St. Charles native to be inducted into Illinois Martial Arts Hall of Fame

Rick Stellwagen retired from professional kickboxing about a decade ago, yet he remains quick with his hands, feet and one-liners.

As with many in his sport, the 46-year-old St. Charles native balanced kickboxing with a career in the workforce. Stellwagen is a safety coordinator for Elburn-based Electric Conduit Construction by day, and he senses you’re grinning.

“What’s the irony of that? Stellwagen said. “A safety coordinator, and I used to beat guys up.”

Stellwagen compiled a combined 44-1 record as an amateur and professional, but leave it to a recent phone call to humble him more than most opponents did. Stellwagen will be inducted into the Illinois Martial Arts Hall of Fame during a banquet in Glen Ellyn on April 1, an honor that includes a plaque, polo shirt and dinner.

The plaudits of numerous supporters from his past and present may be the best course. Rocky Troutman, a 2009 inductee who once trained Stellwagen at his Sugar Grove gym and now welcomes him as a volunteer instructor, calls Stellwagen “by far the best fighter and most natural fighter” he has trained in 42 years in martial arts.

Stellwagen began as a would-be practitioner of karate in his youth, but he and his brother, Brian, frequently were disqualified from tournaments for over-aggressiveness.

Sensing their frustration, an onlooker suggested kickboxing, which steered Stellwagen to Rocky’s Dojo and Gym, now a two-level, 6,400-square-foot training facility in Sugar Grove. Although Stellwagen debuted as an amateur at the admittedly “late age” of 26, an unfettered passion for kickboxing helped him account for lost time.

“As he started fighting and doing more fights, he started coming down in weight; he started getting in better shape; he started training more; he started running,” Troutman said.

Winning naturally followed.

“Technically, I never really lost as an amateur or pro,” said Stellwagen, noting his lone amateur defeat came via disqualification. “I was never knocked down. I was never knocked out. I was never really hurt, other than one time. I had a lot of pride in that.”

That notorious “one time” came in 1999, when Manson Gibson landed a devastating spinning back kick to Stellwagen’s liver in a bout for the International Kickboxing Federation Pro Full-Contact light heavyweight United States title.

Writhing in sudden pain, Stellwagen slumped to the canvas.

“I thought we were going to have to stop so I could help him get his foot out of me,” Stellwagen said.

Rob Zbilski, a longtime trainer who worked Stellwagen’s corner that night and had helped book the fight with Gibson, a future world champion, hardly was surprised at what came next.

“Most people would have went down [for good],” Zbilski said.“And Rick took it and pressed on and ended up beating this guy who had over 100 wins.”

Stellwagen earned titles in two other federations and had 17 knockouts in 22 professional bouts.

A Plano resident for the past 15 years, he still is no stranger to Rocky’s, volunteering his expertise to up-and-coming fighters on Wednesday nights. Stellwagen sometimes brings his young son, Joshua, for exposure to self-defense training, but notes he is not pushing him into fighting. Joshua loves baseball and is a third-generation left-hander.

Meanwhile, Stellwagen’s wife, Jill, realizes her husband’s dedication hasn’t dissipated and doesn’t mind him continuing to ply his kickboxing craft.

“Just giving back to Rocky, who spent all those hours with me helping me to be a better fighter,” Stellwagen said. “I just felt that it’s only fair that I give back and help out. And plus, I really enjoy it. And not to mention, it’s way easier on the body helping somebody.”

Fatigue fades and injuries heal, but such gestures can endure through time. As Troutman awaits the splendor of another Rocky’s-affiliated Hall of Famer – his father, Ron, was inducted in 2012 – he tells others not only of Stellwagen’s fighting skill, but also of his exemplary humility.

“Rick, after he stopped competing, he was very much wanting to give back, and that’s a great attribute for a fighter,” Troutman said. “A lot of them are so self-absorbed in themselves that they don’t give back. So I think that’s very admirable.”