The Legacy Story
It started with
a little girl
in a gi.
In 1980, Tara Cox tied on her first white belt. Forty-five years later she is a 9th-degree black belt, an eight-time world champion, a Hall of Famer and Executive Vice President of the Chuck Norris System's federation. She still teaches on the mat in Henderson every week.
Why it matters to your family
She was the kid on the mat once
Master Cox knows what a nervous first class feels like, because she lived it. She knows what it takes to keep a child coming back for eleven years until they earn a black belt.
Legacy Martial Arts is family-owned. She runs it with her own family, and families come back for generations. When Master Cox fixes your child's stance, it's the same eye that has judged world championships.
45 years in ten moments
The road to Legacy
- 1980
A kid in a gi
Tara Cox steps onto the mat for the first time. She never really steps off.
- 1991
Black belt
Eleven years of training later, she earns her black belt in the Chuck Norris System.
- 1996
The school opens
She opens her own school in Henderson as Cox & Gallacher Martial Arts while finishing kinesiology at UNLV. It grows into Legacy.
- 1998
Female Competitor of the Year
Named the top female competitor in the entire United Fighting Arts Federation.
- 2002–2006
Instructor, Hall of Fame, School
UFAF Instructor of the Year (2002). U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame (2003). School of the Year (2006).
- 2008–2017
World champion, eight times
World champion in her kata division in 2008 and every year from 2011 through 2017.
- 2011
The Wieland Norris Award
The federation's most prestigious honor, presented by Grand Master Chuck Norris himself and named for his brother.
- 2024
School of the Year, again
Eighteen years after the first time, Legacy is named School of the Year once more.
- 2026
Executive Vice President, UFAF
Grand Masters Chuck and Aaron Norris name her Executive Vice President of the United Fighting Arts Federation, alongside her role as Director of Operations.
- July 2026
Eight straight
The Legacy Demo Team wins at the UFAF International Training Conference for the 8th year in a row.
In memory · 1940–2026
Grand Master
Chuck Norris
Every class at Legacy teaches the Chuck Norris System. For Master Cox, Mr. Norris was more than the name on the curriculum. He personally presented her with the Wieland Norris Award in 2011. In February 2026, he and Grand Master Aaron Norris named her Executive Vice President of his federation.
Grand Master Norris passed away in March 2026. The UFAF family honored him with a tribute memorial at the International Training Conference that July. His system and values live on at Legacy, with every bow, every belt, and every student who keeps showing up.
"Martial arts isn't just a weapon, it's a lifeline for what you can accomplish in life, if you use it right."
"A strong foundation of self-discipline, self-esteem and respect carries into everything you love to do, inside the dojo and out."
Master Tara Cox
The four words on the wall
Discipline · Integrity · Loyalty · Respect
Discipline
Show up, line up, do the work. On the fun days and the hard ones.
Integrity
Rank is earned in front of the class. Nothing at Legacy is handed out.
Loyalty
Students train together for years. That is what makes this a school, not a gym.
Respect
Bow in, bow out, and carry the same manners into school and work.
Start your own legacy
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See every class · 771 E. Horizon Dr. Suite 124, Henderson, NV 89015