Our Instructors

Dr. Jeffrey Hudson -3rd Degree Black Belt under Relson Gracie

 

Jeff Hudson is the founder of Relson Gracie Columbus and the first to introduce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to the Buckeye State.  His training began when he and some of his fellow Tae Kwon Do black belts watched the original Gracie’s in Action video.  Jeff has been teaching since 1993 and in that time has spent more time in private lessons with Relson than anyone.  His passion for the art has sent him on countless trips to the California Gracie Academy to learn and bring his knowledge back to friends and students in Columbus.  In March of 2003, Dr. Hudson was awarded the faxia preta (black belt) from Master Relson Gracie. 

Jeff has produced numerous champion competitors and won his own championship title at the Pan-American Competition in 1999.  In addition, Jeff is the owner/operator of Hudson Spinal Health and Rehabilitation Center featuring the Pettibon System of Spinal Correction and Science Based Nutrition.   Currently, Jeff is the instructor for the advanced classes.

Professor Robin Gieseler - 2nd Degree Black Belt under Relson Gracie

Robin Gieseler began his training in Jiu-Jitsu in 1994 after watching Royce Gracie defeat a much larger Dan Severn in the Ultimate Fighting Championship IV.  Robin is a 1st degree black belt under Relson Gracie/Jeff Hudson and is the main instructor at the academy teaching the majority of the adult classes as well as the Kid’s Program. 

Robin has competed in some of the world’s largest competitions, winning the Gracie Nationals and Arnold Gracie World Championships multiple times. Most recently he earned a bronze medal at the 2010 Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championship in California. He placed 2nd in the heavy weight masters black belt division at the 2008 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships. http://www.ibjjf.org/results/2008pan.htm

 

 

Matt Rigney - Black Belt under Relson Gracie

Matt has been training in the martial arts for nearly 20 years. He started training Jiu-Jitsu in 1998 at a Gracie Training Association in Northern Virginia. He has been training at Gracie Ohio since moving to Columbus in 2002. Matt believes the key to success in Jiu-Jitsu is in the refinement and repetition of fundamental techniques.

Tom Feister - Instructor

Tom has been training in the martial arts for over 20 years.  He found Jiu-Jitsu in 2003 and has been committed to the art ever since.  As an avid competitor he has had success in regional and national tournaments such as: OGC, Relson Gracie Worlds, Bravado Open, Michigan Open, Hoosier Open, EGO, NYC Open and NAGA.  As an instructor, Tom is committed to helping his students reach their potential in the quickest possible time. 

 

 

 

 

Dave Tabron - Instructor

Dave teaches class on Monday nights as well as assisting with kids classes on Thursdays. He has competed in major tournaments all across the country and likes to quote his favorite MMA fighter, Kazushi Sakuraba regarding his record: "I've won a lot, and I've lost a lot". Dave has over 20 years experience as a wrestler and coach.  When not on the mat in competition Dave can be heard from across the building coaching his teammates at mat side.
Dave has a Bachelors degree in philosophy and over 10 years professional sports and recreation experience. Not the spectator type, he has participated in football, wrestling, volleyball, hockey, mountain biking, and is the self professed "worst kickboxer in the world".

Dave believes Gracie Jiu Jitsu holds countless benefits depending on what you want to get out of it and tries to blend all of these into his training and teaching. For children it teaches fitness, discipline, and confidence through implementation, "Don't talk, DO." For adults gives to students what jiu jitsu has given to him: Strength, Confidence, Discipline, and most importantly FUN.

Derek Oney - 4th Degree Blue Belt under Robin Gieseler

Derek Oney is Gracie Ohio's wrestling coach. His jiu-jitsu accolades include being the 2004 Can Am Jiu-Jitsu winner and 2004 Gracie National Jiu-jitsu belt winner (No Gi).

