Kenneth Jay, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Team Denmark, Slangerup, Denmark

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Martial Arts — Karate, JKD, Wing Chun, Capoeira, 15 years experience strength training — power lifting, Olympic lifting, general fitness.

Absolutely mind blowing, straightforward with NO unnecessary technical terms straight to the point. A revolution in strength and conditioning. The RKC is learning by doing instead of trying to understand the physiology and biomechanics. You learn by doing and troubleshooting instead of understanding and troubleshooting without having tried = very rare in European Universities.

Patrick Workman; Teacher; Mansfield, TX

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Powerlifting — Drug Free National Champion; gear free powerlifting — state record; holder/champion state

The certification training improved my form and technique considerably. Also made me realize the possibility of adapting to almost any sport or physical demanding job. Pavel is Pavel. What can be said that hasn't already been said. He is a genius because he is extremely knowledgeable and (very important) is accessible. He is fantastic.

Jeff O'Connor; Firefighter, Claremont, OK

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

2 Time Oklahoma's Strongest Man (N.A.S.S.) 1st Place, North America's Strongest Man — 275lb Div (NASS)

The RKC training is by far the best information I have ever received; and it was delivered by the best instructors. That statement is not limited to physical training, it is inclusive of military, college: fire service training. The course simplified all the techniques that I have read about. It has given me a much greater understanding of how those basic principles can be applied to a few exercises that will have a tremendous impact on any physical endeavor.

Kevin S. Cooper, D.C. Sports Chiropractor, Trainer, Flexibility Specialist, Norwood, MA

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

NSCA-Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist; Chiropractic Physician — certified Applied Kinesiologist; Fitness Trainer with 18+ years experience

"This is a life-changing event in that if you thought you knew how to work hard, you don't! If you thought you knew how to work smart, you don't! And if you thought you knew how to work cleaning, crisply and with coiled aggressive explosiveness, you don't. But you will. What more could you ask for in one weekend? This seminar provided more functional, useful information before lunch on Friday than any I've ever attended, including ACE certification Gold Level fitness trainer and NSCA-Cert — CSCS)

Sarah Kamp, Certified Personal Trainer, San Diego, CA

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Former figure competitor, Certified personal trainer, NASM.

Attending the RKC Challenge was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Being able to learn from the elite in this sport will enable me to teach others effectively and efficiently. If you want to be the best you can be at what you do, you have to train seriously and with a master — that is what the RKC experience did for me.

Pavel is a master at his craft and the Senior RKCs were a fountain of knowledge. Everyone was accessible and truly interested in making sure all potential RKCs were able to perform the exercises safely, effectively and efficiently. The format completely facilitated learning. Everyone was organized and highly proficient.

The RKÇ training was the most hands on training that I ever received. The quality was first rate. A recent training seminar that I attended given by NASM was pathetic compared to this. I thought I knew how to use KBs pretty well before we started on Friday.

John Marchese Jr. D.C.; Chiropractor/strength coach/ sports therapist, Melrose, MA

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Athletics: Div. I college Football / Div. II college Hockey Rehab Coordinator / owner of highlands Sports Therapy at Mile Boyles Strength & Conditioning Winchester, MA at Melrose, MA — Maine office also 5th Season as Boston Celtics team Chiropractor in Waltham, MA at ProSports Orthopedics — Train and rehabilitate athletes from NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC, NCAA, etc., to include H.S. and amateur athletes, as well as "real" people.

This training gave me the same feeling as the second or third day of football camp! Soreness is a must. A high quality training; scope of material was well focused. Pavel and his instructors exhibited a high degree of knowledge in the subject presented and better yet could teach it effectively.

Shaun Li Arritola, Handyman/Training, Sundance, WY

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Physical laborer, truck driver, sword polisher/maker. Professional handyman, personal trainer, etc. I study hung Gar Gung Fu, yoga, and Taoist health techniques.

I was hit by a car in 1977, 3 months traction, 6 months body and straight leg cast. I had given up hope of ever having more mobility in my leg. But, in one short session, with help applying technique in the squat, I have painlessly bent my leg almost to full. It's been 27 years since it bent this far. Thank you. This is the best, most professional workshop I have attended.

