Meet the Instructors

Kristina Ohlson has been training in the martial arts for over 20 years, starting at the age of five.  She began with Judo as a child training with five-time national champion Louis H. Piaget.  She came of age as a martial artist on the warped floors of the Montpelier Karate Club training in Sasen Budo, a hard combat style art. Kristina is currently a black belt with the World Tang Soo Do Association.  She received her teaching certification from her instructor, Master’s Candidate Mr. John Maris and has placed 1st in both regional and international competitions for Forms, Sparring and Weapons.  She has over 10 years experience training and teaching children and adults.  Kristina brings her passion and commitment to each student, their growth and well being to every class.  She trains regularly with Master Instructors and Master Candidates in the Reno Tahoe area and Santa Rosa. 

Joe Killilea has been teaching Pilates in the Bay Area for 3+ years, drawing from a diverse background in the Performing Arts and competitive sports. Joe has worked with world-class athletes and performers to improve their game, or work past injuries, but also has a gift for inspiring those who are new to Pilates or have laid off from physical activity for a while.  He works to give his clients the knowledge to move and feel better, not only while working out, but to carry that feeling into their everyday lives and activities. He is looking forward to joining Kick Start SF, and having some fun at 6:30 a.m.!

Kristen Chew has been dedicated to the study of Yoga since 2002, when Yoga was offered at her workplace as a means of reducing stress and promoting employee well-being. Intrigued by the calm awareness that it brought to her, she continued to deepen her practice through her exploration of various forms of Yoga, including Iyengar, Forrest, Ashtanga and Restorative, as well as more recently developed styles which have been influenced by martial arts. Kristen has completed the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Tree in San Francisco, and has been inspired by Karl Erb, Christopher Love, Darren Main, Clayton Horton, Jonathan Reynolds, and Christine Chang of Yoga Motion Studio. She has taken workshops from Ana Forrest, Shiva Rea, Duncan Wong, and Kofi Busia, and has also studied at the Sivananda Ashram in Neyyar Dam, Kerala in India. Kristen’s passion for Yoga stems from her appreciation of the awareness and inner peace that Yoga has brought to her, and she is grateful for the opportunity to share the gift of Yoga with her students.

Justin Rea has been active in sports and fitness his entire life, from soccer to weight training and most recently an Olympic distance triathlon. In addition to Yoga, he has continued to maintain a schedule of swimming, cardiovascular and weight training. Justin has been committed to the practice of Yoga since 2003, when he was convinced by a colleague, after many tries, to attend a Yoga class offered at work. He has not been the same since. Justin has been inspired by numerous teachers including Rusty Wells, Christopher Love, Les Leventhal, and Christine Chang of Yoga Motion Studio. Melding his study of Yoga and human movement science has given him a unique perspective on the body and it's natural strength, balance, and wisdom. His classes are challenging and offer a dynamic blend of poses, with an emphasis on core strength, body, and breath awareness. He continues to be a student of Yoga, learning from his teachers, as well as his students.