ABOUT CHRIS HALEVA

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Master Chris Haleva is the owner and co-founder of Midwest Martial Arts Center. Chris currently holds black belt ranking in 4 martial art disciplines. Japanese Jujitsu, Small Circle Jujitsu, Hapkido, and 3 different styles of Taekwondo. He has also trained in Karate, K-1 Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Capoeira, BJJ, Judo, Army Combatives, Arnis, Gumdo, and various weapons systems. Chris is a certified coach and referee with the American Athletic Union for Taekwondo and he is the head coach for our Kickboxing program. Chris is the owner, founder, and chief firearms instructor of Midwest Concealed Carry Academy. He is a Certified Firearms Instructor, Range Safety Officer, and Training Counselor with the United States Concealed Carry Association(USCCA). 

Chris grew up in Los Angeles, CA. He took his first martial art class in Torrance, CA around the age of 7. He continued to train Korean Karate and Taekwondo at several different dojos until around 16 when he began training Capoeira in North Hollywood, CA. Chris enlisted in the Army after high school where he became an Army Combatives Instructor. While stationed at Ft. Riley, KS, he traveled frequently to Ft. Benning, GA, where he trained under a Japanese Jujitsu master named Captain J. Peterson. This style of Jujitsu is called Kempo Jujitsu. Chris gained the rank of 3rd Dan black belt in this system under GM J. Peterson. Throughout his time in the Military, he has trained Military and Police in Kosovo, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, and stateside. After suffering from an injury, he was forced to medically retire and moved to NWI. In 2011, Chris met GM Deborah Grimaldi of Tiger Martial Arts and began training at her dojang in Chesterton, IN. He taught at Tiger Martial Arts from 2012 - 2022 until opening his own dojo. 

In 2019, Chris and Anita attended a Small Circle Jujitsu seminar hosted by Prof. Will Higginbotham in Indianapolis, IN. After some time, Chris and Will reconnected and he began training and ranking in Small Circle Jujitsu directly under Prof. Will. Chris has been training in Hapkido for over 10 years but he felt like something was missing. The Small Circle principals created by Prof. Wally Jay were the missing pieces he was looking for. He frequently travels to Indianapolis with Matt and Kelly to train SCJ. 

In 2023, Chris was granted special authorization to teach Small Circle Jujitsu by the USA director of Small Circle Jujitsu and Prof. Leon Jay himself. As the only Dojo in NWI authorized to teach SCJ, it is his mission to share this modern Jujitsu system with our community.