Instructors

INSTRUCTORS are those who are currently teaching classes through EDS on a contracted basis. The individuals who teach JKD have met the instructor curriculums outlined by Elite Defense Systems.

Please note, if any person is claiming instructorship through Elite Defense Systems, but is not on this list, they do not have certification of any kind. Just as Mr. Numrich has continued training with his Sifu, so must all of his instructors and staff. Because we have been one of the top leading sources of Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts in the Midwest, we can also check out other instructor's credentials. Just email us.

To contact any instructor, please email them at their addresses below, or call EDS to talk to them personally.

Instructor: Matt Numrich
Owner/Chief Instructor at Bloomingdale and Rockford
To Contact: (630) 837-7565 (Bloomingdale) or (815) 885-4758 ( Rockford ) or matt@EliteJKD.com
Please refer to ABOUT EDS for Mr. Numrich's bio.

INSTRUCTORS OF ELITE DEFENSE SYSTEMS

Instructor: Nik Farooqui
Rockford Instructor
To Contact: nik@EliteJKD.com
Phone: (847) 894-8006
Mr. Farooqui has previous martial arts experience in White Crane Kung Fu, Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu and American Kickboxing. The martial arts always intrigued him and he has found them to be an excellent tool for health and self-realization purpose. Recently Mr. Frooqui completed our intensive JKD training to become an instructor at EDS.

Mr. Farooqui holds CEI certification under Sifu Paul Vunak.

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Instructor: Chad Grider
Rockford Instructor
To Contact: chad@EliteJKD.com or (815) 315-2690
Mr. Grider has been training with EDS since early 2004 and is currently an Assistant Instructor at the Rockford location. He competed at the 2005 NAGA tournament in Cicero, IL in the Super Heavyweight division and received a Bronze medal at the 2005 Chicago Combat Championships in the Heavyweight division. He continues to evolve as a martial arts practitioner and instructor under Sifu Numrich.

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Instructor: Shawn Knapp
Satellite Location Instructor
To Contact: shawn@EliteJKD.com or (630) 675-4379
Mr. Knapp has been a dedicated student, since he started with EDS years ago. Starting out in traditional arts, he progressed to working in hybrid arts, and now is certified as an Associate Instructor at EDS. After logging in dozens of apprentice teaching hours each month, Mr. Knapp continues to instruct at EDS in Bloomingdale, while also co-instructing at the Rockford locations.

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STAFF ASSISTANTS OF ELITE DEFENSE SYSTEMS

Staff Assistant: Kevin Gallagher
Rockford Staff Assistant
To Contact: kevin@EliteJKD.com or (815) 885-4758
In the early 1990s Mr. Gallagher began studying JKD under the instruction of Sifu Rick Manente at Connecticut Martial Arts, after several years of working intensively in Jun Fan Gung Fu he left Sifu Manente and moved to Illinois. In 2005 Mr. Gallagher found Elite Defense Systems and Sifu Numrich and has been training ever since.

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Staff Assistant: Joe Centeno
Rockford Staff Assistant
To Contact: joe@EliteJKD.com or (815) 885-4758
Bio coming soon.

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Staff Assistant: JK (alias because of law enforcement special assignments)
Bloomingdale Staff Assistant
To Contact: jk@EliteJKD.com or (630) 837-7565
"JK's" first martial arts experience started in Kenpo Karate in early 1990's and progressed to Filipino Martial Arts and then Jeet Kune Do. He started with EDS in 1998, when he became a police officer. Jeet Kune Do/Kali Concepts adapted well to his law enforcement duties and tactics that constantly change. Present assignment is with the investigations unit of a larger north suburban Illinois police department as a detective. Past assignments include patrol, plain clothes, evidence technician and field training officer. JK is an active department firearms instructor constantly attending tactical firearm training classes that include handgun, shotgun and rifle instruction.

