This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Kenukan Academy is a multi-discipline martial arts school at 220 W. Cedar Street in downtown Olathe, founded in 1968 by Bob Boggs (1949–2022) and owned since 2006 by his son Travis Boggs. It teaches a blended grappling and striking curriculum — judo, ju-jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling, kickboxing, Muay Thai and karate — plus the Bushidokan self-defense system, and has occupied a building it bought in 1985. It describes itself as the oldest martial arts academy in Johnson County.

Description

Kenukan Academy is a martial arts school in downtown Olathe, Kansas, operating from a building on West Cedar Street that the school bought in 1985.1 It teaches what it calls the Kenukan-Bushidokan systems: a grappling curriculum blending judo, ju-jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and catch wrestling; a striking curriculum blending kickboxing, Muay Thai, karate and western boxing; and a self-defense curriculum built on Jim Harrison’s Bushidokan Ronin Jutsu.2 Instruction is aimed at both combat-sport competition and self-defense application.2

The academy is also an institutional seat rather than only a school. It serves as the international headquarters (honbu dojo) of the Kenukan Budokai and the Midwest office of the Bushidokan Yudanshakai.23 Its owner holds national technical and promotion committee positions with the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation and USA Traditional Kodokan Judo, and is the United States Taiho Jutsu state director for Kansas.45

The facility includes a grappling mat over a spring floor, heavy bags, double-end bags, Thai and boxing pads, a crash pad for throws, an outdoor workout area, locker rooms with showers, a parents’ waiting room, a dry sauna, indoor and outdoor Japanese water gardens, and traditional conditioning apparatus including makiwara boards, a mook yan jong wooden dummy and chi ishi stone weights.1

Goods and services

  • Grappling instruction — judo, ju-jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling, with sambo elements in the submission curriculum2
  • Striking instruction — kickboxing, Muay Thai, karate, western boxing2
  • Self-defense — Bushidokan Ronin Jutsu, including traditional and modern weapons2
  • Competition programs — ju-jitsu (ne-waza, three-part fighting, duo), judo, submission grappling2
  • Free trial lesson and program consultation offered through the site23
  • Seminars, a published rank and diploma structure, and a posted class schedule26
  • Programs for youth and adults; the school states five programs “ — the five are not itemised on the pages read this pass

History

Bob Boggs began martial arts training in Okinawa in the mid-1960s, where in 1966 he was a member of the All Okinawa Black Belt Traveling Team coached by Seiyu Oyata, and later trained under Jim Harrison, founder of the Bushidokan systems.27 He established Kenukan Academy in 1968.27

Boggs’s own record, as published by the school, tracks the growth of organized martial arts in Kansas: Kansas Karate Invitational black belt grand champion in 1970; founding member of the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation in 1971; taught the first women’s self-defense class for Olathe Parks and Recreation in 1973; founded and taught the first karate program at Johnson County Community College in 1975; promoted the first professional kickboxing event in the state of Kansas in 1977; appointed AAU state karate chairman in 1988, serving five years; named “Leader of Martial Arts in Kansas” by American Karate Magazine in 1989; AAU Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1992; founded the Martial Arts Education Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3), in 1993; directed and coached Team USA Karate and Ju-Jitsu at the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg and the 1995 Mediterranean Games in Athens.7 He also worked as a certified professional boxing judge in Kansas City from 1976 and served as a personal bodyguard for Chuck Norris the same year.7

The school bought its own building in 1985.1

Travis Boggs began training under his father in 1986, was a five-time AAU junior state champion and three-time junior regional champion, and won gold with Team USA Karate and Ju-Jitsu at the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg and the 1995 Mediterranean Games in Athens.4 He began teaching full time in 1998, and in 2006, after graduating from the University of Kansas School of Business, took over as Owner and Chief Instructor.4 Between 2000 and 2010 he served as Jim Harrison’s personal practice partner for more than fifty Bushidokan seminars around the country.4 He was named president of the Kenukan Budokai in 2013 and issued the Shihan teaching title in 2014.4

Bob Boggs died in 2022.7 The academy states it has produced more than 270 international, national and state champions in sport competition.2

