Michael Stoller began his grappling career when he was 10 years old with his elementary school’s wrestling team. He wrestled competitively until 17 years old, earning many high school accolades, including participating in the IESA and IHSA State Wrestling Tournaments. At 19 years old, Michael transitioned his wrestling skills to mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Mike received his black belt from Professor John Ouano on February 14, 2025. Mike holds several higher education degrees: Athletic Training from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and degrees in both Nursing and Kinesiology from Parkland College. With this extensive education in human anatomy, physiology, sports science, and human movement, he is the only instructor in the area that uses a scientific approach towards martial arts and fitness. Mike is an active competitor, most notably taking 3rd place at the No-Gi World Championships in 2021.
Favorite submission: Wrist lock
Head Instructor Michael Stoller
Kelly Tang has been a student with CU Jiu Jitsu since its inception in 2018. She has now been actively training BJJ for over 7 years and is currently a Brown belt. In 2020 Kelly also started training kickboxing and Muay Thai, adding stand-up combat techniques to her martial arts arsenal.
Kelly is an assistant coach and mentor for new white belts, especially for women who have no prior martial arts background. She is passionate about getting more women involved in BJJ and kickboxing because she believes that it has given her an immense confidence boost, changing her outlook on life from "I'm scared" to "I can handle this." She recently earned her brown belt in December 2024.
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Outside of the gym, Kelly enjoys a wide variety of hobbies and interests, including: camping and hiking, travelling, food, video games, and watching trashy reality TV.
Favorite submission: Bow-and-arrow choke
Coach Kelly Tang
Sarah Roach is our head women's BJJ coach and assistant youth BJJ instructor. She started training BJJ in 2018 in Tennessee and became intrigued by how she was able to control bigger people using technique. She moved to Illinois in November 2022 and has gotten back into full time training and competing after becoming a mom. She recently earned her purple belt in December 2024. Before getting into jiu jitsu, Sarah was an avid rock climber and has translated several principles from climbing to grappling.
Although Sarah trains primarily from a self defense perspective, she is also extremely competitive. She entered into her first BJJ tournament after only six weeks of training because she enjoys testing herself and the feeling of adrenaline of competing. An avid competitor, her most notable competition win qualified her to compete at the Submission Only World's Tournament.
Favorite submission: Arm bar
Why Choose CU Jiu Jitsu?
An Environment For Everyone
Ice Skating at U of I Ice Arena
Bouldering at CU Boulders
Curtis Orchard outing
Ice Skating at U of I Ice Arena
We believe what sets us apart from other schools in town is our dedication to building a positive environment focused on inclusivity. We are the only school in town that consistently holds women-only classes because we believe that it is important to provide a dedicated and safe space for women who are not yet comfortable grappling with men.
Additionally, we stand firm in our belief that martial arts should accessible for everyone, regardless of age, gender-identity, sexual orientation, religion, or body size/physical capabilities. Our goal is to provide a welcome environment that everyone can be comfortable in.
Social Events Outside The Gym
​We organize monthly school events like trips to amusement parks, movie theater outings, cookouts, float trips, camping, bouldering, team dinners, and more. Not only does this allow our members to know each other outside of the gym, we also enjoy supporting other local small businesses. We strive to foster and build lifelong connections because we recognize the importance of having a strong community.
No Egos Allowed
Respect is one of our core values. We don't tolerate ego-training here, which leads to a lack of respect for others and increases risks of injuries. We encourage healthy competitiveness in our athletes, but at the end of the day we lift ourselves up by lifting those around us, not by tearing them down.