Timothy Fred Kennedy was born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California, as the second son of three children. His mother encouraged his development through cooking and piano lessons, while his father, seeking to offset her influence, enrolled Tim and his brother in various physical activities such as shooting schools, boxing lessons, wrestling teams, and Japanese jujitsu classes.
Kennedy attended Eagle Academy private high school, graduating in 1998. He then pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice at Columbia College of Missouri, earning his degree in 2002. During his time at college, Kennedy began competing in sanctioned mixed martial arts fights, a passion he continued to nurture even after joining the United States Army in 2004.
As a Green Beret, Kennedy competed in the Army's Combatives tournament in 2005, winning the light heavyweight division three years in a row. His impressive performance in the tournament led to his feature in Dick Couch's book "Chosen Soldier" under the pseudonym "Tom Kendall".
Kennedy's military career spanned several years, during which he completed Ranger School in 2007 and was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group. He served on Operational Detachment Alphas, worked as a sniper, and was the principal combatives instructor for C Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom multiple times, earning the Army's Bronze Star Medal among other awards.
In his mixed martial arts career, Kennedy began training at Dokan School of Martial Arts under Terry Kelly and Barry Smith. He started fighting in 1996, amassing a record of 30-1 in 31 amateur fights before turning professional in 2001. Kennedy won a one-night tournament at Extreme Challenge 50 in 2003 and went on to fight for the International Fight League in 2007.
After retiring from active duty in the Army, Kennedy now resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife and children.