Rich Menchio; Fitness Trainer, San Diego, CA

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

17+ years of training; Bachelor of Science in Physical Education/Sport; CSCS Certified; Former 82nd Airborne; Mixed martial arts background

A true ass whooping that I needed to me back on track and take my training to new levels. Ranks as one of the top in my book. Training I can actually apply to my clients. Not so scientific but yet I can apply my science to it where it need to be. Very practical and easy to understand.

Bill Cook, Doctor of Optometry, Midland, TX

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

I am returning RKC for review. Kettlebells have been a great rehab to a shoulder injury. Since using KB my strength is greater and more functional than ever before. I feel my years at the gym before KB were very non-productive.

RKC training is almost life changing in learning a very functional method to achieve strength. It makes the fitness experience fun and challenging. Pavel is in a league of his own with ideas far ahead of the crowd. His senior instructors really add to the knowledge base.

Frankie Faires, Website Owner (Sales and Services), Dallas, TX

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Trained MA, MMA, Boxers, Civilians, fight Choreography (movies) Specialty — Sport TKD.

The quality and variety of training, was beyond expectation. It was sufficiently thorough without being unnecessarily complex or technical. The focus is on practical — which most certifications should be. The theory is all covered in his books — theory here would be redundant.

Jim Thede, USAF Pararescue, Stafford, VA.

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Numerous advanced military training courses.

Absolutely top notch! The best athletic/physical training instruction I've ever received. The professionalism and experience of the SR RKCs really helped open my eyes to what PROPER KB training is all about.

Merton E (Bill) Woolard; US Army

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Special Forces

I have been to some of the best military schools and the instructor knowledge and attention to detail was superb in the Russian Kettlebell course. Quiet Professionals describes the Kettlebell instructor cadre. Some of the finest training I've ever received. Each instructor was well qualified and was meticulous in their approach to ensure each exercise was learned/taught correctly.

Kegan Dillon; Student; Pittsfield, MA

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Basketball until sophomore year in college; I've been using kettlebells for a little over a year; I also do some powerlifting

Best experience of my life. The quality of instructions was outstanding! Everybody was very clear and concise. Very easily understood. If I didn't understand something the very next step in the demo would clear that up. Every instructor here was awesome. The instructors in RKC are like a family. It really makes me want to instruct people with their KB training.

Patrick Dillon; Sales; Pittsfield, MA

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Background is non athletic in recent history except previous (2002) certification

Exceptionally professional, a very high quality of knowledge and expertise. Felt that I was getting a glimpse of an art, rather than just mechanical routine.

Matt Hersey, Teacher George Mason University Communication Dept. Vienna, VA.

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Chinese contemporary Wushu Student (Red Belt) — Chinese martial arts institute — Fairfax, VA

Pavel has assembled a truly exceptional group of elite strength coaches who impress with skill not with complexity. Learning from them has made me stronger, safer, and more focused.

Josh Hillis; personal trainer, Seattle, WA

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

4:16 Mile, 4:09 metric mile, ran a 3:09 1200M in a distance relay at Arcadia Night Meet on ESPN2 that got our team nationally ranked. NASM certified trainer. APEX certified in sports and nutrition.

It was ten times more applicable to training than my other certifications. Everything we learned we applied immediately. What was really amazing was the speed at which we applied fine points of technique. I don't think I've ever had better instructors anywhere. I've had great instructors in the past but here at RKC things were communicated much faster and more precisely. Getting instructed in a way that I could feel and apply immediately was great.

In comparison to my APEX and NASM certifications this was way more applicable and practical, and those were great courses. This was much more like training with my old track coach — straight to the point, no bullshit, just exactly what you need to know right now.

Frank Holas; Lab tech; Spring Grove, IL

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Background in powerlifting and bodybuilding

An incredible contribution of strength, aerobic, flexibility and ballistic type training. Clearly a unique concept in the fitness industry. More powerful than any personal workout routine I've performed.

Daniel Markanich, College Student, Old Hickory, TN

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Played school football and soccer. Also 2nd degree black belt in Wado Rue. I have been taking Wado Rue for 12 years.

This certification training is amazing. The instructors are easy to understand and helpful for everyone. Nothing compares to kettlebells. I have lifted regular weights, but have never gotten the power, flexibility and endurance I get out of kettlebells. This was an amazing experience for me and I learned so much within only three days that I would never have learned on my own. I am just so grateful just to be able to attend this certification and learn the things taught here.

