The Karate Kidder
A local martial arts talent has won over the press and some of the top brass in the U.S. military, but he's prone to tall tales and outright fabrications
By Matt Pulle
Chris Garland is not a soldier, but he plays one on TV. A talented martial artist who once served in the Army, Garland has been featured nearly 10 times in the last three years on WSMV-Channel 4 for his military exploits and expertise at self-defense. In front of the camera, he's a natural, whether he's shooting a bow through a bull's-eye blindfolded, shearing the tops of bottles with his bare hands or recounting his faith in Jesus Christ.
But Garland is more than just a faith-based fighter. The 31-year-old Beech High School graduate has worked with the Department of Defense and the U.S. military, traveling at a moment's notice to war-torn nations, working behind-the-scenes with soldiers and high-ranking government officials. Some of the top brass in the American military know Garland and lavish praise on his bravery, patriotism and work ethic.
"I was so impressed with his method of instruction that at the age of 45 I became one of his students," Colonel David Fox wrote in an email. Fox has served as a battalion commander of the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, one of only 15 Special Forces commanders. "His training gave me the confidence and the skills I needed to survive while engaged in combat in Afghanistan."
Garland's military and martial arts skills have been giddily recounted by The Tennessean, the Nashville Scene, All the Rage and Tae Kwon Do Times, in addition to Channel 4, which might as well be his unofficial network. WZTV-FOX 17's morning show interviewed the tough, telegenic Garland about how martial arts can prepare you for nearly any situation. Kiplinger's Finance even ran a short story about how Chris and his then-wife saved more than $50,000 to place a down payment on a new home near Vanderbilt. Fighter, military contractor, personal finance whiz. Garland seems to be a jack-of-all-trades.
Taken collectively, the press accounts of Garland's life make him out be a real-life action figure, a tough-guy hybrid of Vin Diesel and Jackie Chan. At the age of 17, the credentials go, he served in U.S. Special Forces, the elite branch of the military reserved for only the bravest and smartest soldiers. Special Forces are trained to fight behind enemy lines and in other dangerous locations conventional troops can't reach. Not only did Garland join this bastion of alpha-maledom when he was only a teenager, he trained them as well. And there's more. Garland was an Army Ranger, served in the Gulf War and was later deployed in the Balkans. Finally, he just happens to be a master in Hapkido, a Korean martial art.
But wait.
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