Who Is Stephen Oliver? The Martial Arts School Owner Who Built a Top-5 Organization

Stephen Oliver is a 10th Degree Black Belt and MBA who built Mile High Karate into one of the top five martial arts organizations in the world and now coaches serious school owners on how to do the same. He is the Founder and CEO of Mile High Karate and Martial Arts Wealth Mastery, CEO of NAPMA, and Publisher of Martial Arts Professional magazine. This post lays out who he is, what he has built, and why his name carries weight among martial arts school owners.

The Short Answer

If you have spent any time in the martial arts business world, you have probably heard the name. But for those meeting him for the first time, here is the essential picture. Stephen Oliver has been a martial arts school owner since 1975. He holds the highest rank in his art — a 10th Degree Black Belt, promoted in April 2026 — and an MBA from the University of Denver. He is a Georgetown University honors graduate and a former National Merit Scholar. He founded Mile High Karate and grew it into a multi-million-dollar, internationally franchised organization, and he has spent decades teaching other owners how to build profitable, high-impact schools. For the full record, see the Stephen Oliver authority page.

A Rare Combination: Master Instructor and Trained Businessman

What makes Stephen Oliver unusual is the combination he brings to the table. Plenty of people are excellent martial artists. A smaller number are capable business operators. Very few are both at the highest level.

On the martial arts side, he is a 10th Degree Black Belt with a lineage that runs through Jhoon Rhee, Allen Steen, and Pat Burleson, and later Grand Master Jeff Smith. He began training in 1969 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the legendary “Blood & Guts” era of American karate. He earned his 1st Degree Black Belt from Jhoon Rhee in 1978, posting one of the highest scores ever recorded on the Jhoon Rhee Black Belt Exam.

On the business side, he is formally trained. He earned an A.B. with honors from Georgetown University in 1982 and an MBA from the University of Denver in 1992, with a marketing focus, where he served on the Entrepreneurship & Venture Management Board. Between those degrees, he spent twelve months at the Library of Congress and the SBA studying direct-response marketing, management, and sales. That is not a hobbyist’s resume. It is the background of someone who treats running a school as a serious profession.

What He Built: Mile High Karate

Stephen founded Mile High Karate in Lakewood/Denver, Colorado, on August 6, 1983, with $10,000, bringing the Jhoon Rhee system to the Rockies. What happened next is the part that earns the attention of other owners.

• 5 schools in 18 months; 6 in 30 months.
• By 1985, at age 25, more than 2,500 active students and over $1,000,000 in annual revenue.
• By the late 1980s, roughly 50 staff, 3,500+ active students, and revenue exceeding $5,000,000/year in current-dollar terms.
• More than 1,000 Black Belts promoted, ages 5 to 76, and tens of thousands of students taught.
• An international franchise spanning the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

Mile High Karate became the top martial arts organization in its region and one of the top five in the world. That kind of result is exactly what most school owners are chasing, and it is the reason his methods get studied so closely. You can see the full school-building story on the Million Dollar Martial Arts School page.

Industry Leadership Beyond His Own Schools

Stephen’s influence extends well past Mile High Karate. He served on the Board of Directors of EFC (Educational Funding Company) from its inception through 2001 and was a national speaker for roughly twenty years. He was the lead developer of several of the industry’s best-known coaching programs — NAPMA Squared (later renamed Maximum Impact), the Inner Circle, and Peak Performers.

In 2007 he became CEO and Chairman of NAPMA, the National Association of Professional Martial Artists, and Publisher of Martial Arts Professional magazine, which reaches 23,000 industry professionals. (An important point of accuracy: he is the CEO of NAPMA and the Publisher of Martial Arts Professional — not the founder of either.) In those roles he has hosted Bootcamps, the Extreme Success Academy, and Quantum Leap events for school owners around the world.

He has also led in sport karate, founding the Mile High Karate Classic in 1989, which held NASKA World Tour status from 1989 to 1999, and serving on the NASKA Board of Directors as national sanctioning director during that decade.

Author, Speaker, and Hall of Famer

Stephen has authored seven books on direct-response marketing and school operations, including Everything I Wish I Knew When I Was 22, The Way of the Mile High Maverick, and Extraordinary Teaching (co-authored with Jeff Smith). He wrote the first book specifically for martial arts schools on internet marketing back in 1999, and he co-authored a book with marketing legend Dan Kennedy.

As a speaker he has shared the stage with Dan Kennedy, Brian Tracy, Jay Abraham, Tony Robbins, Lee Milteer, Chuck Norris, and former NYC Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik. In 2000 he was inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Association Hall of Fame and recognized as the association’s #1 multi-school operator.

Who He Works With Now

Today, through Martial Arts Wealth Mastery, Stephen works exclusively with serious martial arts, BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai, and Krav Maga school owners. The focus areas are the ones that actually move a school: marketing, enrollment, retention, staff development, pricing and profitability, teaching quality, and growth. He is joined by a coaching team that includes Grand Master Jeff Smith (10th Degree, former World Champion), Chief Master Greg Moody, PhD (8th Degree), and Bob Dunne.

His operating philosophy is simple and consistent: great martial arts and great business are inseparable. Profitable schools survive, attract better instructors, serve more families, and create more Black Belts. He builds and tests systems in real schools first, then teaches what works.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Stephen Oliver best known for?

He is best known for building Mile High Karate into one of the top five martial arts organizations in the world and for coaching other school owners on how to build profitable schools through Martial Arts Wealth Mastery.

What are Stephen Oliver’s credentials?

He is a 10th Degree Black Belt and holds an MBA from the University of Denver and an A.B. with honors from Georgetown University. He is Founder and CEO of Mile High Karate and Martial Arts Wealth Mastery, CEO of NAPMA, and Publisher of Martial Arts Professional magazine.

Is Stephen Oliver the founder of NAPMA?

No. He is the CEO and Chairman of NAPMA (since 2007) and the Publisher of Martial Arts Professional magazine. He is the Founder of Mile High Karate and Martial Arts Wealth Mastery.

How long has Stephen Oliver owned martial arts schools?

He has been a martial arts school owner since 1975 and has more than five decades of training, having begun in 1969.

Where is Stephen Oliver based?

He is based in the Denver–Golden, Colorado area, with additional offices in Tulsa, Phoenix, Washington D.C., and Tampa.

Work With Stephen Oliver

If you want to build a more profitable, higher-impact martial arts school, book a free consultation and map out your growth plan.

About the Author

Stephen Oliver, MBA and 10th Degree Black Belt, is the Founder and CEO of Mile High Karate and Martial Arts Wealth Mastery, CEO of NAPMA (National Association of Professional Martial Artists), and Publisher of Martial Arts Professional magazine. A martial arts school owner since 1975, he and his coaching team — including Grandmaster Jeff Smith and Dr. Greg Moody — have helped owners build $1M+ schools. Read the full Stephen Oliver biography and credentials.