Goshin Jitsu

Search this site
GJ Champaign‎ > ‎

Instructors

Contents

  1. 1 Mike "Joker" Aref
    1. 1.1 Chief Instructor / Faculty Advisor
  2. 2 Peter Roubal
    1. 2.1 Student Instructor
Mike "Joker" Aref

Chief Instructor / Faculty Advisor

Shonie Carter (left) and Mike Aref (right) at the Total Fight Challenge 2.
Started Goshin Jitsu: Fall 1996
 E-mail: mike@goshinjitsu.org
Mike's been training in martial arts since the fifth grade. He earned his shodan (first degree black belt) in Uechi-Ryu Karate Do in 1992 and in the American Kempo-Shorin System in 1995. After that he discovered Goshin Jitsu and that multiple black belts in karate didn't mean as much as they should in a realistic self-defense sense. He currently trains with McVicker's Martial Arts Academy and holds a faixa preta (black belt) in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a black belt in Jeet Kune Do. He also trains muay thai kickboxing with the Peoria Athletic Club. Some of Mike's titles include:
  • 14th PanJiu-Jitsu Championships Heavyweight Masters Brown Belt Silver medalist
  • 13th PanAmerican Jiu-Jitsu Championships Heavyweight Masters Purple Belt Gold medalist
  • IKF Men's Amateur Muay Thai Rules Cruiserweight (180 - 190 lbs.) 2006 World Classic Tournament Champion
  • 12th PanAmerican Jiu-Jitsu Championships Heavyweight Masters Purple Belt Gold medalist
  • IKF Men's Amateur Muay Thai Rules Cruiserweight (180 - 190 lbs.) 2005 North American Tournament Champion
  • 2005 C3 Team Challenge Winner
  • 2004 NAGA Chicago Pro-Am of Grappling 1st Place 180 - 195 lbs. No-Gi Expert and 1st Place 180 - 200 lbs. Gi Purple Belt and up
  • 2004 Extreme Grappling Open Middleweight Invitational Champion
  • 2004 IKF Amateur Muay Thai 186 - 195 lbs. Midwest Regional Champion
  • 2004 Arnold Gracie Worlds Adult Blue Belt Medium Heavy Gold medalist and Absolute Gold medalist.
His record is 65-27 in sport jiu-jitsu/submission wrestling, 1-1 in mixed-martial arts (MMA), and 7-0/2 in amateur muay thai. Mike earned his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering in the Spring of 2003 and his M.D. in 2006. He currently practices as a hospitalist as well as being an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Mike Aref (left) and Shooto legend Erik Paulson (right) share a smile.

Andy Perry (left) kicks as Mike Aref (right) coaches


Peter Roubal

Student Instructor

Started Goshin Jitsu: Summer 2006
 E-mail: peter@goshinjitsu.org
Despite being twice the age of most of his students Peter outpaces them both cardiovascularly and technically. In addition to training with Goshin Jitsu, Peter is a faixa roxa (purple belt) in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a black belt in Jeet Kune Do under Jack McVicker. Currently a faculty member at Parkland College Peter was awarded his D.M.A. in Music Composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2001. He is an accomplished musician who performs locally as well.

Sign in|Report Abuse|Print Page|Remove Access|Powered By Google Sites