MR. ROD FIRST BEGAN HIS MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING AT THE AGE OF 10.  HE ATTENDED HWANGS SCHOOL OF TAEKWONDO IN NEW HAVEN, CT.  HE TRAINED THEIR UNTIL THE AGE OF THIRTEEN.  AFTER LEAVING HWANGS MR. JONES DID NOT TRAIN AGAIN FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT BECAUSE  OF THE ENVIRONMENT HE GREW UP IN; CONTINUED HONING HIS TAEKWONDO SKILL IN THE STREETS OF NEW HAVEN.  MR. JONES RESUMED HIS TRAINING AFTER JOINING THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS   AND WHILE STATIONED ON THE LEGENDARY ISLAND OF OKINAWA, JAPAN. WHILE IN JAPAN MR JONES TRAINED IN OKINAWAN SHORIN RYU KARATEDO UNDER EISO SHIMABUKURO AT CAMP HANSEN.  HE ALSO STUDIED OKINAWAN GOJU RYU KARATE, AND SHOTOKAN KARATE AT CAMP KINSER.

WHEN MR. JONES RETURNED TO THE STATES HE CONTINUED HIS KARATE TRAINING AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA UNDER THE LEGENDARY HANSHI LARRY ISAAC.   WHILE STATIONED THERE,  HE ALSO STUDIED KAJUKENPO UNDER BILL FERRIS.  FROM HANSHI LARRY ISAAC MR. JONES RECEIVED INTENSE TRAINING IN THE OKINAWAN ART OF OKINAWAN KENPO, KOBUDO WEAPONS, AND STREETFIGHTING AND SELF DEFENSE.  AFTER LEAVING THE MILITARY MR JONES STUDIED IN LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA UNDER MR TEENIE WILLIAMS IN OKINAWAN ISSHIN RYU AND SHORIN RYU KARATE.  MR. JONES HAS WON SEVERAL TOURNAMENT AWARDS IN FIGHTING, KATA, AND KOBUDO WEAPONS.  AFTER RETURNING TO CONNECTICUT "MR. ROD", AS THE KIDS CALL HIM, RETURNED TO HIS TAEKWONDO ROOTS AND STARTED TRAINING IN TAEKWONDO UNDER MARK MURPHY III, ERIC STEVENS AND AARON WILSON.  IN 2004 MR ROD STARTED TRAINING UNDER CHARLES AND CALEB ROACH IN AIKI-JUTJITSU AND NINPO AT MUSHIN DOJO.  HE IS NOW CURRENTLY TRAINING IN TRADITIONAL WING CHUN KUNG FU UNDER SIFU TONY RIVERA, INSTRUCTOR OF THE YALE UNIVERSITY WING CHUN CLUB AND ALSO UNDER FOUNDER TYRONE PALMER IN THE FLOWING FIST SELF DEFENSE SYSTEM. MR ROD IS ONE OF MUSHIN DOJO'S INSTRUCTORS   AND ALSO CO-OWNER AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE GREATER NEW HAVEN YOUTH FOUNDATION, INC., A NON-PROFIT YOUTH ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 2004.  DUE TO A CHRONIC KNEE INJURY MR. JONES NO LONGER COMPETES IN TOURNAMENT COMPETITION.