Master Jef Rice - Rokudan

 

Master Jef Rice began his martial arts career at about the age of 12 first studying Judo in Los Angeles, California until the age of 14 at which time he moved to Rapid City to finish High School.

 

In 1981, Master Rice was hired by the Rapid City Police Department. While working as a police officer, Master Rice was still very much interested in continuing his training in the martial arts. Master Rice started his training in Jukite Ju Jitsu in 1983 at the YMCA Jukite Ju Jitsu School of Self-Defense. After several years of training, Master Rice received his black belt in 1990. It was on December 1^st, 1990 that Master Rice started his first school in Spearfish, South Dakota. This School was later turned over to Sensei Ross Boone until Sensei Boones relocation in 2006. Master Rice also started a second school in Sturgis, South Dakota.

 

In 2007, Master Rice began started Premier Ju Jitsu in Rapid City, and was promoted to Rokudan by Osensei Woodson, Master Salazar and Master Langworthy. Master Rice continues to teach at Premier Ju Jitsu and is currently developing a school back in the Spearfish area with one of his head instructors, Sensei Ron Hoard.

 

Master Rice is currently a Deputy Sheriff, and assists with the training of law enforcement personnel. He is also attending classes for the University of South Dakota pursuing a degree in criminal justice.

 

 

    

Sensei Ron Hoard    

Ron Hoard began his journey in training at age 13 in Marion Illinois at a Boxing Center next to the local swimming pool and began training without his parents knowledge.  His boxing instructor taught him to focus his unchecked energy on training rather than self destructive behaviors.  

He began his martial arts exploration while still living in Illinois by entering a Karate Dojo and learned basic "linear principles" paying for it by cleaning bathrooms in place of membership dues. His family then moved back to South Dakota where he trained under Joseph Tillman a Sholin Kung Fu instructor and was introduced to the 30 year stretch and "soft over hard" principles of Kung Fu. Mid completion of his Bachelor's, Ron elected a College program to Kissimmee Florida, with this move he studied Wing Chung while working at Walt Disney World and completing his Associate Degree at Disney University. 

Ron then returned to Spearfish, SD and finished his Bachelor's of Science Degree in Wellness Management at BHSU and rejoined Kung Fu with instructor Joseph Tillman until summer of 1990 when he entered a new Dojo "Jukite JuJutsu" under Sensei Jef Rice and found a "Parent Art" he favored for all aspects of movement he had been exploring thus far.  Ron continued his Ju Jitsu training bent on attaining his Shodan level. In March of 2000 under Master Jef Rice in conjunction with Master Doug Langworthy, Sensei Ron was awarded his Shodan in Jukite Ju Jitsu. Having moved for further education from the American College of Sports Medicine to Denver then Minneapolis he continued to follow Ju Jitsu as his preferred study. His journey to study Ju Jitsu persisted with a combat emphasis at the LoDo Downtown Gym in Denver. While in the Twin Cities he turned to a Judo only Dojo where he trained under blind Judo master, George Trembulak, in Bloomington Minnesota.

Sensei Ron subsequently returned to South Dakota seeking out original instructor Master Jef Rice and attained his Nidan. Sensei Ron has been active with Premier Ju Jitsu in Rapid City, and has assisted Master Jef Rice in growing the dojo as well as the art of Jukite Ju Jitsu. Sensei Ron is planning to open a dojo in Spearfish, SD, in the very near future.