We have 2 Kempo Openings Tuesday 5:45 pm.

We have 2 Kempo Openings Tuesday 7:10 pm.

We have 1 Kempo Openings Thursday 5:45 pm.

We have 2 JKD Openings Thursday 7:10 pm.

We have 0 Kempo Openings Sunday Class at 4 pm.

If there are no openings please apply and you will be on our wait list to be notified as soon as there is an opening and you are accepted.

We have only 1 Private Lesson Opening left in either JKD or Kempo with Professor Hargrave

For lessons go to the how to join page and apply.

Professor Hargrave's Kempo Karate System is the basis for the United States Marines Training Program.

Hargrave Martial Arts Self Defense in Action

These are a few of my students who have used their martial arts skill I have taught them to defend their lives. Many of them are beginners who if they were taking lessons somewhere else would not have survived.

11 yr old student severely bullied at school on a daily basis by larger stronger student. Student (yellow belt) after having his lunch tray dumped on the floor yet again, in front of entire grade (and principle) in lunch room struck bully in throat and took him to the floor. My student was suspended for a few days, but immediately after the school principle whispered "that was cool, where did you learn that".

7 yr old student attacked on school bus with scissors. Student (yellow belt) disarmed attacker and took him to the bus floor.

10 yr old student attacked by a 12 yr old with a hammer. Student (yellow belt) disarmed attacker and slammed him on the ground.

Attempted car jacking in Tulsa bank parking lot.
Student (brown belt) disabled armed attacker who suffered from groin and bleeding face injuries.

Attempted car jacking in Tulsa Target parking lot.
Attacker stabbed at student (orange belt) injuring his favorite shirt, Student took knife from attacker, stabbed him in the butt and waited for police who arrested attacker who had 8 arrest warrants.

Student was filling up with gas at QT in mid town when he felt man stealing his wallet. Student (orange belt stripe) struck the assailant in the face and then took him to the pavement. Tulsa police were in the parking lot and saw the incident and picked the injured attacker up off the ground and helped him to jail.

Student was filling up with gas at Texaco in south Tulsa when a very large hostile yelling man attempted to grab student. Student (orange belt) knocked the much larger attacker unconscious as he fell to the ground. Texaco attendant said there had been problems before with this individual.

Student was on vacation in New York when he was stabbed by a robber in the shoulder. Student (brown belt) struck mugger rupturing his ear and injuring his arm as he took him to the ground. Police arrested attacker after the hospital stay.

Female student was attacked in her south Tulsa apartment late one night. The student heard the attacker at her bedroom window after he had cut the screen and opened it. As he attempted to climb in she grabbed him by the back of the neck and punched him in the face repeatedly, then slammed his head into the window sill repeatedly. He fell outside and rolled around in the flowers and shrubs then stumbled away badly beaten and bleeding.

When crime and violence comes to you, will you be ready?

My students are.
Professor Hargrave

The following is used with permission from TulsaMartialArts.com

First a few things to look out for when choosing a martial art school

While one bad thing may send up a red flag, two or more look elsewhere.

1. A guaranteed black belt- There are no guarantees on passing tests in the real world.

2. Time in grade / rank promotions- Just being there shouldn't get you higher rank or allow you to pass tests.

3. High pressure used car sales techniques offering special limited time pricing with up front payments

4. Telling you that what they teach is perfect for all things and situations. No art is good for everything. They were either designed for defense or tournaments not both.

5. They do not belong to a recognized martial arts association and are local only, and do not offer association membership for their students.

6. They do not have rank certificates, or if they do they come only from the school or head instructor. Rank certificates should come from a recognized international association which students must join to be accredited. If not, the school makes the certificates themselves. Kind of like you being able to print your own money. This is one of the reasons Congress is considering national regulation of the martial arts industry.

7. Belt tests- Many schools charge for belt tests, just don't let it get out of hand. The usual is between 10 and 20 tests to first degree black. We have heard of as many as 60 to 80 incremental tests to black belt. Beware

8. There are many colors of belts in the martial arts, camouflage is not one of them. Good grief.

9. If the classes are all workout and little martial arts instruction; congratulations you are in an aerobics class!

10. An instructors students are like apples that fall from a tree. Sure there will be some bad ones (they cant perform the martial arts moves well) as any quality instructor tries to help those who need him / her most, but the majority of the class members will give you an indication of what to expect. Look at the high ranking students. If they can take care of business (you know what we mean) then you can expect they will get you to that level. On the other hand if you see the blackbelts in action and think to yourself that the average bad guy could beat that black belt, then run for the door.