ASSISTANTS OF ELITE DEFENSE SYSTEMS

Graduate Assistant: Glenn Suacillo
Bloomingdale Graduate Assistant
To Contact: glenn@EliteJKD.com or (630) 837-7565
Dr. Suacillo has been training in martial arts since the age of twelve, really out of necessity/survival being that he was a not very athletic child and got picked on quite a bit. It truly helped him early on to gain confidence and physical improvement.

Dr. Suacillo started out training in a modified form of northern Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu. I then trained for eight years in Shorin Ryu style of Karate, earning a second degree black belt. At the same time that I was training in Shorin Ryu, he was involved with the Guardian Angels in Chicago for a short time, giving me much needed practical street fighting experience.

In 1995 he started my residency and also got married and started a family. He finished my residency in 2000, moved back to Chicago, found EDS and claims he is now receiving the best training he has ever received in his entire martial arts experience. Dr. Suacillo was the first student to reach the level of Graduate Student at Elite Defense Systems.

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Assistant: Paul Ingram
Bloomingdale Assistant
To Contact: paul@EliteJKD.com or (630) 837-7565
Mr. Ingram's martial arts journey began at a young age through the park district of his home town, then moving on to Taekwondo where he competed in about a dozen tournaments. In High school he was introduced to The Filipino Martial Arts through a friend's uncle, who studied and taught in the Philippines. Mr. Ingram found himself progressing more in search for a real self-defense type of art. Coming into EDS felt like coming home for him, as he explains it.

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Assistant: Tim Hill
Bloomingdale Assistant
To Contact: (630) 837-7565
Bio coming soon.

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Assistant: Eric Peterson
Bloomingdale Assistant
To Contact: eric@EliteJKD.com or (630) 837-7565
Mr. Peterson began his Martial Arts path in Shaolin Kung Fu studying traditional arts. As he progressed he began seeking out different arts such as Kali, JKD and Thai Boxing among others. He also began to study the spiritual aspect of training by practicing Meditation and Yoga, which he discovered compliments his training. Mr. Peterson has found that studying Jeet Kune Do under Sifu Numrich is the best fit for combining his Martial Arts training and spiritual philosophy. Using no way as way... Having no limitation as limitation.

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Assistant: Noah Ballard
Bloomingdale Assistant
To Contact: noah@EliteJKD.com or (630) 837-7565
Mr. Ballard was born and raised in Stafford, VA till he was 16 years old, his family then moved to Wheaton, IL because his father got a job at Wheaton College. In VA he studied JKD under a police officer teaching self-defense to the community. Mr. Ballard is the oldest of 8 kids (including myself) and in his spare time I like to work out at the gym, play drums and guitar, and various other things.

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Assistant: Levi Ballard
Bloomingdale Assistant
To Contact: (630) 837-7565
Levi Ballard is our youngest student on the instructor's track. He was born and raised in Stafford, VA till he was 12 years old when his family moved. In 2002 both Noah and Levi Ballard started studying in an art called Yoroi Kamisama where they were just under the level of black belt. Levi shows great potential in one day becoming an instructor.

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Instructor: Dustin Keith
Head Instructor at Bloomingdale
To Contact: dustin@EliteJKD.com
Phone: (630) 837-7565
Mr. Keith has an extensive background in Collegiate Style Wrestling, and started competing in wrestling matches and tournaments in second grade. He continued wrestling through his senior year in high school. After high school he joined the US Navy and has done several tours to the Middle East. He has had numerous duties in the Navy, but for the past 3 years, he has been stationed in Great Lakes as an instructor. During his last deployment to Iraq, he was stationed at a joint command and trained with the US Marines in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

Upon arrival back to the United States, Jeet Kune Do seemed like a natural transition to continue his martial arts training in a combat oriented martial art. Mr. Keith has been a dedicated student of Jeet Kune Do every since, and has participated in several training seminars and an Elite Training Camp under Sifu Numrich. Mr. Keith holds CEI certification under Sifu Paul Vunak.

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