Our Instructors & Staff Members

Our Instructors have spent many years devoted to training in the martial arts and have attained a certain level of expertise to qualify them as teachers and also mentors.

Through extensive testing, certification and tournament level competition, our staff has attained mastery in this martial art and now enjoy sharing their skill and passing it on to their students. Here are a few of Billings Chi-Tu Do's instructors and other staff members, starting with Dennis Forleo:

Dennis Forleo  (6th Degree Black Belt)  Master Dennis Forleo has been involved in martial arts for over 25 years and reached his 1st Black Belt when he was 11 years old. He has been teaching since 1987 under his instructor and opened his own school in 2003. Besides his 6th Degree Black Belt rank in Chi-Tu Do, he is also a 6th Degree Kabaroan Eskrima, a 4th Degree Black Belt in Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do, a 4th Degree Black Belt in Shiho Karano Ju Jitsu, and a Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Master Forleo teaches the Black Belt classes and many of the Advanced levels.

Allan Nantz  (Associate Master - 4th Degree Black Belt) Associate Master Allan Nantz has been involved in the martial arts since the 1980s. Originally from North Carolina, he joined Billings Chi-Tu Do in 2005 and was recently promoted to 4th Degree Black Belt in August of 2010. He has also attained a 3rd Degree in Shiho Karano JuJitsu and a 2nd Degree in Kabaroan Eskrima. Master Nantz has almost 20 years of experience in the martial arts with much of that involving teaching. At our school, he teaches in many of the adult classes.

Kirk Osterdyk  (Head Instructor - 3rd Degree Black Belt) Mr. Kirk Osterdyk has been involved in Chi-Tu Do for over 7 years and has recently achieved his 3rd Degree Black Belt. He has also earned a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Kabaroan Eskrima and a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Shiho Karano Ju Jitsu. Mr. Osterdyk was one of Master Forleo’s first students in Billings. Two of his sons have also achieved Black Belts with us. Mr. Osterdyk teaches mainly in the adult classes.

Dr. Keith Babcock  (Instructor - 2nd Degree Black Belt) Dr. Keith Babcock is our school's Chaplain, certified through Soke Riedner in the Martial Arts Chaplains Association. He spent over 20 years as the Chaplain at the Montana Rescue Mission in Billings and recently transitioned into retirement. He has been training in Chi-Tu Do since March 2005. He has achieved a 2nd Degree Black Belt in both Chi-Tu Do and Kabaroan Eskrima as well as a 1st Degree in Shiho Karano Ju Jitsu.

Michael Johnson  (Instructor - 1st Degree Black Belt) Mr. Michael Johnson is another one of our school’s Black Belt instructors. Mr. Johnson came to our school in June of 2007 as a Brown Belt from another style. In August of 2008 he passed his test for 1st Degree Black Belt in Chi-Tu Do. Mr. Johnson also teaches in most of our adult classes.

Alex Taylor  (Instructor - 1st Degree Black Belt) Mr. Alex Taylor also joined our school with prior experience in the martial arts, and while he achieved his 1st Degree Black Belt in both Chi-Tu Do and Shiho Karano Ju Jitsu in August of 2010, he has been an instructor - teaching in the Warrior classes (9-12 year olds) - for almost 2 years. Mr. Taylor has an excellent rapport with the kids in the classes he teaches. He is exciting and enthusiastic about passing on his knowledge to others.

Jenifer Mahan  (Instructor - Brown Belt) Mrs. Jenifer Mahan joined Chi-Tu Do after two of her boys had shown interest and participated for almost a year. Mrs. Mahan has now achieved a Brown Belt in Chi-Tu Do and has been instructing for over a year. Mrs. Mahan teaches in the KICK Jrs/Srs classes.

For more information about the Billings Chi-Tu Do staff or training programs, please contact us at (406) 591-2864 or by clicking here.