Scholar and Warrior Kenpo Academy LLC 709 Edmond Street, Saint Joseph, MO 64501

"Locally owned and ran. Very friendly and family oriented couple who run this establishment. Passionate about what they do. My kid has been here for over 4 yrs now. Loves it."

"We have used SWKA for going in 3 years now. It has helped our overactive son learn the discipline to listen to an instructor, a teacher or a coach. He is proud of his achievements and we couldn't ask for a better karate family."

"I have known Gene and Carol-Le for a number of years professionally. I have nothing but the highest praise and regard for their school, students, and personal ethics. I would strongly recommend SWKA to anyone looking for a quality martial arts school experience in the St. Joseph area."

"Why I Train at Scholar and Warrior Kenpo Academy Mark Dalen I’ve found that other students and especially parents are interested in why I train here when they hear some of my Kenpo story. So I thought I would share some of that history and why I am training here. First, I can say conclusively that it is not due to convenience. I live in Olathe, KS, just a little over an hour away from the school. My office is equally far. There are dozens of martial arts schools that are far more convenient for me. Yet I hop in the car at least one evening per week (sometimes two if my work schedule permits) getting back home at around 10:30 pm, sweaty and pumped with adrenalin, generally making for a very short night of sleep. Saturday morning, instead of sleeping in, I am up before 7, get my coffee, shower and hit the road by 8 am to grab breakfast on the way to class. There are even the occasional Sunday private lessons with Mr. Braden as well. Just what kind of crazy am I to jump through all these hoops to attend class at SWKA with so many other choices right around the corner? I began training in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo in 1991, obtaining my 3rd Brown belt under Barbara Hale in Ventura, CA. Work began to interfere and my training for the next few years was scattered and served to keep the material fresh but I was not moving forward. Then some relocations were in the cards, and my future attempts to find a great Kenpo school came up empty. I know great Kenpo instruction and a great Kenpo School when I see it. I wanted both. That is, I want a great instructor, and I also want the training environment that is both intense and family oriented – just what I was used to. Kenpo is learned from multiple sources; your instructor, written materials, from inside as you apply self-correction and from other students. As for the latter, it seems obvious that we can learn from more advanced students, but as we move up the ranks it becomes increasingly important to teach newer students, and in the process, learn from them – all while learning how better to teach from our own instructor. All are aspects of SWKA and why I choose to train here. When Mr. Braden allowed me to attend my first Saturday class at SWKA, it took less than 30 minutes for me to see what a special place this is. I found training intensity, deep Kenpo knowledge, a supportive group of classmates and the family environment I was seeking. So after a 15+ year break, I am back in Kenpo, relearning and re-testing from the beginning. I am proud to be part of Scholar and Warrior Kenpo and am honored that Mr. Braden has taken me as his student. While I trained in Southern California, I was exposed to many great Kenpo instructors and schools. While each instructor/school was unique in some way, all shared a deep commitment to Kenpo, producing students worthy of the rank they wore around their waists, whether it was a Yellow Belt or high level Black Belt. After seeing great Kenpo schools in Southern California – the origin and heart of the Kenpo community, I can say that our school is as great as any Kenpo school out there. Mr. Braden and Ms. Elliot have built a phenomenal place for all of us – one that they should be proud of and that we can be proud of as well. I feel lucky to have found such a place because quality, commitment, attitude and environment mean far more to me than a convenient location."