INSTRUCTORS
Adil Benjilany
Kickboxing & MMA Head Coach
Coach Adil Benjilany is one of the most highly sought-after kickboxing coaches in the Chicagoland area. Benjilany has over 10 years of coaching experience, training at all levels of martial arts — from beginners to champion professional fighters.
Benjilany holds over 15 years of fighting competition experience with over 50 fights combined in amateur and professional competition.. As an active professional MMA fighter, Benjilany has competed five times under the Bellator banner.
Jimmy Do
Muay Thai Kickboxing Coach
Coming from a large family with a martial arts backround and to combat bullying; coach Jimmy started studying martial arts at the age of 5, training in Tae Kwon Do for ten years. Do won many forms and point-fighting titles in central Illinois, quickly earning a black belt and was promoted to assistant instructor.
After getting out of shape in college and learning about nutrition in culinary school; Do lost weight and started training in boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
His itch to compete would return Do joined Robbie Cole's team, competing with Cole for 25 fights. Do has earned five national silver medals in Muay Thai and K1-style kickboxing and has twice competed for Glory Kickboxing. Do continues to actively compete in kickboxing.
As a coach, Do has been instructing for over eight years, training all age groups and skill levels and doing non-profit work mentoring teens in Chicago.
Carlos Banuelos
Jiu-Jitsu Coach
Coach Carlos Banuelos is a first degree Black Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Banuelos teaches because he loves the feeling of helping others through jiu-jitsu. His students are a reminder of how the learning process never ends. Although he’s been training for 15 years, he believes that every person in the world has something he can learn from.
A father of four, when Baneulos is not in the gym, he enjoys spending his time with his kids, gardening, grilling and playing with his dogs.
Valerie Sanchez
Kickboxing Coach
Coach Valerie Sanchez is a first generation Mexican American martial artist. She is a Tae Kwon Do state and national champion and a Muay Thai/Kickboxing national champion.
As a trainer, she prides herself on fostering a welcoming environment that she wished she had as a female fighter growing up. She hopes that through her coaching and fighting that she can empower other women to find their strength through martial arts.
Outside of the gym, Sanchez owns a food business Yummy Bites and is working on her bachelor's degree at Depaul.
Robert Lee
Kickboxing Coach
Coach Robert Lee was born in Korea and moved to the U.S. when he was eight years old. A two-time North American National Kickboxing Champion, Lee has been training Muay Thai and kickboxing for over 15 years.
Lee trains in martial arts because he loves the feeling of learning the details. He enjoys the process of fine-tuning his kickboxing skills to become a better fighter and is commited to help others perfect their skills as well.
When he’s not at the gym, Lee is hanging out with his American Bully, “Mini”.
Nam Ho
Kickboxing Coach
Born in Vietnam and raised in Chicago, Nam Ho has been fighting Muay Thai for over a decade with some experiences in mixed martial arts. In addition to four career knockouts, he has held the XFO lightweight championship belt, won two Thai Boxing Association Championship silver medals and fought for WKA and the WMO World Title.
Aside from being a dedicated martial artist and personal trainer, Nam works as a Chemist and enjoys cooking, working out, researching, and reading.
Kaleb Petetreit
Striking Coach
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Kaleb Petetreit began his martial arts journey at an early age, training in karate and boxing. As a 16-year-old, Petetreit began training kickboxing and MMA under UFC veteran Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt.
Upon graduating from high school, Petetreit became a NASM-certified personal trainer and coached kickboxing for the next ten years in The Lone Star State.
Petetreit is making his return to coaching by joining Benjilany Striking in Chicago. As an instructor, Petetreit enjoys witnessing the growth of his students’ techniques and their improved body awareness through the application of martial arts.
Outside of the gym, Petetreit manages digital marketing ads and is often nerding out over numbers.
Jakub Wayman
Assistant Coach
Coach Wayman, hailing from Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a professional MMA fighter and Muay Thai kickboxer. Wayman brings with him a two-year stint as a sponsored Muay Thai and MMA fighter in Bangkok, Thailand. He represented the Olympic Recognized Team USA Muay Thai Team in IFMA 2016 Bangkok, Thailand as well as IFMA 2019 Antalya, Turkey.
Wayman enjoys watching his students apply techniques they worked on in class and finds happiness in sharing his knowledge.
When he’s not training, Wayman is playing video games, taking walks through the forest and finding new and good food from around the world.