Kevin McGovern; Personal Trainer, Mullica Hill, NJ

The weekend was fantastic! The breadth of the instruction is only overshadowed by the depth of detail imparted. I have never seen such a large group of competent and knowledgeable people gather together in one place. No other class, seminar, or instruction I've had can compare with this: In quality, scope, material, and practical use, it reigns supreme.

Mandla Aies Nkosi; Wing Chun Instructor and exercise trainer, Petervale, South Africa

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Wing Chun Kung-fu, Baklakan/Philipino martial arts, Tae kwondo, body building, minimal weight training, sport (Basketball, Rugby, Track)

An experience of a lifetime which feels like I am starting over. I feel kettlebells bring back youth and create an amazing platform for learning.

Joseph Michael Pavel; Printer/Personal Trainer; Cottage Grove, MN

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

High School Wrestling, weight training for the last 25 years mostly body- building up until I got my kettlebells 5 months ago, now I'll never go back to "body building" type training,

The whole weekend is a very humbling experience. In that the senior RKC and Pavel have so much knowledge and are so good it just goes to show me that the more I thought I know, the more I don't know and want to work up to senior RKC level someday. It was totally hands on, compared to other certifications where you read a book basically or sit and listen to a lecture then take a test. This gets you involved more fully so you retain the knowledge. Teaches you how to break down a complicated thing into little steps.

Darryl N Portra, Tractor and Trailer Driver, Bedminster, NJ

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

5 or 6 marathons in the last several years and 1 ULTRA MARATHON. Numerous distance runs and bike events. Only in the last 2 years or so developed a major interest in catch wrestling. I now mainly condition for this endeavor

This weekend set me back a few $ - but with the people I met and the instruction that was put upon us — not to mention the "camaraderie" it was worth ever penny.

Gina Puzzuoli; Newspaper Journalism Student, Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Trained in gymnastics at an early age. Six years of Hapkido, now training yoga.

I was very impressed with the quality of instruction. The Sen. RKC staff each had a different competitive or professional focus, but flawless technique. Most importantly, they were nice and open to discussion and still excited by the training. The scope was large, but broken down into easily digestible segments. I have never taken a course so well designed to propel its students into a career based on quality instruction — hats off.

Asif Rafeek; Teacher; Midland, TX

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Wing Chun Kung Fu Instructor and Escrima. I also teach a kettlebell class 3 days a week

It was one of the best experiences, both teaching and learning that I have ever been exposed to. The quality of instructors, facility, and students was world class.

Matt Schwartz; Software Engineer; Santa Cruz, CA

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

College Rower in PAC-10; Multi-sport outdoor athlete; surfer/kite boarder; Recovering former martial artist (Hapkido/BJJ)

Everyone is super knowledgeable. The instructors know a ton. I learned how KB movements and force generation techniques had value in other sports and not just esoteric techniques for their own sake. I understood how KB training could be tailored to directly assist in sport improvement and injury prevention/rehab.

Cammilla Silberbrandt; Physiotherapist, instructor, personal trainer, Copenhagen, Denmark

Athletic Achievements, training background or specialty:

Train rehab-patients, pregnant women, elderly people

A great intense and hard workout — (a lot of) large possibilities with just one equipment. I've done several Paul Chek courses and the quality is very much the same. A bit more practiced learning at the RKC.

Daryl R. Smith; Information technology; Lewisville, TX

Fantastic! A very, very good course! I have not been physically challenged like this since I was in the Army 20 yrs ago. My expectations on what I learned about KB training have been exceeded. Pavel is a master teacher. The guest instructors are very knowledgeable, and very helpful. One of the best (if not the best), physical training programs I have ever experienced.

James Talo Pickett, Letter Carrier, Canada Post Corp, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Despite a seemingly short time for the material to be covered, this was by far one of the best trainings I have experienced. The applications for the knowledge shared by this course and the Dragon Door material are immense.

Stanton Teters; Software Developer, New York, NY

The kettlebell certification is a great way to learn how to break the lifts into smaller points, refine those points and improve a trainee's lifting. It gives you a bagful of techniques to apply to improve a trainee's lifting. Pavel's knowledge and instruction is fantastic. It's amazing to watch him pick out a problem and see what needs to be done to correct it. I am completely impressed by the other instructor's knowledge and abilities as well.