Coach. Mentor. Leader. Artist. Engineer.

Coach Rhys brings a rare combination of technical precision and athletic grit to the Duro coaching team. With a background in engineering and a passion for youth development, Rhys bridges the gap between discipline, strategy, and personal growth—both on and off the mat.

A proud graduate of Rutgers University, Rhys has spent the last decade building up the local wrestling community through mentorship, training, and hands-on coaching. He currently serves as Head Coach at Hillsborough High School where he has helped bring home two county team titles as well as a girls conference team title.

A 2013 NJ district champ, region champ and state placer himself, Coach Rhys is familiar with the individual journeys on which wrestlers embark, and he has coached countless individual county champs, district champs, region champs, and state placers at the HS level. He supports Hillsborough Youth Wrestling too and has played an integral role in shaping student-athletes year-round through the Raider Wrestling Club. An avid fan and advocate of wrestling, Coach Rhys also often builds teams and attends wrestling functions representing his brand Rhys’s Wrestling Club.

Whether he’s guiding athletes through takedown technique or problem-solving behind the scenes, Rhys is all-in. His coaching style is structured yet adaptive—designed to meet young athletes where they are while pushing them to where they need to be.

Credentials at a Glance:

• 2013 NJ District Champ, Region Champ, State Placer
• 2017 Engineering Graduate from Rutgers University
• Head Coach at Hillsborough High School since 2021
• 2023 District 17 Coach Of The Year
• 2023 Skyland Conference Coach Of The Year
• 2026 District 7 Girls Coach Of The Year
• 2026 MyCentralJersey Girls Coach Of The Year
• 2026 Women’s National Duals Team NJ Coach
• 2026 Fargo Team NJ Coach
• Coach at Hillsborough Youth Wrestling & Raider Wrestling Club
• Owner of Rhys’s Wrestling Club
• 10+ years of experience building character in student-athletes
• Focused on youth development through discipline and structure
• Technical mindset with a passion for mentorship and leadership

From the classroom to the mat, Rhys is committed to creating a culture of growth, accountability, and respect. At Duro, his leadership reinforces our mission to train the body, mind, and spirit through martial arts excellence.

Xavier Pena, known as Coach X, brings a competitive background and a focus on athlete development to DURO. A four-time NCAA qualifier and Mideast Regional Champion, Xavier built his collegiate career through discipline, perseverance, and steady improvement. As a team captain, he led by example through his work ethic and accountability.

After competing, Xavier became an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater. Working alongside the head coach, he gained experience in athlete development, practice planning, match strategy, and recruiting—experience he now brings to the DURO wrestling room.

Credentials at a Glance:

• Four-time NCAA qualifier
• Mideast Regional Champion
• Two-time NCAA blood-round finisher
• Collegiate team captain
• Former collegiate assistant wrestling coach

At DURO, Coach X helps wrestlers sharpen their technique, build confidence, and develop mental toughness. His coaching emphasizes hard work, accountability, and learning to overcome adversity. His goal is to help athletes become better competitors, teammates, and leaders—on and off the mat.

Coach TJ Hernandez brings more than two decades of training across kickboxing, boxing, and Muay Thai to DURO. A WAKO and K-Series champion, he combines competition experience with coaching experience at Weapons 9 Muay Thai and Strap City Boxing Club. His martial arts journey began at age 4 and has included multiple training trips to Amsterdam, where he continued refining the technique, timing, and movement behind his coaching.

TJ’s classes are built for progression. Whether you’re lacing up gloves for the first time or preparing for your next fight, he meets you where you are and pushes you further. His teaching style is detailed, disciplined, and deeply focused on developing not just physical power—but fight IQ, footwork, and composure under pressure.

Expect structured sessions rooted in K-1 technique: pad work, combinations, defensive movement, and high-level conditioning. TJ emphasizes ring efficiency, striking accuracy, and explosive footwork. Every class is a balance of fundamentals and fight-ready application—with zero wasted motion and maximum output.

Accomplishments & Experience

• WAKO and K-Series champion
• More than 20 years of experience in kickboxing, boxing, and Muay Thai
• Martial arts training beginning at age 4
• International training experience, including multiple trips to Amsterdam
• Coaching experience at Weapons 9 Muay Thai and Strap City Boxing Club

Kaheil has built her boxing career through discipline, precision, and a commitment to the sport. Born and raised in Plainfield, NJ, Kaheil began boxing in 2011 and quickly rose through the amateur ranks. Her achievements include a USA Boxing Youth National Championship and international gold representing Team USA. She brings that competition experience and attention to detail to every session she leads.

Kaheil is driven by legacy and purpose. Trained by her father, she embodies technical mastery, mental toughness, and authentic leadership. Her coaching at Duro is focused, fast-paced, and deeply rooted in real fight experience. She doesn’t just train athletes—she builds champions in and out of the ring.

Expect tight combos, relentless conditioning, sharp footwork, and clean fundamentals. Kaheil‘s sessions are designed to push limits, sharpen instincts, and build real ring IQ. Whether you’re new to boxing or prepping to compete, she meets you at your level and elevates your game with every round.

Kaheil is respected for her work ethic, composure under pressure, and her ability to motivate without the hype. She’s a coach who leads by example—drawing on her national competition experience while building up fighters in her hometown gym. You’ll leave her class feeling stronger, faster, and mentally dialed in.

Accomplishments & Experience

• 2019 USA Boxing Youth National Champion
• 2018 USA Boxing Junior Open champion
• Three-time National Junior Women’s Golden Gloves gold medalist — 2013, 2014, and 2015
• 2019 Silesian Women’s Championships gold medalist — represented Team USA in the junior 66 kg division
• 2019 New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame Junior Olympic Boxer of the Year — the first woman to receive the award
• Previously ranked #2 nationally at 141 lbs
• Boxing experience since 2011, with a commitment to mentorship and athlete development

Coach Jullien is a skilled instructor dedicated to teaching the authentic art of Muay Thai. Known as the “Art of Eight Limbs,” Muay Thai combines punches, kicks, elbows, and knees into one of the most effective striking systems in the world.

Jullien’s teaching brings together traditional techniques, modern training methods, and a supportive environment that allows students of all levels to learn and grow. Whether you’re brand new to Muay Thai or looking to sharpen your skills for competition, Duro’s program offers the guidance, structure, and challenge to take your training further.

Jordan Juliano’s grappling background spans collegiate wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, and international combat sambo. At Centenary University, he became an NCAA Division III national qualifier, a regional finalist, and an Academic All-American. He qualified for the 2019 NCAA Championships at 174 pounds after finishing second at the Mideast Regional Championships.

His experience extends beyond the wrestling mat. Representing the United States, Jordan earned silver at the 2021 Pan American Combat Sambo Championships in Colombia. In Jiu Jitsu, he has held the Finishers welterweight title and earned silver at the 2024 Atlanta Fall IBJJF No-Gi Open in the adult purple-belt middleweight division.

At DURO, Coach Jordan shares that experience with members as they develop their grappling. His classes give athletes a place to work on technique, think through positions, and build confidence on the mat.

Accomplishments & Experience

• 2019 NCAA Division III national qualifier — Centenary University, 174 lbs
• NCAA Mideast Regional finalist and two-time regional place-winner
• Academic All-American at Centenary University
• 2021 Pan American Combat Sambo silver medalist — represented the United States at 79 kg
• Former Finishers welterweight champion
• 2024 Atlanta Fall IBJJF No-Gi Open silver medalist — adult purple-belt middleweight division