Rodolfo “Rudy” Reyes was born on December 3, 1971, in Kansas City, Missouri. He and his brothers were raised by their grandparents until their passing when he was seven, leading them to stay with relatives before finding stability at the Omaha Home for Boys. At 17, Rudy gained custody of his younger brothers and moved to Kansas City. He became passionate about martial arts and wrestling from a young age and by 18 had become Midwest MMA Champion.

At 26, Reyes joined the United States Marine Corps. During his military service, he became an elite Recon Marine and served multiple combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was a team leader during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a role he reprised in the 2008 series Generation Kill. After leaving the military, he worked as a counter-terror contractor and later trained anti-poaching rangers in Africa. 

He also appeared on survival and military programmes, including Apocalypse Man, Ultimate Survival Alaska, and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Since 2023, he has served as the lead Directing Staff instructor on Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. He also co-founded “Force Blue,” a non-profit that utilizes former Special Operations veterans to restore coral reefs.