After leaving high school during his senior year, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served from 1969 to 1973, earning three meritorious promotions and reaching the rank of sergeant (E-5). He trained in electronics and radar repair and deployed to Turkey and Norway, including time above the Arctic Circle. While on active duty, he earned his GED and later a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Georgia State University.

In 1976, he began training in Bujinkan Ninjutsu, eventually earning a 10th-degree black belt under Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi. He gained national and international recognition through magazine features, television appearances, and documentaries. He also owned and operated the Bujinkan Atlanta Dojo and authored Warriorship: Life Lessons of a Martial Artist.

He later became a P.O.S.T.-certified police officer and instructor in Georgia and a certified Executive Protection Specialist. His experience includes domestic and international security work, tactical tracking and fugitive retrieval, leadership at Ground Zero after 9/11, and serving as Director of Security for an international company.