OUR INSTRUCTORS
Jonny Black Belt 1st Degree
A lifelong resident of Rapid City, Jonny Knutson began his journey in grappling and martial arts in 2005. Initially focused on MMA, he amassed nearly 30 fights across his amateur and professional career. In 2014, Jonny shifted his focus to training and competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
In 2022, he earned his Black Belt under Andre Galvão. Jonny has competed extensively across the United States, winning numerous medals at IBJJF tournaments, including double bronze at the 2021 No-Gi World Championships.
A versatile martial artist, Jonny has also competed in boxing, Muay Thai, and sumo. Off the mats, he serves as a Journeyman firefighter/paramedic with the Rapid City Fire Department. In his free time, he enjoys spending quality moments with his wife, daughter, and animals, as well as playing Nintendo games.
David Kinsella Black Belt
16 x IBJJF Gold Medalist (Colored Belts)
Including:
1st place Brown Belt North American Masters
1st place Brown Belt American Nationals
1st place Brown Belt Pan American
1st place Brown Belt Masters World
3x IBJFF 2nd place Black Belt
David Received his Black Belt from Michael Liera Jr. in October of 2022 after 7 years of training.
A major proponent of the art of Jiu Jitsu’s technicality and application is both self defense and competition. David’s continued passion for learning comes as a proxy of teaching and competing.
Eric Coxbill Black Belt
Eric Coxbill was promoted to black belt by Jeremy Schunneman and world renowned coach Andre Galvao in 2022. Before his black belt he has won multiple championships including the 2021 Brown Belt Masters World Championships, Pan American Championships, and American Nationals Championships.
Eric is a black shorts kickboxer, former professional MMA fighter, and former Division 1 wrestler at the University of Wyoming. His extensive fighting history and expert training provide him valuable insight as a coach.
He loves the sport of jiu jitsu and helping his students progress. When he isn’t training, he enjoys spending his time with his wife and 2 kids.
Kris Woods Purple Belt
Kris has over 7 years of coaching youth in various sports with over 4 years in coaching youth jiu jitsu classes and over 3 years coaching adults in jiu jitsu. Kris is an intermediate level kickboxer and a jiu jitsu purple belt.
Kris has been competing since his first days in jiu jitsu as a white belt, winning multiple competitions in each belt ranking. Kris has won all of his purple belt competitions except for one, where he earned a silver medal.
Outside of jiu jitsu Kris is a father of 2 boys and has been married for over 15 years. They spend most of their time enjoying multiple activities in the outdoors.
He is excited for the growth of Gold Bar Training Center and strives to create an environment to foster the best people to learn and grow together, believing it is the people not the place that matters.
Joe Monize Purple Belt
Joe Monize grew up in Santa Rosa, California, where he was a multi-sport athlete, excelling in baseball, basketball, and football. In high school, he focused on football, playing as a running back and strong safety. His standout performance on the field earned him a scholarship to Dakota State University (DSU) in Madison, South Dakota.
After finishing his football career, Joe shifted his focus to martial arts, spending six years training in Muay Thai while living in Watertown, South Dakota. In 2018, Joe and his wife, Ainsley, moved to Rapid City, where he began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Over the past six years, Joe has earned a purple belt and competed at every belt level, achieving significant milestones:
- Double gold at the 2024 IBJJF Oklahoma City Open
- Gold at the 2024 IBJJF Denver Open
- Third place in the Black Belt division at the Western Plains Open
Joe’s dedication to Jiu-Jitsu extends beyond personal achievement, as his family has embraced the sport, making it a central part of their lives.
Joe met his wife, Ainsley, on a blind date in 2012, and they married in 2014. Together, they have three amazing children. When not training or competing, the Monize family enjoys watching football, hiking, and swimming, cherishing every moment together.
Jon ‘Bones’ Lefler Purple Belt
Jon is a dedicated competitor and coach that brings creativity and problem-solving to his classes. He has personally competed in over a dozen tournaments in his career towards his current purple belt, with jiu jitsu becoming a large part of his life since.
Jon loves teaching the 3-6 year old classes, the 5 am adult fundamentals, and the evening classes, helping his students sharpen their techniques and problem-solving while rolling. Jon is dedicated to building a team of close-knot practitioners that support each other on and off the mats.
Jon is a passionate craftsman and can often be found building custom award-winning cars. He has been married to his wife Jesica for over 16 years with 2 children. Family is his priority and the cornerstone to everything he does in his life.
Hannah Tully Purple Belt
Starting Jiu-Jitsu in 2019 at Anchorage Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Alaska, Hannah has rapidly progressed, earning a blue belt in August 2022 and a purple belt in September 2024.
A competitive spirit, Hannah has achieved notable success, including double medaling third place at the 2019 Alaska State Grappling Championships, third place in a female-only Anchorage local gym tournament, and third place in two Fight to Win tournaments.
Before embracing Jiu-Jitsu, Hannah was a competitive gymnast, securing second place in the Texas state all-around and qualifying for the Texas state national team. Following this, Hannah enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 2004 as a surgical technician, deploying to Iraq in 2007, where resilience and precision were honed.
As an Air Force spouse to Rob and a proud parent of two children, Connor and Charlotte, Hannah integrates life experience into teaching, creating a nurturing and empowering environment at Gold Bar. Whether you are new to Jiu-Jitsu or a seasoned competitor, Hannah is dedicated to guiding students in reaching their personal best, fostering both technical skill and personal development. Hannah teaches the older kids fundamentals class 5pm Tuesday and Thursday as well as teaching adult fundamentals Tuesday and Thursday at 6:15pm.