Steve Von Hargett, "Mr. V", Head Instructor
Rank: 1st Degree Black Belt Instructor in American Karate, 3rd Degree Black Belt Instructor in Freestyle Martial Arts.
Other Training: Mr. V has studied and trained in various arts including Kickboxing, Western Boxing, Hwarang Do, Grappling, Inosanto Academy of Filipino Martial Arts (Kali), Giron Arnis/Escrima (Kali), Bahala Na, Del Mar Escrima y Daga, Pa Kua Chang Gung Fu, Chi Kung, Shaolin Staff, full-contact mixed martial arts, Krav Maga gun and knife defense, and real-life self-defense, including certification and license to teach FAST Defense.
Additional Qualifications: Mr. V is an Internationally Certified and Licensed Movement Educator as well as a State Licensed and Board Certified Manual Therapist. Mr. V believes that to be a well-rounded martial artist one must also study the healing arts, the biomechanics and anatomy of movement, as well as effective communication skills.
Competition: Mr. V had a short stint competing in full-contact kickboxing here in Hawaii and remains undefeated to this day.
Continuing Education: Mr. V participates in and host various trainings and seminars yearlong with the leaders in the field of Martial Arts, Sports Medicine, Performance Enhancement in Sports, and Injury Prevention. Mr. V and his wife Ms. Laura completed the training and certification process in January 2007 for FAST Defense (Black Belt Magazine's "Self Defense Program of the Year" for 2006). Mr. V is currently in the process of certification as an Anger Management Coach and plans to teach anger management skills in his classes. Mr. V is an ongoing student in Jiu-Jitsu.
Instruction Style: As an instructor, Mr. V believes in a patient and positive teaching style that helps create a safe and fun environment for everyone to enjoy and benefit from the martial arts while learning life skills along with self-defense. Mr. V has spent over 12 years teaching martial arts to students of all ages from young children to adults. In addition, Mr. V has worked with a number of Hawaii's top competitive athletes in kickboxing and full-contact fighting.
Personal: Mr. V, his wife Laura, and son Shaun have lived in Kailua-Kona for over 14 years. Their son, Shaun, attended Konawaena High School and is currently in California continuing his education. Mr. V is a graduate of Team 4 of the Ultimate Black Belt Test ("UBBT," www.UltimateBlack BeltTest.com), a year-long program and sees a black belt test and one's participation in the martial arts as a journey –and an evolution of our own consciousness. Among the UBBT’s test requirements (in addition to intense martial arts training) is a call for members to mend broken relationships, formally learn meditation, to organize an environmental clean-up project, to walk 1000 miles, to perform 1000 acts of kindness, to complete empathy training (a day blind, a day mute, a day in a wheelchair) and to get into the best physical shape of their lives. Mr. V's exposure to the world class martial arts masters involved in the UBBT has helped to shape the nature of the DOJO. One of his dreams has been to create "the DOJO," a martial arts school for Hawaii's children, equally teaching community service, compassion, meditation and peace-living philosophy (both community and environmental) along with the physical aspects such as punching, kicking and self-defense. the DOJO offers classes and programs taught by masters of other forms of martial arts and fitness, offering our students a much broader experience than a traditional martial arts school.
In response to the question of "What style martial arts do you teach?" Mr. V believes that loyalty to any one particular art form is "out" while blended, mixed martial art forms are "in" to help students grow in the martial arts to be well-rounded and to be their very best. He believes the path of martial arts to be a way of living life - leading, inspiring and helping others to excel and achieve greater goals in life.
Community Service: Mr. V has always believed in the power of giving back to one's community. Mr. V has been involved with volunteer programs for the last 20+ years. For the past 14 years, here in Kona, Mr. V has donated his time to work particularly with children. To learn about his current projects, check out the community service link on our website.
Clinical Child Psychologist and Advisor to Freestyle Martial Arts Academy ~ at the DOJO
1. We strive to be examples of
martial-arts-philosophy-in-action for both the international martial
arts community, and all citizens of the world.
