Taekwondo, Hapkido, Jiujitsu, Filipino Arts, Okinawan Karate & Weaponry, Aikido, Police Defensive Tactics, Basic Self-Defense, Fitness Boot Camp, TaiChi, Kung-fu
Martial Art Fitness Centers, Inc
2849 South Broadway - Rochester, MN 55904
507-358-3484 fred.gommels@gmail.com
About Us
Head Instructors
Below is a list of the head instructors of each program. We have a number of other instructors who assist teaching in a variety of capacities. The Martial Art Fitness Center was established in 1975 and has produced over 200 black belts... many of whom are teaching and training yet today.
Master
Fred Gommels
Director: MAFCI Since 1986
Master G. began his martial arts training in 1973. He has trained in Shotokan Karate, Aiki-Jujitsu, KongSooDo, Taekwondo, TangSooDo, Yawara, Hapkido, Judo, Yusool and martial art weaponry.
Master G holds the following ranks:
8th Dan Okinawa Koburyu Kobukai (honorary)
7th Dan Korea Simmudo Association
5th Dan Korea Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan
5th Dan Korean Shin Moo Hapkido Federation
5th Dan Korea Taekwondo Chang Moo Kwan
4th Dan Yusool - Martial Arts USA
Master
Kirby Strissel
Administrator of Leadership
Master Strissel began training in the martial arts in 1990 and has trained with some of the finest Masters and GrandMasters in the USA and South Korea. His training is in: KongSooDo-Taekwondo, TangSooDo, Hapkido, Judo, Yusool and martial art weaponry. Master Strissel also heads up the Instructor Leadership Program at the MAFCI.
Master Strissel holds the ranks of:
6th Dan Korea Simmudo Association
4rd Dan Taekwondo ChungDoKwan
3rd Dan Hapkido - MAFCI
1st Dan US Judo Association
Sifu Gretel began her martial arts training in 1981 in Havana, Cuba. She has trained in Competitive Taekwondo and was selected to train for the Cuban International Taekwondo Federation Team. She also has trained in Kung-Fu, Taichi, KongSooDo, Hapkido, Judo, Yawara and martial art weaponry.
Sifu Gretel holds the following ranks:
5th Dan Cuban Intnl TKD Federation
4th Dan Taichi - Yang Style
4th Dan Shaolin Kung-Fu
3rd Dan KongSooDo-Taekwondo
1st Dan Hapkido
Contact Gretel at:
Sensei
Stephen Voss
Kendo
Sensei Voss has over 30 years experience in Kendo "way of the sword". He has trained in Japan and the US with some of the world's top Kendo masters. Steve Voss (4 th Dan Kendo) has over 31 years of experience practicing kendo. His first seven years were spent learning under Minoru Kiyota Sensei (Professor of Buddhist Studies at University of Wisconsin), a long-term practitioner of kendo starting before World War Two.
Hokkyokusei Kendo Kai
(HKK=North Star Kendo Association)
Established 1998
Instructor Stephen Voss
Kendo 4th Dan Black Belt
"All U.S. Kendo Federation"
Contact Sensei Voss at:
Shihan Frank and Sue Crow are joint owners and head instructors for OKKR. They have been teaching Okinawan Koburyu karate & kobudo since 1986.
Karate is the Okinawan empty handed martial art while kobudo involves practice with a variety of martial arts weapons.
Shihan Frank and Shihan Sue both hold the following ranks:
Kyoshi Hachi Dan (10th degree) in Okinawan Koburyu Karatedo
Kyoshi Hachi Dan (10th degree) in Okinawan Koburyu Kobudo
They founded the Okinawan Koburyu dojo in Kalamazoo, Michigan and taught there for 15 years. They moved to Rochester in 1999, founded the OKKR and have been teaching in Rochester ever since.
Contact Shihan Frank:
Sensei Piotrowski has practiced Aikido since 1998 and currently holds the rank of Nidan 2nd Dan. He is a member of the United States Aikido Federation.
His primary instructors have been Calvin Blanchard Sensei, Bill McGourik Sensei and Neil Segal Sensei.
Contact Bruce Piotrowski at:
Instructor - James Léger
Trained and competed in the French Muay Thai circuit for 15 years. With 4 years in the Level-A Professional level.
James Léger also holds a 1st Dan Black Belt in the KongSooDo style of Taekwondo, and teaches weekly TKD classes.
https://muaythaiwai.wixsite.com/muaythaiwai
For questions: