Chris is a martial artist with fifty years of experience. He has been training since 1969 and has trained in Japanese, Korean and Chinese martial systems. His current ranks include a 8th degree black belt in Akayama Jujutsu, a 6th degree black belt in Judo, 6th degree in USJA Jujutsu, 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo and a 3rd degree black belt in Hapkido. Although they have no formal ranking system, Chris has also been training in Taiji and Qigong for many years.
He has been a national level competitor, coach and referee and served as Chair of the the United States Judo Association Coaching Education Committee. During his journey in the martial arts, Chris taught martial arts classes at Mississippi State University for university credit for more than twenty years, owned his own for-profit dojo for sixteen years and continues to be a seminar teacher for Akayama Ryu Jujutsu. Chris continues to teach Judo and Ju Jutsu in his dojo, and offers classes in Taiji and Qigong in Laramie, WY (see details below) and also teaches a didactic and practical class in the history, philosophy, methodology and application of the Asian martial arts for the Honors College at the University of Wyoming.
Chris has served as a faculty member of the National School Support Network for the National Association of Professional Martial Artists and was a regular columnist for MAPro magazine for several years. His experience across several martial disciplines eventually led Chris to write and publish a masterclass text for coaching martial arts.
Chris was a past USJA Coach of the Year and has been inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame.