About Us
Main Instructors
Below is a list of the main 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 100 black belts, more than 50 of which are actively training and/or teaching.
Fred Gommels
Director & Owner
Fred and his wife Myrna have owned and operated the Martial Art Fitness Center since 1986. Fred began his martial arts training in 1973 and currently holds the following ranks:
6th Dan Korea Simmudo Association
5th Dan Korea Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan
5th Dan Korean New Martial Arts Hapkido Federation
5th Dan Korea Taekwondo Chang Moo Kwan
4th Dan Yusool - Martial Arts USA
Master Gommels is the Director of the MAFCI and of the Korea/USA Simmudo Association (our direct link to Korean Martial arts and culture)
Kirby Strissel
Administrator: Instructor & Leadership Training
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. He currently holds the ranks of:
5th Dan Korea Simmudo Association
4rd Dan Taekwondo ChungDoKwan
3rd Dan Hapkido - MAFCI
1st Dan US Judo Association
Master Strissel also heads up the Instructor Leadership Program at the MAFCI and is currently the Administrator of Korea/USA Simmudo Association.
Andy Kruse
Instructor: Hapkido
Master Kruse has been training in the martial arts since 1994. He holds these ranks with the Korea Simmudo Association:
4th Dan Taekwondo - MAFCI
4th Dan Korea Simmudo Association
3rd Dan Hapkido - MAFCI
Master Kruse has trained with some of the finest Masters and Grandmasters in both the USA and South Korea in Taekwondo, Kongsoodo, Yudo, Hapkido, Simmudo and martial arts weaponry.
Gretel Quiñones
Instructor: Tai Chi, Kung-fu, Taekwondo
Gretel Quiñones has trained in the martial arts since the year 2000. She is an instructor of Taekwondo, Kung-Fu and TaiChi. Her most loved art is Tai Chi Ch'uan an Tai Chi Tui Shou. She trained in Bilbao, Spain under Sifu Alfonso Muñoz at the of school Chan Wu Wei. She also has more than 20 years experience in competitive Taekwondo.
Contact Gretel at:
(507) 990-2463
Jeremy Felder
Instructor: Progressive Martial Arts
Jeremy has practiced Martial Arts since since 1998 and currently holds the rank of 1st Dan Black Belt. His training is in Hapkido, Jujitsu and Filipino Martial Arts.
Contact Jeremy Felder at:
Frank & Sue Crow
Head Instructors:
Okinawan Karate & Kobudo of Rochester, LLC
Frank and Sue 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 (8th degree) in Okinawan Koburyu Karatedo
Kyoshi Hachi Dan (8th 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.
For contact:
call 507-529-8009 or email OKKRochester@gmail.com
Bruce Piotrowski
Chief Instructor: Aikido of Rochester
Bruce has practiced Aikido since 1998 and currently holds the rank of Nidan 2nd Dan. He is currently 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:
507-287-0556 or by email aikidorochestermn@charter.net
Lawrence Marcuson
Instructor: Fitness Bootcamp
Lawrence Marcuson of Rochester, is the owner of and is a certified personal trainer and yoga instructor through the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association. His specialty is weight loss "boot camps".
Contact Lawrence at:
(507) 202-3894 info@nordicmanfitness.com