2. We undertake humanitarian and educational projects as a committed
team. We promote the growth of our students through service to our
local, national, and global communities. We empower our students to
find and pursue their own visions of service through an instructional
method known as Project-Based Leadership Training.
3. We are committed to operating our school with the highest standards
of integrity, sustainability, instructor education, along with ethical
and eco-friendly (aka Green) business practices.
Anthropologist Margaret Meade said, “Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Mahatma Gandhi said, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."
These two quotes perfectly embody the mission and purpose of Hawaii Freestyle Martial Arts ~ at the DOJO.
our vision of martial arts education:
Hawaii Freestyle Martial Arts uses
the martial arts as a base for learning other things. The martial arts
are to education what an automobile is to a trip. The car is not the
trip; it's the tool you use to take the trip.
Hawaii Freestyle Martial Arts classes ~ at the DOJO are not the education, it is the tool you use to take a journey---and it is on the journey that the learning and growth occurs.
the DOJO (or place of training) is an
alternative martial arts school owned and operated by two very
progressive, innovative martial arts master instructors, Laura
Crittendon and Steve Von Hargett.To read about the
kind of work Laura and Steve do as martial arts teachers, visit our
links page and click on The Ultimate Black Belt Test, Raise the House,
the Pilates & Movement Center of Kona, or The Movement Education
Foundation of Kona.
At Hawaii Freestyle Martial Arts Academy ~ at the DOJO,
non-violence education is more important than martial arts techniques.
Practicing the art of being fully aware and developing a kind of
thinking that empowers you is far more important than what belt rank
you hold.
In Freestyle Martial Arts learning to apply
yourself to your goals and ambitions is more important than learning to
fight; and self-defense doesn't mean learning the art of blocking, it
means learning to defend one's self from mediocrity, low self-esteem,
and apathy.
Our job is to make it all fun and interesting. It's to motivate you and
give you a safe place to practice, make mistakes, have victories, and
grow. Our job is to inspire you, when possible, and to be the best
coach for you (and/or your children) that we can possibly be. If you're
interested in personal development, self-defense, fitness, and/or the
martial arts, please, come and visit the DOJO.
At Hawaii Freestyle Martial Arts, we believe strongly in the power of community activism and that indeed one person CAN
make a difference. With this idea in mind, we ask all of our martial
arts students to become aware of community and neighborhood projects
and to make a worthy contribution to them. In fact, at the DOJO,
in order to progress through specific belt ranks, our students are
asked to organize and/or participate in service activities as part of
their Belt training and testing.
The following projects are those that Freestyle Martial Arts Academy is
currently or has been involved in. In coming years, we will continue to
show our commitment to community by participating in various events,
including donating services to fundraisers for charitable institutions,
beach and road clean-ups, food drives, Self Defense/Empowerment
Training for Survivors of Abuse, bringing the Rural Studio to the Big
Island, and other activities. Be sure to check back here often to see
what Hawaii Freestyle Martial Arts, the DOJO, and our students are up to in our Big Island community!
Feel inspired? Join us!
The 911 AOK website
was set up by martial artists post 911. The last thing the world needs
is another punch or kick. Help us make the world a kinder and more sane
place...one random act of kindness at a time.
The students at the DOJO are all required to fill out logs for their
Random Acts of Kindness as part of the requirements to advance in belt
rank. If you are interested in joining us with your group, school, or
classroom...please contact us. The more AOK happening, the more sane
our world. Thank you.
This was a FANTASTIC
project founded by two fellow UBBT (team 3) members to bring monies to
the orphans in Thailand. These orphans are living at a Muay Thai
training center that these two gentlemen visited and trained at. They
were so moved by the grace and gentleness of these orphans, and by the
training center that took them in, they set out to help. By asking
fellow martial artists to donate only 50 cents, these two innovators
raised a couple of thousand dollars for the orphanage.
This is an example of how small acts, when blended together, can yield huge results! Way to go, guys!
SUCCESS IN ALABAMA!
Check
out the above link to our March 2007 humanitarian project thru the UBBT! We
raised $917 for this event. Thank you to Kona for the support.
Our goal is to bring this type of activism here to the Big Island. If you can help, we'd love to hear from you!