Mr DeVries is a native of the Crete area, having attended Balmoral Elementary and graduated Crete-Monee HS. He earned a full scholarship to Northwestern University as an Evans Scholar, which is where he was introduced to the martial arts. His instructors were Douglas Nakane and Rick Whitehead, who encouraged him to become an instructor as well. He graduated NU with a BA in History, a Second Degree Black Belt and a Certified Instructor. Mr. DeVries then went on to teach for various other ATA schools and park district program, but always longed to have a school of his own. In 2003 he saw the opportunity to start a program in his hometown, and then it quickly grew into one of the finest schools in the Chicago Southland.

In addition to the Martial Arts, Mr. DeVries has a long career in Healthcare Management, and is currently a Senior Hospital Network Manager at UnitedHealthcare. He and his wife Dawn DeVries, still live in town, along with their dogs Daisy and Guthrie. He is an avid White Sox fan, and a horrible guitar player.