In addition to the role he fills at our academy, he has served as Head Wrestling Coach at Marion Franklin High school since 2002 where he was awarded 2008 Coach of the Year. Previously, he was the Assistant Wrestling Coach for Mount Union College from 1999-2002. Derek was a 3 year Varsity Letter winner at Ohio University in Wrestling (158 lbs, 167 lbs, 174 lbs) after which he was inducted into the Stark County Wrestling Hall Of fame in 2002. Oney was also Stark County Wrestler of the Year in 1995, the same year that he was Ohio State-Runner-up at 152 lbs. He was a 2 time State Qualifier at 152 lbs and a 3 time district Qualifier.

 

Aaron Fry - Strength and Conditioning Coach

Aaron Fry is a NASE certified Strength and Conditioning Coach and has been working with all sorts of clientele from Athletes to the sedentary individual for the past eleven years with TEAM EDGE Performance and Fitness.  Team Edge was started in 1997 by Bob Fry and Aaron Fry.  This Father-Son Combination has been impacting student athletes lives of the Columbus area for over a decade, by helping developmental athletes take their game to another level. 

Aaron has been a competitive athlete for most of his 31 years.  His love for Football and Natural Bodybuilding caused him to gain a great interest in training.  Now his new found love for Jiu-Jitsu has contributed to the beginning of Team Edge Combat Conditioning, where BJJ and MMA athletes can cross train for their sport.

Jason Culbertson - Purple Belt under Robin Gieseler

Jason's contribution to our academy is his kickboxing expertise. He has been in martial arts for 15 years. He is a 2nd degree brown belt in kempo karate and trained in Jeet Kune Do for several years where he was awarded his black belt after winning the '98 Bando Nationals Kickboxing title at 147 lbs.  Jason also took third place in 2000 after two knee surgeries. In addition, he trained in Doce Pares Escrima for several years and competed in three stickfighting tournaments.

He has coached kickboxers for IMB to fight at Bando three different years. 

Culbertson started BJJ in 2001. He competed for 4 years winning multiple Gracie National and Gracie World championships at masters featherweight. In countless numbers of tournaments, Jason only lost one match.

 

Fritz Goss - Judo Instructor

Fritz Goss began his judo career in 1967 at Ohio State University with Sensei George Funakoshi, after playing football and wrestling in high school and 1 year at Otterbein college. He won his first (of many) Ohio AAU Judo State Championship in 1968, achieved black belt and won the Big Ten Judo Championship in 1970, while placing fourth in the AAU National Championships 172lb. division. In 1971-72, Fritz served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and as judo instructor to Seal Team One in Coronado, California, winning the All-Navy Judo Championship both years and the Sasebo Young Man's 1971 Championship in Japan. After his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1972, he won a one month trip to the Munich Olympics in the fall of 1972 with an Ohio touring team, training with the U.S. Olympic team and fighting exhibition fights throughout Germany and Switzerland.

In 1973 he ban a 28-year career as a teacher and counselor in the Columbus Public Schools, at South H.S., Mifflin H.S., Westmoor M.S. and Wedgewood M.S. He resumed training at Ohio State Judo Club with judo national champions, Dean Tower and John Saylor. He continued training and finished 4th in the AAU Nationals in 1976 and 1978 and was selected to participate in the 172lb. class in the first National Sports Festival in Colorado Springs at the national Sports Training Center. He was the Sensei at the Columbus Hilltop YMCA Judo Club from 1978-1988 coaching numerous state champions and two national champions, Bryan Kazee and Molly See.

In 1987 Fritz won the National Judo Master's Championship and in 1997, at age 50, he came out of retirement to fight the young boys in jujitsu. winning the 180lb. division of the Battle of Columbus Jujitsu Tournament and the Ohio State Martial Arts Championships, losing only the Grand Championship match to the heavyweight champion, for a 9-1 record, after which he retired again. He received his Rokudan (6th degree Black Belt) in 2005 from the Judo Black Belt Association and writes occasional training articles for his old training partner and best friend, John Saylor, founder of Shingitai Jujitsu. Fritz lives in Worthington with his wife Kate, son Danny and daughter Nora, where he works as the Founder and CEO of Goss Financial Services.

Fritz is available for private lessons. Please contact him at fgoss@columbus.rr.com for more information.

 

 

 

 

 


Home | About us | Photo Gallery | Contact us | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2006 Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy. All rights reserved. Web Design: Martial Arts