A good rule of thumb to find out more about a style is to go online and type the style followed by .org in your web browser. The .org's are usually the authority on the style.

We hope this helps you find a quality school no matter where you are.

Professor Hargrave's Kempo Karate System is the basis for the United States Marines Training Program.

We offer the finest in Kempo Karate and Jeet Kune Do training, and the best international student, instructor and school certification available anywhere. Our Tulsa martial arts classes are restricted in size and exclusive in nature. Classes are in great demand, as Professor Hargrave is a two time national instructor of the year.

Please be patient with the student selection process, and if there are no current openings we will put you on our waiting list. Your level of physical fitness or age is not important; your desire to be the best possible you is what matters. We can help with children, adult classes, and private lessons. An international video training and ranking program is also available.

Honor, Respect, and Discipline are our trademarks. Peace is the reward.

Blessed be the Lord my strength, who trains my fingers to war, and my hands to fight. Psalms 144

 

We hope this small list will help you find the right fit.

Do not join a sport art for self defense, and do not join a self defense art to win a trophy.

Real karate is for real people.

Best of luck in the Arts!

Tulsa Karate

Ask yourself what you need from your  karate school and style. Everyone needs a specific thing in their personal martial art. Is it to get in shape, to train oneself, or provide discipline for the undisciplined? Or do you or a loved one need to defend against the bad guys of the world? Not all schools or styles are good for each individuals need, and if you don't know the difference you are wasting your money, your time and your life. Here we will show you the difference between the arts and what each are used to accomplish. Then you can make an educated choice.

We at Hargrave Martial Arts Tulsa Karate are good at what we do. We don't try to be all things to all people. This simple guide will help and save everyone time and effort. We want you to be at the right school.

( ) = English Translation

1. Kempo (fist law) Karate: Japanese and Chinese in origin. James Mitose (my-TOE-she) is considered to be the founder of modern Kempo, although William Chow made great contributions. It is good for: self defense and as a martial art. It is not for sport or tournaments. Kempo Karate is a good art for all ages, and can be practiced into old age. Minimum flexibility is required. There are different Kempo / Kenpo systems today. Some are more Chinese and others more Japanese in origin. Hargrave Martial Arts instructor is founder of American Combat kempo.

2. Jeet Kune Do (way of intercepting fist): Founded in the 1962 by Bruce Lee. Chinese in origin. JKD is good for self-defense, and as a martial art. It is not good for sport or tournaments. It is a good art for most ages, but is best for smaller persons. The first system to combine the best techniques from multiple styles after being reworked for fighting.Probably the most famous martial art in the world, that few know any factual information about. Works well into old age. Minimum flexibility is required.

3. Karate (empty hand): Japanese in origin. Some versions are good for sport and tournaments. Other karate forms are just for defense. If tournaments are allowed, generally the art is sport in nature. Flexibility is a must for most systems.

4. Ju Jitsu (gentle art), Japanese Dr. Jigoro Kano is also considered the father of modern Jujitsu- Good for- self defense, one on one. Not good for tournaments or sport but can be adapted without the joint and bone breaks. Good art for all ages and works well into old age. Minimum flexibility.

5. Judo: Japanese in origin. Founded 1882 by Jigoro Kano at age 22. Judo is good for sport and tournaments but not general self defense. All ages can perform it, but throws tend to get hard on you as you age. Medium flexibility is therefore required.

6. Kung Fu (skilled man): Chinese in origin at aprox. 527 A.D. Kung Fu is good for, depending on style, self defense and tournaments. Some styles work well into old age. Some of the very low stances are, well, painful at times. Flexibility is a must.

7. Kobu Jutsu (weapons art): Origins lie in Okinawa, Japan with farmers who needed to defend their crops. Kobu Jutsu Taught at Hargrave Martial Arts as a component of Kempo Karate.

