Staff

Matthew Blomquist - Chief Instructor

• 5th Degree Black Belt
• 5 – Time Minnesota State Champion
• Top-Ten Tournament competitor
• Certified ATA Instructor
• Certified F.I.G.H.T. Instructor
• Certified PPCT Instructor
• Level 3 Tournament Judge
• 2006 Regional Instructor of the Year
• 2003 Regional Black Belt of the Year

Mr. Blomquist is a 5th Degree Black Belt and Chief Instructor of ATA Martial Arts in Eagan, MN.  He has been training in the martial arts for over 17 years, and has been teaching for more than 10 years.  In 2001, at the age of 21, he became the owner and Chief Instructor of the Eagan location, which made him one of the youngest school-owners in the country.  Mr. Blomquist believes that the goal of the martial arts instructor should be to enable students to achieve their full potential both physically in the martial arts as well as in their character development. Thanks to his dedication and passion for teaching and love of the martial arts, Mr. Blomquist’s school has been ranked in the top-ten among the 1500+ ATA Martial Arts schools in the country in both 2005 and 2006. 

Jennifer Smith - Program Director

• 2nd Degree Black Belt
• 2006 Triple Crown (Forms, Sparring, Weapons) State Champion
• 2007 State Champion in Sparring and Weapons
• Level Two ATA Certified Instructor
• FIGHT Certified Instructor
• Level 1 Tournament Judge
• 2006 Regional Achievement Award Winner
• Yellow Belt in Jiu Jitsu

Jennifer Smith started training in the American Taekwondo Association four years ago under the instruction of Matthew Blomquist. She is a graduate of the University of St Thomas with a degree in Criminology. As an accomplished volleyball player, Ms. Smith won many athletic awards and set several St. Thomas athletic records. After college she decided to fulfill a lifelong goal to try the martial arts. Although she did not start her training until after college she discovered how much Taekwondo can benefit anyone at any age. Taekwondo provided her with the physical and mental challenges she sought after the end of her college volleyball career.

She is currently a 2nd degree black belt and has a passion for tournament competition. Ms. Smith holds back-to-back state titles on the ATA tournament circuit. She is a certified instructor in both ATA Taekwondo as well as the F.I.G.H.T.  combative system.  She received the regional achievement award in 2006 for her efforts thus far in the American Taekwondo Association. Jennifer also enjoys cross training in Jiu Jitsu ground fighting to gain a broader training perspective, as well as become a better martial artist.

Josh Brock - Instructor

• 3rd Degree Black Belt
• Certified Instructor
• Top-Ten Competitor
• 2002 World Forms Champion
• 2002, 03Minnesota State Champion
• Level 3 Tournament Judge
• Regional Achievement Award Winner
• H.U. Lee Memorial Foundation Scholarship Recipient
   

Josh Brock began training with the American Taekwondo Association when he was just twelve years old under the instruction of Senior Master Phillip Wargo in Manassas Virginia. In 2000, he transferred to Eagan, Minnesota where he earned his first degree black belt under Mr. David Youngman.

Mr. Brock has competed extensively on the ATA’s tournament circuit and in addition to several Minnesota state titles, in 2002 became an ATA World Champion. However, it was his desire to pass on his love of Taekwondo to the next generation of martial artists that motivated him to become an ATA certified instructor. With over seven years of experience teaching kids, teens and adults, Mr. Brock had dedicated himself to helping others achieve their personal goals through the martial arts. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Dr. Kevin Kilgore - Instructor

• 5th Degree Black Belt
• Certified ATA Instructor
• Level 3 Tournament Judge
• 7 - Time Minnesota State Champion
• 6 - Time Top-Ten Tournament competitor
• 2004 National Weapons Champion
• 2006 World Weapons Champion
• Regional Chief of Medical Care
• 2000 Regional Instructor of the Year
• 2002 Regional Appreciation Award
• 2005 Regional Black Belt of the Year

Dr. Kilgore is a 5th Degree Black Belt and ATA Certified Instructor at Fusion Martial Arts. Accepting the challenge and mentorship of his son, Chad, he began his training at the Eagan School 3 months after the school opened, and has now been teaching martial arts for more than 12 years.

A fierce competitor on the ATA tournament circuit, he has been awarded seven Minnesota state titles, became an ATA National Weapons Champion in 2004 and in 2006 won the esteemed ATA World Weapons Championship for his division. Despite his reputation as a ferocious tournament competitor, Dr. Kilgore still considers the friendships created during his Taekwondo journey his greatest achievement.

Jake Marcus - Assistant Instructor

• 4th degree black belt
• Level 1 certified instructor
• Level 2 tournament judge
• Certified F.I.G.H.T instructor
• 2006 Minnesota state champion in Sparring and Weapons
• Team Fusion Captain 

 
Mr. Marcus has been training in Martial arts since he was 4 years old and has experience in a wide variety of styles including kempo, judo and karate.  He brings a special energy and passion to Fusion Martial Arts and enjoys sharing it with his students as an ATA instructor and F.I.G.H.T.  combatives instructor .

As captain of Team Fusion, Jake has organized dynamic performances for audiences of over 1000 at both public and private events. He is the current Minnesota State Champion in both Sparring and Weapons and recently became one of the youngest instructors ever to achieve the rank of 4th degree black belt.

Paul Wilcziek - Assistant Instructor

• 3rd Degree Black Belt
• 2004 Weapons State Champion
• Level 2 ATA Certified Instructor
• Team Fusion Co-Captain 

Mr. Wilcziek began his training under Matthew Blomquist when he was just 12 years old and has quickly developed into a talented martial artist and instructor.  He was the 2004 Minnesota State Champion in Weapons and also competes on the ATA Xtreme (Xtreme Martial Arts) competition circuit. Xtreme Martial Arts is a dynamic activity that combines freestyle martial arts with gymnastics and Mr. Wilzciek’s talent in this area has allowed him to excel as co-captain of Team Fusion.  Mr. Wilcziek enjoys working with students of all ages and his experience as an instructor has allowed him to realize that people are capable of a lot more than they think. The martial arts can help people of all capabilities to reach their full potential both physically and mentally.