When Mr. Tarver was only 7 years old, his parents decided to start him in martial arts at a tough school in OKC. There he began learning a mixture of martial arts, including Taekwon-do, Shotokan Karate, Goju-ryu Karate, Kenpo, Capoeira, Boxing, and Muay Thai. During his time there, he competed in many tournaments, winning multiple gold medals in both sparring & patterns.

He even achieved his 1st degree black belt at only 17 years old. It was at that school he earned the nickname “Lightning”, due to his impressive speed, agility, and quickness. Tarver remained a dedicated student all through elementary, middle school, and high school. It wasn’t until he turned 18, that he decided to take a break to pursue college.

In 2015, after graduating college with a bachelor’s in music education, Mr. Tarver decided to try out a friend’s Sandakan school in OKC. He trained there for 6 months, but ultimately decided to focus on other things. However, a year later, he stumbled across a job listing for an assistant instructor position at a little school called Edmond Martial Arts Academy. Realizing this would combine both his love of martial arts with his passion for teaching, he reached out.

Soon after, he began assisting in classes. Where his past experiences and education degree aided him on his teaching journey. Over time he moved from assistant instructor to head instructor and has become an integral part of the EMAA family. He continues his training and 2023 he tested for and received his 2nd degree black belt from our school.