8. Aikido (way of mind / harmony): Japanese in origin, founded in 1942 by Morihei Ueshiba. Aikido is good for self defense to a point. Generally there is no striking. It is not for tournaments. However, it works very well into old age. Only minimum flexibility is required.

9. Muay Thai Kick Boxing: Origins are in Thailand. Muay Thai is good for self defense and ring work. It is best for the young. The average boxers time span in competition is 4 years before the crippling effects of style abuse remove them. This is not an art for the elderly. Flexibility and stellar physical condition are a must.

10. Tae Kwon Do (way of punching and kicking): Founded in 1955 by General Choi Hong. It is Hi-Korean in origin. It is good for sport, tournaments and sport art, but not for self defense. Tae Kwon Do is for the young, as older practitioners tend to suffer from knee and joint problems. Flexibility is a must.

11. Cardio Karate (Tae Bo): American in origin. Cardio Karate is good for aerobics and fitness. It is not good for self defense. All ages can participate but flexibility is a must.

12. Tai Chi: Chinese in origin. It is the moving forms / meditations. Tai Chi is good for overall fitness, but limited in the cardio area. Younger persons tend to find it boring. It can be adapted for self defense if the instructor shows you how, or knows how.

13. Krav Maga: Israeli in origin. Developed in the late 1950's. Used by Israeli army for a few years. Krav Maga is good for fitness, Intended for younger persons and military. Must be in stellar condition due to fast repetitions and very high kicking maneuvers. Used to be used by the military for many years but they have since moved on to thier own brand of art or system.

14. MMA: Mixed Martial Arts: No claimed origin. Thought to be developed by Bruce Lee as he was the first to combine styles, refuted by Lee family due to incompetence (dont blame us). Its goal was to put many techniques together for more effectiveness, but so far fails in practice unless viewed as sporting event. Participants competence hurts the eyes of a skilled teacher to watch them fumble around, but we are hopeful. No rank levels, no systemized program for learning. Good for wrestling around with a sweaty guy in a cage or ring on tv. And no Ju Jitsu is not MMA. We may offer applications for advanced HMMA training sessions in the near future as we have recived requests for training.

Here are some questions / comments and answers to help you find the right school or style.

1. My style is not listed why not. - This small list covers most concerns

2. I think your comments are arrogant, offensive and i would never take lessons or purchase your many training materials and will send you harrassing ignorant insulting spam emails to prove my superiority. You are the Devil for offending words and I will post endlessly internet chat rooms where I rule. - The ignorant can find offense anywhere and be careful with your brain cell in those chat rooms, pretty dangerous stuff..GET A LIFE (We really do get emails from mentally challenged syber stalkers just like this. The joys of helping educate others)

3. Your sytem seems just like what I need, now what? - Send us an email or application. You can also order online at www.kempo.org or www.leejkd.com if you are not local.

Here is a students perspective of the list defined in real terms.

1. I want to win trophies and compete - Try Tae Kwon Do or a Sport Art- We are NOT what you are looking for.

2. I want to show how strong a fighter I am and I am PROUD - Trya Soprt Art or MMA. We are NOT what you are looking for..

3. I want to get in shape and I am not really concerned about my safety or learning a bunch of moves. Try Tae Bo or Areobic Kickboxersize. We are NOT what you are looking for.

4. My child is being bullied and is afraid to go to school and its just getting worse and we need something now. The school is not much help. Welcome to our world, We can help you.

5. I am concerned about the ever rising crime rate and violence in our culture and what to be sure I have what it takes to defend myslef and my family if need be with the meanest things I can find. I dont care about showing off or tournaments. Welcome to our world, We can help you.

6. I am police/ military/ governmental and I need to be able to drop a bad guy for good in a very short amount of time. Welcome to our world, We can help you.

7. I want to learn martial art weapons and mabe combat firearm training. Welcome to our world, We can help you. The combat firearm training is done off site and include pistol and assault weapons (The pistol is part of the program at 5th degree black belt and no we do not teach children at this level).

8. I want a kind and gentle art with more meditative aspects. - You are looking for Aikido or Tai Chi that we do not offer.

9. I want to learn sport sword fighting. - That would be Kendo that we do not offer.

Send us an email