By Kris Rhoads
Growing up as a twin shaped my whole childhood. It made me feel different, and honestly, I got picked on and bullied a lot in school. My dad was a black belt in the ATA, and in 1995, he got my brother,and I started in martial arts with Jeff and Tina Newberry in Mattoon, Illinois. We trained, went to tournaments, and even turned some of them into family vacations when the tournaments were out of state. But, like a lot of kids, I got distracted. I missed belt tests because I chose birthday parties over training. Eventually, we took a break from martial arts altogether when we moved.
Moving became a pattern. We moved again during my 8th-grade year, and I ended up at Metamora High School. My high school experience was anything but normal. I spent three and a half years in a traditional school before switching to an online program in my senior year. At the same time, I took college courses and, at 18, became a volunteer firefighter. I ran medical calls, responded to accidents, and even saw my first house fire. But my real goal was law enforcement.
I wanted to be as prepared as possible, I was told military service would help. That’s when I met Master-at-Arms, Second Class Jason Morris. A friend of mine was training to become a Navy SEAL, and through him, I got to know Jason. We talked for a year before I finally decided to enlist. At first, I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but my focus shifted once I learned about Naval Special Warfare. I went into boot camp with the goal of making it, and I did. I got into the SEAL prep course. However, after some time, I made the decision to take a different path and became an Intelligence Specialist instead. That choice shaped my entire future.
The Navy made me who I am today. Funny enough, it also led me back to martial arts. While serving, I started teaching to help cover the cost of my own training. During the day, I was a Navy Sailor. At night, I was a martial arts instructor. Eventually, I earned my black belt and continued training under Senior Master Corey Coffrin when I moved to Bloomington, Illinois, after the military. I worked in sales, kept teaching, and stayed involved in
martial arts until there just wasn’t a spot for me anymore. After that, I finished school and moved again, landing a job with a local police department before transitioning into a full-time Deputy Coroner position investigating deaths
Martial arts has always been a part of my life, even when I wasn’t actively training. As a kid, I was fascinated by it. My dad’s black belt status made it seem cool, and I was naturally flexible, so people were always asking me to show off some kick or stretch, but when I actually started training, I was terrified. In my first class, I didn’t even want to leave the wall. It took me about a year to get comfortable enough to actually participate.
Still, I was hooked. I was obsessed with Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, any show where people kicked and flipped their way through fights. My instructor even set world records for breaking boards, and I remember thinking how lucky I was to be one of her students. Over the years, I have had some amazing mentors: Jeff and Tina Newberry, Tracy Thomas, Denise Morin, Bruce Dano, Corey Coffrin, and Elisha Coffrin. They weren’t just instructors; they were people who shaped me.
They were my mentors, my friends, my counselors. They showed me what real leadership looked like. Looking back, martial arts prepared me for the military in ways I didn’t even realize at the time. It taught me resilience—the ability to keep going when things got tough. I can’t count how many times I wanted to quit, but I pushed through until I found my strengths. And when I picked martial arts back up while serving, everything made more sense. The rank structure, the discipline, the mindset-it all clicked for me.
Some of the biggest lessons I carried over from martial arts to the military were breathing techniques and knowing how to fall, both of which were lifesavers. But maybe even more important was learning that I didn’t have to do everything alone. The martial arts community is bigger than just one person. There’s always someone who is willing to help.
I haven’t opened my own school, at least yet. But if I ever step away from law enforcement, I know that’s a possibility. If I do, it’ll focus on defense and personal security. I have a huge amount of respect for the military and law enforcement communities, and I want to help bridge the gap between them and the public. There’s a lot that people don’t understand about these professions, and I’d love to help change that.
Thinking about my journey, it all connects—my childhood, the Navy, law enforcement, martial arts. It’s all shaped who I am. Martial arts taught me discipline and gave me skills I still use today. My Christian faith has also been a big part of my journey, keeping me grounded no matter what challenges I face. The world can be chaotic, and people can be unpredictable, but I try to stay positive and keep pushing forward.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that the best fight is the one that never happens. Knowing how to de-escalate a situation before it turns physical is the real skill. Being a great martial artist isn’t just about throwing the best punch—it’s about knowing when not to throw one at all. That’s something I carry with me every single day, whether I’m on duty, in training, or just living life.