Vladimir Vasiliev - Director and Chief Instructor of the Toronto School of Russian Martial Art
Born in Tver, Russia, Vladimir studied at the Moscow Spetsinstitute and received intense training from Mikhail Ryabko. Vladimir's work spans across 10 years of extensive military service with the Special Operations Units in SPETSNAZ, including regular high-risk covert assignments and missions. He also served as trainer for paratroopers, swat teams, and elite bodyguards. Vladimir moved to Canada, and in 1993 opened the first school of Russian Martial Art in North America. He has since personally trained and certified over 300 qualified Russian Martial Art instructors throughout the world. He continues to offer training in fundamentals of the System as well as specialized training for law enforcement officers, military, and other goverment personnel. Vladimir's award-winning video series can be found here
Mikhail Ryabko - Colonel of the Special Operations Units with the Russian Military, Chief Instructor of tactical training for the Emergency Response Team of MVD, Advisor to the Minister of Justice of Russia - Rank of General
Trained since the age of five by one of Stalin's personal bodyguards, Mikhail was enlisted to the ranks of Spetsnaz at the age of 15. Currently, his role is that of a tactical commander of hostage-rescue teams, counter-terrorist operations, and armed criminal neutralization. Mikhail resides in Moscow where he is Chief Instructor and host of the annual Russian Martial Arts Camp Program in Moscow. He continues to provide specialized instruction in all aspects of Systema through regular classes in Moscow and seminars around the world. Mikhail is also the author of several publications as well as a textbook on Tactics of Spets Operations. Videos featuring Mikhail Ryabko can be found here.
Kwan Lee - Founder and Head Instructor of Russian Martial Art Arizona
Kwan has studied extensively with Vladimir Vasiliev in Toronto and with Col. Mikhail Ryabko and Maj. Konstantin Komarov in Moscow and is the Director of Russian Martial Art Arizona. Kwan started his martial arts training at the age of 6 in Shotokan Karate. His adult years involved in-depth study in Chinese Gung Fu, Indonesian Pencak Silat, and Philipino Martial Arts as a "closed door" student.
Kwan now represents Systema exclusively (since 2001) and is "one of the top senior instructors of Systema" (V. Vasiliev) in the United States. He has trained with Special Operations personnel in the US and Russia and became certified in Russia to teach Systema by the founders Vladimir Vasiliev and Mikhail Ryabko. His students comprise of law enforcement officers, military personnel, former no-holds-barred fighters, and the general public. Kwan is a structural engineer by trade and has a Masters in Business Administration.
"An incredible and truly humbling experience." ~Travis Y. (Intel Scientist) "Finally, a fighting system that I can grow old with." ~John H. (Former Cage Fighter) "No rules. No belts. No nonsense. The System - a fighting art without all the needless baggage." ~Black Belt Magazine