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Kenukan Academy — Dojo Facilities — asserts: “We bought our own building in 1985”; facility inventory including grappling mat with spring floor and vinyl cover, heavy bags, double-end bags, ground-and-pound bags, Muay Thai and boxing pads, crash pad, outside workout area, men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers, spectator waiting room, indoor and outdoor Japanese water gardens, dry sauna, makiwara boards, mook yan jong, chi ishi, weights. (Retrieved by direct fetch 2026-08-14.) ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Kenukan Academy — official site, home page including the founder’s welcome letter — asserts: multi-disciplinary school teaching the Kenukan-Bushidokan systems of grappling (judo, ju-jitsu, BJJ, catch wrestling) and striking (kickboxing, Muay Thai, karate); founded 1968 and serving the Kansas City area for over 57 years; described as the oldest martial arts academy in Johnson County; international headquarters for the Kenukan Budokai and Midwest office for the Bushidokan Yudanshakai; more than 270 international, national and state champions produced; self-defense curriculum is Jim Harrison’s Bushidokan Ronin Jutsu; founder began training in Okinawa in the mid-1960s and later studied under Jim Harrison; founder handed the academy to his son Travis Boggs in 2006; free trial lesson offered. (Retrieved by direct fetch 2026-08-14.) ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  3. Kenukan Academy — contact page — asserts: address 220 West Cedar St., Olathe, Kansas 66061; phone 913-782-5425; email contact@kenukan.com; the site is the Kenukan Budokai Honbu Dojo and the Bushidokan Yudanshakai Midwest Office. (Retrieved by direct fetch 2026-08-14.) ↩ ↩2

  4. Kenukan Academy — Travis Boggs profile — asserts: Travis Boggs is Owner and Chief Instructor of Kenukan Academy in Olathe, Kansas; the academy was established in 1968 by his father Renshi Bob Boggs (USJJF founding member and USJJF Hall of Fame) and is one of the oldest martial arts schools in Kansas; Travis began training in 1986, was a five-time AAU junior state champion and three-time junior regional champion, won gold for Team USA at the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg and the 1995 Mediterranean Games in Athens; began teaching full time 1998; promoted Sho-Dan 2000; became owner and chief instructor in 2006 after graduating from the University of Kansas School of Business; Go-Dan 2010; Kenukan Budokai president 2013; Shihan title 2014; served as Jim Harrison’s practice partner for over 50 seminars 2000–2010; holds USJJF and USA-TKJ technical and promotion committee positions and is United States Taiho Jutsu state director for Kansas. (Retrieved by direct fetch 2026-08-14.) ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  5. United States Ju-Jitsu Federation — Travis M. Boggs — asserts: independent governing-body confirmation of Travis Boggs’s standing within USJJF and his association with Kenukan Academy. This is the principal non-self-published instrument on the page. (Surfaced via search 2026-08-14; content not fetched directly this pass — see method note.) ↩

  6. Kenukan Academy — class schedule PDF — asserts: a published weekly class schedule (evening blocks from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.). Not transcribed here; the PDF is the authority and should be re-checked before any schedule detail is published. Companion pages: tuition and seminars are linked from the site navigation at kenukan.com ↩

  7. Kenukan Academy — Bob Boggs profile — asserts: Bob Boggs, 1949–2022, founder of Kenukan Academy and Kenukan-Ryu; All Okinawa Black Belt Traveling Team member under Seiyu Oyata (1966); established Kenukan Academy 1968; Kansas Karate Invitational black belt grand champion 1970; founding member of the US Ju-Jitsu Federation 1971; taught the first women’s self-defense class for Olathe Parks and Recreation 1973; founded the first karate program at Johnson County Community College 1975; certified professional boxing judge in Kansas City 1976; personal bodyguard for Chuck Norris 1976; promoted the first professional kickboxing event in Kansas 1977; AAU state karate chairman from 1988, five years; named “Leader of Martial Arts in Kansas” by American Karate Magazine 1989; AAU Coach of the Year 1991 and 1992; founded the Martial Arts Education Fund, Inc. (501(c)(3)) in 1993; directed and coached Team USA Karate and Ju-Jitsu at the 1994 Goodwill Games and the 1995 Mediterranean Games. First-party source for the founder’s competitive and administrative record; treat the honours list as the school’s own account. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

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On the record — ks.city/registry/kenukan-academy · record updated 2026-08-14