professionals).

• The Way of the Mile High Maverick — flagship Martial Arts Professional / Mile High Karate feature on franchise growth, NAPMA, and school-owner business systems.
• The Way of the Mile High Maverick — alternate PDF copy.
• Martial Arts Professional Magazine Back-Issue Archive (2005–2012 era).
• Stephen Oliver Author Archive — columns, interviews, and feature content (page 2).

Magazine Covers

Go2 Karate Magazine

• Go2 Karate Magazine Hub.
• Issue #1 (Mar–May 2023): Success Tips by Stephen Oliver.
• Issue #2 (Sept 2023): Heighten Your Expectations.
• Issue #4 (June 2024): Cover Story reference.
• Issue #6 (Mar 2025): The First Rule of Marketing Your School Is Simple — Hustle.
• Go2 Karate Recognition — Grandmaster Stephen Oliver.

Martial Arts World News Columns

• Vol. 20 #1 — The 10 Things You MUST Do to Thrive, Part 2.
• Vol. 21 #4 — Does Your School Have the X Factor?, Part 2.
• Vol. 22 #1 — Is Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction, Part 1.
• Vol. 22 #4 — Just Sell Something.
• Vol. 23 #2 — Wealth vs. Lifestyle, Part 1.
• Vol. 23 #4 — Everything Is Negotiable, Part 1.
• Vol. 23 #6 — Fire Those Who Suck the Life from Your School, Part 1.
• Vol. 25 #5 — Constructing Your Marketing Parthenon, Part 2.

Books & Authorship

Stephen Oliver has authored or co-authored multiple books on direct-response marketing, school operations and management, character development, leadership, and internet marketing for martial arts schools — starting with one of the first such books in 1999. Free copies of several are offered through MartialArtsWealth.com.

• Everything I Wish I Knew When I Was 22: Essential Skills for Martial Arts School Owners — widely referenced practical how-to guidance for school owners.
• The Way of the Mile High Maverick — also the title of the flagship Martial Arts Professional cover-story feature on his career (see Featured Magazine Features section above).
• Direct Response Marketing for Martial Arts Schools.
• Extraordinary Teaching — co-authored with Grandmaster Jeff Smith; Stephen Oliver is lead author.
• Six Simple Steps to Add 100 Students (FillYourSchool.com).
• Additional titles across marketing, retention, operations, and leadership/character programs — nine books total (see his Amazon author page and Goodreads).

Podcasts & Video Interviews

• School Owner Talk #272 — Interview With Stephen Oliver (discovering value/pricing, overcoming COVID, Mile High Karate/NAPMA).
• School Owner Talk #382 — Six Simple Steps to Add 100 New Students.
• School Owner Talk #409 — Lights, Camera, Enrollments!.
• Matthew Brenner Podcast — How To Build Profitable Martial Arts Schools (Stephen Oliver, Ep. 32).
• Become An Author Podcast — Stephen Oliver and Jeff Smith (on their co-authored book Extraordinary Teaching).
• Story Power Marketing Show — Why Marketing Is a Martial Art (2023) — full-episode video also on Vimeo.
• The Real Deal Podcast with Jason Silverman — Business Success Secrets from the Mile High Maverick (2013).
• Martial Arts Marketing For School Owner Podcast — enrollment spikes, paid ads & scaling (S2E4, 2025).
• Million Dollar Producer Show #022 — Authority Marketing with Stephen Oliver (2023).
• Stephen Oliver podcast archive.
• Lee Milteer interviews Stephen Oliver: The Impact of Politics on Your Business — Lee Milteer interviews Stephen Oliver on how political and economic shifts affect martial arts school owners and small business decision-making.

YouTube, Video & Events

• Stephen Oliver — Martial Arts Wealth YouTube Channel — client testimonials, member results, marketing systems, and the Martial Arts Legends series.
• Selected member-result videos: Scott Sullivan — “Best Decision I Have Ever Made”, Jan Lappin — from $40,000 to $70,000 a month, Jason Purcell — from $143K to $487K, from $10K to $37K a month, and Tim Harrison — from $25K months.
• Legacy video archives: NAPMAvideo, Stephen Oliver’s Wealth Mastery channel, and Dailymotion.
• Martial Arts Industry Innovations — podcast/audio playlist.
• NAPMA Extreme Success Academy, Bootcamps, and Quantum Leap event footage and business training archives.
• Grassroots marketing for martial arts films (e.g., Kung Fu Panda, The Red Canvas, Sidekicks) tied to theater promotions and school events.

Awards, Honors & Peer Recognition

• Inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Association Hall of Fame (2000).
• Recognized as a #1 multi-school operator and among the top school operators by industry groups.
• Go2 Karate Lifetime Achievement & Recognition Award — with extensive peer testimonials.
• Stephen Oliver and NAPMA honored for their contribution to the martial arts business (Martial Arts Professional, 2026).

Rank history: Stephen Oliver was promoted to 6th Degree Black Belt by Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee in 1994, to 7th Degree by Grandmaster Jeff Smith in 2001, to 9th Degree Black Belt by a board of Grandmasters Jeff Smith, Pat Burleson, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, and Joe Corley, and to 10th Degree Black Belt in April 2026 by Grandmaster Jeff Smith. Some archived articles and PDFs list historical ranks (8th or 9th Degree); these reflect the publication date — his current designation is 10th Degree Black Belt.