Competitive Edge Karate

A System Your Hands Already Understand

You're already holding a tool. You just don't know it yet. Kali is a 500-year-old Filipino martial art built around weapons — so your hands learn to move like they're holding something, even when they're empty. Water bottle, umbrella, keys, phone. It's all training data.

New sessions forming in Henrico, VA — women and men 19+

https://competitiveedgekarate.com/program/kali-training/

Three Generations, One School: What 29 Years of Families at Competitive Edge Karate Says About Martial Arts in Henrico VA
Some martial arts schools open and close within a few years.

Others become something different entirely a fixture in a community, a place families return to not just once, but across decades. Across generations.

Competitive Edge Karate in Short Pump has been that place for 29 years.

And the stories that have come out of this school from the families who keep coming back say more about what happens here than any program description ever could.

Click Link Below:
https://competitiveedgekarate.com/2026/08/26/three-generations-one-school-what-29-years-of-families-at-competitive-edge-karate-reveals-about-martial-arts-in-short-pump-henrico-va/

32 Years Later — Still Training. Still Teaching.

32 years ago today, I stepped into the ring in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for a professional US Welterweight Kickboxing Title fight.

Looking at this old fight poster reminds me that the greatest things I took from my fight career weren't the titles or rankings — they were the lessons.

Timing. Distance. Discipline. Preparation. Staying composed under pressure. Getting back up and continuing when things get difficult.

For decades, I've had the privilege of passing those lessons on to my students.

Today, I'm simply grateful.
Grateful that 32 years later, I'm still training, still teaching, and still passing it on to the next generation.

The fights become memories.

What you pass on becomes your legacy.

What should your child do if a bully corners them at school?

Most kids freeze — not because they're weak, but because no one's ever walked them through it. Three things we teach every student:

1️⃣ Stand tall and speak up — confidence de-escalates more often than people think.
2️⃣ Know how to create space and exit safely.
3️⃣ Tell a trusted adult — every time, no exceptions.

We build all three into real practice, not just talk, at Competitive Edge Karate.

👉 Free intro class this week in Short Pump / Glen Allen.

1996. Before Competitive Edge Karate. Before CEK.

Sometimes an old photograph reminds you just how long the journey has really been.

This photo was taken at Master Glazier Karate in 1996.

When I look at it today, I don't just see younger faces, old uniforms, or a different time in martial arts.

I see part of the foundation.

Every instructor I've trained with, every school I've been part of, every fighter I've faced, and every student I've had the privilege to teach has contributed something to the martial artist and instructor I eventually became.

Master Glazier Karate, under Grandmaster Mark Glazier, was one of those chapters.

Back then, I couldn't have known exactly where the road would lead.

Three years later, in 1997, I would open Competitive Edge Karate.

And nearly three decades after that, I'm still teaching.

Still learning.

Still trying to pass something meaningful on to the next student who walks through our doors.

That's one of the beautiful things about martial arts.

You never really know which class, instructor, training partner, victory, loss, or difficult night of training will change the direction of your life.

You just keep showing up.

I'm grateful for the people and places that were part of my journey and proud that today I get to be part of someone else's.

The uniform may change. The years may pass. But the responsibility to pass it on remains.

🥋 1994 → 2026. Still on the floor. Still teaching. Still learning.

Some students come to me at 5 years old. Others walk through the door at 50.

They may be at completely different stages of life, but many of them are looking for the same thing.

Someone to believe in them.
Someone to challenge them.
Someone who won't let them quit on themselves.

For over 40 years, I’ve had the privilege of being that person for a lot of students.

I’ve watched nervous 5-year-olds struggle to tie their belts.

I’ve watched teenagers walk in with their heads down and slowly discover confidence.

I’ve watched adults in their 30s, 40s and 50s realize that they are not too old to start again.

And somewhere along the way, I learned something:

People don't always need another instructor. Sometimes they need a mentor.

Someone who can look at them on the day they don't believe in themselves and say:

“You're not there yet. But keep going.”

That's what martial arts has always meant to me.

The punches, kicks, belts and techniques matter. But the real work is helping people become stronger when life gets difficult.

Because eventually every student leaves the training floor and has to face something I can't fight for them.

My job is to help make sure they're ready.

That’s why, after more than four decades of teaching, I still love walking onto the floor.

If you’ve been looking for more than just another activity for your child—or you've been telling yourself for years that you should start training—maybe it's time to take that first step.

You don't have to be ready. You just have to be willing to begin.

— Kyoshi Dabney
Competitive Edge Karate
Serving Henrico families since 1997

Message us “START” and let's talk.



AI-assisted illustration created for Competitive Edge Karate.

Why Filipino Martial Arts & Kali Is One of the Best Self-Defense Systems for Women — From Competitive Edge Karate in Short Pump & Henrico VA

CEK BLOG LINK:
https://competitiveedgekarate.com/2026/08/11/why-filipino-mar…-pump-henrico-va/

CEK is closing due to power outage. Thanks and Be Safe!

https://mailchi.mp/753cf6110db4/cek-is-closing

If you're interested in learning more about FMA (Filipino Martial Arts), also known as Kali — Competitive Edge Karate is now offering classes.

📅 Fridays at 6:00 PM
📅 Saturdays at 12:30 PM

Try a free week and get introduced to an incredible self-defense system — no experience or strength required.

(Video via Budo Brothers, featuring Tuhon Apollo Ladra, Pekiti-Tirsia Kali)

👇 Comment "KALI" and I'll send you the details.

The Art Of Knife Training With Apolo Ladra The Art Of Knife Training With Apolo Ladra. ...