Our Instructor: Mr Clint Hughes

Mr. Clint Hughes began his training as a teenager in Minnesota. As most people in the Midwest, his first art was Tae Kwon Do. While training at John Worley's National Karate schools in Minneapolis, Mr. Hughes began looking into the other styles available. He cross trained at an Inosanto certified Kali group, offering a great deal of variety in multiple disciplines. When he was a green belt in TKD, Mr. Hughes found Kenpo. It was an instant conversion. Although he still earned his black in TKD from Lay's Martial Systems in Sioux City, Iowa, Kenpo took over the bulk of his training. Training six hours a day and six days a week, Mr. Hughes soon was searching for more knowledge and began traveling.

To find more Kenpo knowledge, and further expand his physical skills, his instructor Mr. Roger Jackson encouraged him to seek out training from American Kenpo's most known and best. Mr. Jackson, who Mr. Hughes considers the finest example of a teacher he could have, also encouraged him to start teaching his own program in 1994 as a Brown Belt at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. After earning his 1st degree Black Belt in Kenpo in 1995, Mr. Hughes started to travel across the country. He searched out "masters" of Kenpo from coast to coast finding that often what people claim to be is not what they tend to be. While expanding his knowledge as a student and teacher, Mr. Hughes built his BVU program. He formed the university sanctioned BVU Kenpo Karate Club, and expanded his teaching to the Storm Lake, Iowa community via his school Universal Kenpo Karate Dojos. In 1997, Mr. Hughes earned his 2nd degree Black Belt. In 1998, Mr. Hughes graduated from BVU with a triple major, earning degrees in Education, History, and Speech Communications/Drama.

After getting married directly following his graduation, Mr. Hughes moved to Lafayette, Indiana; leaving his Storm Lake program in the hands of senior students. Mr. Hughes opened Universal Kenpo Karate Dojos (UKK) in Lafayette, Indiana soon after moving. It was in 1998 also that Mr. Hughes first had the opportunity to train with Mr. Richard "Huk" Planas. He has worked to get all the training opportunities possible since, deciding Mr. Planas is the person with the knowledge and skills he wishes to possess. Together with his student Mr. Joshua Meredith, Mr. Hughes helped form The KenpoNet, which today is one of Kenpo's largest online resources. UKK Indiana in its first years grew to have 160 students and holds seminars with many excellent Kenpoists such as Mr. Planas, Mr. Zach Whitson, Mr. Dave Hebler, Mr. Ed Parker, Jr, Mr. Martin Wheeler, and more.

In 2006, Mr. Hughes relocated back to Storm Lake, where his wife teaches at their old alma mater, Buena Vista University, and Mr. Hughes tookover instruction of UKK Storm Lake.  Mr. Hughes was promoted to 5th degree Black Belt in July of 2009. Mr. Hughes pledges to continue training every moment possible, and teach using all his knowledge as a Kenpoist and as an educator.

Mr. Hughes writes articles on the subject of martial education for the KenpoNet, other on-line sources and magazines, and strives to use his teaching skills to bring Ed Parker's Kenpo to any who wish to learn. Mr. Hughes is often searched out by many for his Kenpo knowledge, and he teaches seminars in Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri and Wisconsin. Mr. Hughes is very proud to be the leader of such an excellent group of students and teachers.