I started my martial arts journey around 8 years ago at Mark's MMA Academy. What drew me in was the enormous MMA knowledge Mark possesses, and the seamless way he passes it on. Over the years, I have cross-trained with different coaches in various disciplines, but found Mark's system to be easiest to understand and implement. MMA is a complex sport, and requires an extremely skilled and experienced individual to teach it the right way, which Mark definitely is.

Working with Mark has elevated my game to another level, got me several amateur gold medals and amazing experiences. If you are looking to embark on the martial arts journey, get fit and strong, Mark is one of the best coaches to guide you.

Marko Davitkov

Serbia

I have spent more than 34 years in martial arts. Originally Karate and then Kick Boxing. For many years I have been doing Russian Systema, I’m an international instructor and travel all over the world doing seminars. Two years ago I created my own system called Homo Ludens (Playing Man) which is based on Russian Systema and also incorporates other martial arts and especially MMA which is my greatest love. The first time I had contact with MMA was in early 90’s in USA, and today I think it is the “axle” of modern martial arts. It is actually an “epicenter” of modern combat.

Mark Lajhner is my friend and coach with whom I train MMA 3 x per week privately. He has helped me tremendously, keeps me in great shape and I incorporate parts of MMA into my system. What I find very important and what keeps me coming for more is his exceptional precision as a coach, he is a professional who is on the path of continual education and constant improvement. He is sometimes rigorous and I like that.

His methodology is outstanding and precise, and Mark is constantly evolving in his knowledge and methodology. If you're interested in ground fighting, I highly recommend that you buy this instructional. You won't be disappointed.

Alexander "Alex" Kostić

Homo Ludens Martial Art
Serbia

Mark Lajhner is one of those rare occurrences in the world of martial arts, where an elite level athlete manages to evolve into an exceptionally good coach. I have been working in athletic performance enhancement for quite a few years and my main focus is the development of the most effective teaching methods to accelerate learning in combat athletes, so it is quite hard for me to get impressed by an instructor's teaching skills. Still, when I visited Mark's Kaizen MMA Academy and had the opportunity to train there, I was mind-blown by how incredible an educator Mark is.

He explains techniques with just the right ratio of explanation to demonstration and breaks them down to partial skills, gradually progressing from easy to hard, simple to complex, known to unknown. The result is something I have rarely seen in my twenty five years of martial arts training: all the students seem to absorb the knowledge and get his point simultaneously!

If you want to build your MMA game on a solid basis that allows you to constantly improve, I'd say you can't do better than train with Mark in person, in the Kaizen MMA Academy or in one of his summer camps. If this is not an option, his instructional DVDs is the next best thing. You will be surprised by how good you can be in the MMA game - I guarantee that!

Spyros Katsigiannis

Dynamo kettlebells
Athens, Greece

I began competing rather late, at the age of 34. Rather than physical attributes, I always emphasized skill, tactics and an open mind always ready to learn and improve. In my first MMA team, I immediately established a great cooperation, that last even today, with coach Mark Lajhner, who was also a fighter at the time. In him I recognized an expert who was knowledgeable and to the point, precise and clear, something I was aiming for.

Mark has helped me to become one of the best Serbian MMA fighters, despite being a lot older than most competitors. He can help you too!

Dragutin "Beli" Milošević

Home Of MMA
Serbia

Mark is, in my opinion, definitely one of the best coaches in Serbia generally, not just in martial arts. I haven't gone to other clubs except Kaizen MMA, but I went to many kickboxing clubs in Belgrade, Kraljevo and Kragujevac - and I also visited several Boxing and Karate clubs in various cities in Serbia, but never have I met such a well thought-out training like I did in Mark's academy. At least not in Serbia.

What I really like is the methodology and logic of training, Mark's continuous development and improvement of his own coaching/didactic/pedagogical abilities, and indeed this is not often the case in our region. Many of the things I learned from Mark I apply to coaching in my academy in Basel, because his method of transferring knowledge and skills may be easily and successfully applied to other martial arts as well.

Aleksandar Avram

Optima Sportsclub
Basel, Switzerland

I've lost 30 kg and Mark literally changed my life.

Stefan - Web developer