Kelly “Thor” Crigger

I began my military career as an enlisted Infantryman in 1986 and went downhill from there. After sixteen years as a tactical Chemical Officer in prestigious units like the 3rd Infantry Division and the 1st Special Forces Group, I was forced to pay my dues and manage R&D projects in Washington DC. It’s an incredibly dynamic job that can be summed up in an old BASF commercial-“we don’t make the cup, we make the cup stronger.” Snappy. It’s a cushy assignment that’s taken its toll on my physique, which more resembles an Oompa Loompa than a Ranger tabbed former paratrooper. I have an advanced degree in International Relations (online degrees from Jamaica are harder than you think) and when you combine that erudition with all the free time I have sitting behind a desk, it results in a lot of extramural writing. I have a penchant for bourbon and cool words used correctly in a sentence, so if you buy a round or sneak nefarious, endogenous, or arriviste into the conversation you’ll make a friend for life.

In 2006 I channeled my powerful lexicon into my passion for Mixed Martial Arts and became a writer for Real Fighter magazine. Since then I’ve written for a plethora of MMA outlets and am now a regular contributor to FIGHT! Magazine and MMAJunkie.com. I met the Ranger Up crew in passing (read: saw them handing out shirts) at the 2007 Army Combatives tournament and developed a relationship with them when they graciously agreed to carry my first book, Title Shot, on their website and donate proceeds to Soldier’s Angels. Ranger Up are good people with a good cause-make cool patriotic apparel that supports the troops, so I help them with blog stories, publicity, and Team Rhino management. A few years ago I met Zak Bagans through MMA and struck up a friendship. We decided to write a book about the paranormal together which hit the New York Times bestseller list in October, 2011.

I was apprehensive about launching a website dedicated solely to me because I think it’s pretentious and vain. But I also wanted a place to hang all the stuff I’ve written, so I gave in and went digital. Hope you like it.