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Personal Safety & Self Defence

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FRT Academy
Black Belt Teaching
Academy Instructors

The Instructor Team at FRT Academy consists of highly experienced Coaches and Instructors: athlete experts in competitive training, sports science, nutrition, comprehensive health and wellbeing, personal safety, personal development and life skills.

FRT Chief Instructors
KIRSTY HENDERSON
YITZCHOK CERNEGA

Kirsty Henderson is the Head of FRT MMA, the Founder of FRT, President of FRTFA and the lead Competitive Coach. 

She has a 25 year martial arts background training and competing in Shidokan and Kyokushinkai Karate, Muay Thai, Judo and Jui Jitsu as well as defence systems Krav Maga and Systema. In Shidokan she was ranked top in Britain and then World after which she became coach to the Shidokan GB men's team before setting up FRT. She has run fight schools for 15 years, is an experienced competitive MMA coach taking fighters to national and world champion wins, see those she has coached recently here, and is also a Krav Maga Instructor, KEWAP Instructor, a Senior UKMAA Instructor and a corporate security consultant. She is also the Head of Personal Safety London where she runs award winning Defence & Security Training and project manages private security ops. Her Black Belts are awarded by her Grandmaster in Shidokan in Japan, Kancho Yoshiji Soeno, under whom she was trained and examined for each belt in Japan. She has received honorary black belts from other organisations, sits on a European panel and continues to train in MMA, Kyokushin and teaches at FRT London Dojos.

 

Kirsty is also an experienced Educator and Curriculum Programmer. Academically she has 3 university degrees, is a qualified Architect, she is also a qualified Yoga Teacher, a Life Coach, a Wellness Consultant and an expert in energetics providing Academy students with both rigorous fight coaching and personal development mentorship throughout their training.

 

Read more on the Founder page here.

Yitzchok Cernega is a 4th Dan Chief Instructor at FRT MMA heading up FRT Dojos in Golders Green and Newcastle.

He has trained intensively for 27 years in an expansive array of martial arts systems and defence training including: Goju Riu Karate, Shidokan Karate, Kyokushin Karate, Boxing, Muay Thai, Sambo, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Kyusho Jitsu, Krav Maga and Systema. Yitzchok trained to Shidokan Black Belt in the Shidokan GB squad alongside Kirsty and competed in Kyokushinkai Karate. During his time living in Lithuania Yitzchok was part of the Lithuanian National Karate Team where he took 3 x Gold in Lithuanian Shidokan Championships. Yitzchok has also fought in European multi-style arena where he successfully defeated celebrated Muay Thai and Shidokan fighters.

Yitzchok continued his training to study Krav Maga, Systema, full contact fighting and pressure point defence, and became a Chief Instructor at Five Rings Training where he delivers programmes in martial arts, athlete training, nutrition, health, wellness, security and defence. Yitzchok continues to develop his martial art, is a KEWAP instructor and also leads FRT programmes for the Jewish Community. 

Academically Yitzchok is a qualified Economist (BSc (Hons), is multi-lingual in English, Russian, Lithuanian, and is currently learning Ivrit and Spanish.

Full Instructor Team
KIRSTY HENDERSON
YITZCHOK CERNEGA
LEO CAREY WILLIAMS

STEFAN RWS
KENNY JARVIS
RHAMI NANOU
JOHNNY FRACHEY
DENIS SHTEFAN
CALLUM STUART GILLIES
Apprentice Instructors
ZOE CAREY WILLIAMS
AKIVA KRAUS

BENYOMIN CHALK
PHILIP GALPERT
JACOB DEBLINGER
Guest Instructors
GEORGE BURTON
GRAEME WELSH
FRT Black Belt Instructors
STEFAN RWS
KENNY JARVIS
CALLUM GILLIES

Stefan Rws is FRT's first Black Belt Coach to graduate from FRT Academy.

Stefan began his training with FRT at 18 and went on to become twice English Champion and once British Champion in Japanese MMA as well as compete in regional cage fights. He has held positions of President of FRT UCL MMA Society, FRT Alumni Society and Captain of Cambridge MMA Society.

 

Stefan completed 35 endurance fights to gain his FRT Black Belt at the age of 24 and undertook 2 years of defence training to complete the FRT Black Belt instructor curriculum. You can read more about it here.

Academically Stefan is a Maths and Physics graduate from UCL and has a Masters in Physics from Cambridge University.

 

Kenny Jarvis is one of the lead FRT Black Belt Coaches teaching at FRT London Dojos.

Formally Britain's No.1 in Kyokushinkai Karate and current GB Squad Coach to British Kyokushinkai Karate, Kenny has taken British Champion 3 times as well as an impressive number of international tournaments. He is a 3rd Dan Black Belt awarded by Hanshi Steve Arneil, has 13 years experience in the GB squad and has trained in a number of other styles including Shidokan, 

Shotokan, Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Panantukan (Filipino boxing) Western boxing, and Olympic and Freestyle wrestling. Kenny has 

also completed the Kyokushin 50 man kumite.

