Chief Master Rick Whitehead

8th degree Black Belt

17x world champion (Forms, weapons forms, sparring, combat sparring)

Rick Whitehead is Chief Instructor of Whitehead’s Martial Arts in Kaukauna, WI. He is a 43 year veteran of Taekwondo and is an 8th degree Black Belt and Chief Master Instructor with the American Taekwondo Association International (ATA). He also a National and Regional Staff Instructor with the Protech Department of ATA International. As a competitor he has earned 17 World Championships in Forms, Weapons Forms, Sparring and Combat Sparring. He is also an adjunct Faculty member of ATA University through Lee College, in Baytown TX, in the Kinesiology Department. Rick is a retired law enforcement officer spanning 30 years - 3 years with Northwestern University Department of Public Safety and 27 years with the City of Evanston(IL) Police Department. With Evanston Police, he served numerous roles including Field Training Officer, Evidence Technician (Crime Scene Investigator), Detective, Community Policing Specialist, Certified Crime Prevention Specialist (Threat Assessment for Businesses, Schools, and Private Residences), Department Defensive Tactics and Combatives Instructor, and Certified Police Mountain Bike Instructor and Coordinator.

Rick also served 12 years as a member of the multi-jurisdictional SWAT Team, that served the Chicago-land Area. Northern Illinois Police Alarm System Emergency Service Team (NIPAS/EST). He served as an assaulter member of the High Risk Warrant Team and the last 7 years as a sniper. He was a staff Instructor for the NIPAS Basic SWAT School, which was recognized by the State of Illinois as a certified course for new SWAT officers to learn about SWAT team tactics and procedures.

Rick served as an adjunct faculty member of the College of Lake County (IL), Workplace Development Institute, that provides in-service training for area police officers. Subjects addressed inlaid tactical handcuffing, subject control, expandable baton, pepper spray, and Krav Maga.

Certifications include the following:

• Level 3 Certified Instructor ATA International
• National and Regional Staff Instructor Protech Department, ATA International
• Crime Prevention Specialist
• Community Policing Specialist
• Krav Maga Force Training Division (Miitary and Law Enforcement)
• TAC Krav Maga Black Belt and Certified Instructor
• Tactical Pistol: Mid-SouthFirearms Training Institute
• High Risk Warran Execution and Planning: Fort Leonard Wood, MO
• Tactical Patrol Rifle: ITOA (Illinois Tactical Officers Association)
• Hostage Rescue: CSAT Systems
• WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Basic and Tac Ops
• FBI Sniper School, Basic and Advanced
• Snipercraft Basic and Advanced Sniper School
• Centermass Advanced Sniper School
• National Rifle Association Firearm Instructor
• National Rifle Association Range Safety Officer
• Adjunct Faculty: Department of Kinesology Lee College (ATA University)
• Go2FirearmSafety Courses
1. Tier 5
2. Tier 4
3. Go2Firearmsafety Safety Dry Fire Courses
4. Go2CBR: College Bound Readiness Program
5. Go2EDC: Every Day Carry
6. Go2SafeKids
7. Go2Business Courses
8. Go2 Tactical Instructor
9. Active Shooter Defense Instructor
10. Home Defense Instructor

Mr. Gary Williams

4th degree Black Belt

World Champion

Gary Williams is an Assistant Instructor at Whitehead’s Martial Arts in Kaukauna, Wi. He is 9-year veteran of Taekwondo and is a 4th Degree Black Belt and Certified Instructor with the American Taekwondo Association (ATA) International. As a competitor he has earned a World Champion Title in traditional Forms, is a four-time National Top Ten competitor, and is a a 14-time State Champion. Gary served 32-plus years in the United States Air Force, retiring in January 2015 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His career was almost exclusively working in the Nuclear Enterprise, working in Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) maintenance, ICBM operations, instruction, inspections, ICBM cryptographic codes operations, budgeting, planning, procurement and nuclear weapons design. His career culminated with a National Defense Fellowship working with the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration on Nuclear Weapons Acquisition followed by an assignment at the Pentagon with the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration. Gary has been married for 39 years to his wife Kim. They have 2 children, Casey and Andrea and 4 grandchildren, 3 granddaughters and a grandson. Gary’s entire family are black belts in ATA; Casey is a 2nd Degree Black Belt and Kim and Andrea are both 1st Degree Black Belts. Gary will be attending Lee College in the fall of 2024 working on an associate’s degree in Songahm Taekwondo.