 

Kenny supplements his own training with a comprehensive weight programme, Functional training, HIIT, Yoga and Pilates. He has also completed Advanced Diploma in Personal Training (level 3). Kenny teaches at FRT London Dojos and heads up the family and childrens training unit.

Callum Stuart Main Gillies is one of the lead FRT Black Belt Coaches, graduated from FRT Academy.

Callum joined FRT MMA in 2010 whilst studying medical physics at UCL. He completed his FRT Black Belt in 2017 for which he undertook 35 endurance fights and the full Black Belt curriculum. During this

time at FRT MMA he was coached by Kirsty Henderson and Yitzchok Cernega to become British Champion in Japanese MMA and winner of regional cage fights. 

 

Callum has also completed his Instructor training in level 01 Krav Maga, PSL Defence Instructor training under the tutelage of Kirsty Henderson and studies judo and jiu jitsu. 

 

Academically Callum completed the national scientist training program to be awarded a Masters in Medical physics and his registered as a practicing clinical scientist.

JOHNNY FRACHEY
DENIS SHTEFAN

Denis Shtefan is an FRT Black Belt Instructor and graduate of FRT Academy. 

Denis has trained intensively at FRT Academy

throughout his studies at University College London where he became an expert in Artificial Intelligence.

 

Denis undertook the 35 endurance fights and 5 years of committed training to become FRT Black Belt. He is a visiting Instructor at FRT London Dojos.

Denis is located in Brussels where he works as a specialist in AI.

 

RHAMI NANOU

Rhami Nanou is an FRT Black Belt Instructor and graduate of FRT Academy.

Rhami has trained intensively at FRT Academy, advancing to become an instructor in both MMA and defence and holding FRT Black Belt after only 4 years of very intensive training, competing and endurance fighting. Rhami teaches for FRT MMA and PSL, is a Level 01 Krav Maga Instructor, a PSL Defence Instructor and competitive fighter. Rhami guest teaches at FRT London and Golders Green Dojos and trains extensively in groundwork and grappling. 

Academically Rhami is a qualified doctor working in hospitals around the world. At FRT Rhami provides medical and healthcare advice to FRT students and clients alongside his martial arts and defence teaching. 

 

Johnny Frachey is a pro-MMA fighter and is FRT Black Belt Coach for FRT in Paris.

An experienced pro-mma fighter and coach, Johnny has fought in over 30 bouts and prepared fighters for BAMMA and Bellator fights. He has competed also in Muay Thai in Thailand, freestyle wrestling, is 3 times VIC Champion and former FILA grappling champion.

 

Johnny is also Battle Arena's Director of fighter relations for France, working with James Price 

networking with French teams and fighters to give them the opportunity to fight on the Battle Arena promotion. 

 

Johnny is a Black Belt in Luta Livre and a Brown Belt in BJJ. He has joined FRT to head up the teaching of FRT's curriculum in France, to coach our Paris-based students and to lead our FRT European seminars.

AKIVA KRAUS
LEO CAREY WILLIAMS
JACOB DEBLINGER
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Akiva Kraus is 1st Dan in FRT MMA Bushido.

Akiva started his training at the age of 16 at FRT Gateshead Dojo. He trained extensively under Yitzchok Cernega and became the first athlete in Gateshead to complete the 100 fights programme, 35 of which were consecutive, and became the first Black Belt from FRT Gateshead Dojo. 

Academically, Akiva has been immersed in Talmudical study at the highest level for the past 12 years both in the UK and and in Israel. He is currently a scholar holding the equivalent of a PhD in Talmudical Study at the Yeshiva Ner Moshe Yerushalaim.

Currently Akiva is living in Israel and is one of the founders of FRT Jerusalem Dojo. 

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Leo Carey Willams is a Brown Belt in FRT MMA trained under Kirsty Henderson. He is additionally a Black stripe in Taekwondo in which he has achieved 5 gold medals in TTA National Competitions and Silver Medal in the Dutch European Open, and trains in boxing and ju jitsu.

 

Leo is a Krav Maga instructor to LEVEL 02, a KEWAP (Knife & Edged Weapon Awareness Programme) Instructor, and a qualified Close Protection Officer (bodyguard), He is a lead Instructor at FRT's specialist Defence Unit, Personal Safety London where he provides protection, defence training, security and personal safety advising to Personal Safety London clients around the world, working with prominent corporate global organisations, schools and universities.

 

Academically Leo has a First Class Degree in Political Economy from Kings College London. 

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Jacob Deblinger is a 1st Dan Black Belt in FRT MMA Bushido.

At the age of 18 Jacob joined FRT MMA EFG (Elite Fighting Group), which is a high intensity training group. EFG students normally train 6 days per week twice a day with a total of over 600 hours per year. Each student had to complete the 35 consecutive fights challenge with over 50 fights during the programme. It is a gruelling training programme designed to bring the best out of the best. Jacob is one of the top students who recently successfully completed the EFG programme. 

Whilst training hard at FRT Gateshead Dojo, Jacob completed the FRT MMA Instructor Course making him a fully qualified instructor with experience of teaching both children and adults.

 

Academically Jacob has achieved equivalent of Masters Degree in Talmudical study and currently is working to attain his PhD equivalent in Talmudical Study in Israel. 

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