Our Team
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Professor Sir Yoshiaki Sato, M.D., Ph.D. invented KAATSU in 1966 and founded KAATSU Japan Co., Ltd. in January 1982 where he continues to serve as the CEO. He has co-authored over 100 papers on KAATSU in peer-review publications. Dr. Sato holds 48 patents on KAATSU in Japan, United States, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, China, Korea, Canada and Hong Kong. He served as the Chairman of the Department of KAATSU Training Ischemic Circulatory Physiology in the 22nd Century Medical and Research Center at The University of Tokyo between 2004 and 2014 and currently manages the KAATSU Center at the Research Institute of Sports Science of the State General Administration of Sports in the People's Republic of China. Honored as a Knight Commander of The Ecumenical Medical Humanitarian Order of Saint John Jerusalem, he also serves as the Chairman of the Japan KAATSU Training Society.
Steven Munatones has launched new products, services and technologies in the U.S. over the last 20 years. At TOTO Frontier, he licensed TOTO's sanitary ware technologies outside of Japan. At RealLiveSports, he designed and marketed the ESPN Play by Play, a 2006 Toy of the Year. At Aruze Gaming America, he launched hybrid slot machine reel technology in the gaming industry. At the World Open Water Swimming Association, he utilized 9 years of national team coaching to help shape and promote the new Olympic sport of marathon swimming. The Harvard graduate and certified KAATSU Master Instructor co-founded KAATSU Global with Dr. Sato, the Japanese inventor of KAATSU, to introduce next-generation KAATSU equipment.
Richard Herstone spent the majority of his 45-year career in the financial services industry as a founder and principal of Regency Capital Group, a boutique investment banking firm, Regency International, a large ticket leasing company, and First Atlantic Equipment Leasing Corporation. He served in various appointments in senior management positions including the Interim President of Bungee International and Ryan Telemedicine, Treasurer of Gary Player Golf, and Director of Business Development for Manex Entertainment. The certified KAATSU Master Instructor developed the first waterproof digital MP3 player, the Speedo Aquabeat, and negotiated the license with Speedo International to manufacture, promote and distribute worldwide.
John Doolittle, CAPT, USN (Ret) graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1992 and transferred to the U.S. Navy to work in the SEAL Teams. During his 25-year career in the Navy, he was deployed around the world conducting special operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, Kosovo, Bosnia, and many other "hot spots" around the world. He retired as a Navy Captain after his last assignment as Director of the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) Task Force at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) headquarters; supporting 73,000 Navy SEALs, SWCCs, Army Rangers, Green Berets, Night Stalkers, Air Force and Marine Special Operators. John is a certified KAATSU Master Instructor, a NAUI Dive Instructor, has an MS in Defense Analysis / Irregular Warfare / Special Operations from the Naval Postgraduate School, and lives in St. Petersburg, FL with his wife and three kids.
Chris Morgan graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and the University of Lausanne with a M.S. in Sports Science and Human Movement. Chris coached at Stanford University and Harvard University, and coached the Swiss National Swim Team and the 2008 Swiss Olympic Team where he guided two swimmers to the Olympic final. Chris is innovative and always explores new modalities for training, performing better, and recovering more efficiently. Over the last 8 years, Chris has become the world's leading expert on KAATSU Aqua for recovery, rehabilitation and performance of aquatic athletes. He currently advises many of America's fastest Olympic sprinters on the track (100m, 200m and 400m) and America's fastest Olympic swimmers in the pool that include several Olympic medalists and world champions.
David Chao, MD is a patent-holding board-certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with a Subspecialty Certification in Sports Medicine. He is known digitally as ProFootballDoc and is ranked as the second most influential orthopedic surgeon on Twitter in 2020. He is the former head team physician for the NFL's San Diego Chargers (1997 - 2013), the USA Sevens Rugby Team, and the Chief Medical Officer for 24 ESPN's X Games. He serves as a medical consultant for the WWE and a host physician for the USA Olympic Committee. He runs the OASIS Medical Group where he treats many high profile professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. He is a member of the international ACL Study Group, the NFL Physicians Society, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and is an Assistant Clinical Instructor at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Chao attended Harvard University and received his medical degree from the Northwestern University School of Medicine in 1989.
Cory Keirn, DPT, OCS, CSCS, TSAC-F, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Central Florida. After graduation, Dr. Keirn was accepted into the Veterans Affairs residency program to become an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and a Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F) through the NSCA. Dr. Keirn has experience coaching and treating a wide range of patients including orthopedic surgeries, joint replacements, professional athletes, young adolescents and U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) soldiers / sailors / airmen. Dr. Keirn has worked for the World Wrestling Entertainment industry and the Philadelphia Phillies as a strength coach. Today, he primarily works with active duty soldiers and retired military veterans, but he also loves to coach young kids and teenagers. Dr. Keirn is currently researching how to integrate KAATSU protocols with physical therapy to improve rehabilitation techniques for the aging population and high level USSOCOM forces including Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces. As the son of a professional wrestler, and the grandson of a 2 time P.O.W. Air Force Colonel, Dr. Keirn's personal mission is to improve the health and wellness of those who sacrificed their body to support their family and their nation.
Anthony Kim is the Chief Technology Officer with a background of engineering for Samsung and VQ Global. He has lead development teams around the world to design and engineer BlueTooth-enabled products in a variety of fields including, various athletic training fields, smartphone industry, and the pet industry. He developed numerous new products for Samsung and was heavily involved in the automotive industry. He was the lead engineer for the KAATSU Master, KAATSU Nano, KAATSU Cycle 2.0, KAATSU C3 and KAATSU B1.
Dan Wegner, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, studied at both the University of Texas - Austin and Florida State University - Tallahassee. As a Mechanical Engineer, Dan designed Rocket Engines, Satellites and Radar systems. As both a technology project manager and a programmer, Dan has brought on thousands of clients and built hundreds of websites. He is an expert in technology design interface, database design, scalable cloud infrastructure, website security, application development, and firmware specification and development. Dan led the technology side of the development of the KAATSU websites and KAATSU Master 2.0. Dan was a member of the University of Texas Swim team which won two NCAA National Championships. Dan continues to swim as a national champion Masters Swimmer and uses KAATSU both in and out of the water.
Rafael Polendo is an award-winning creative with over 20 years of experience in design and marketing. He has served as Creative Director for a network of wealth management companies as well as a UX Manager for Taco Bell corporate. His diverse skillset and eclectic experience includes branding and messaging, web design, user experience, photography, product design, book publishing, videography, and advertising. He is a certified KAATSU master instructor, self-proclaimed "gadget-guy," and aspiring biohacker. He lives in Oak Glen, CA with his wife and son.
Peter Lansbury was born in 1958 and grew up in Buffalo, NY. He received his AB (cum laude) in chemistry from Princeton University in 1980 and subsequently received his PhD in organic chemistry from Harvard University in 1985 under the direction of Nobel laureate E. J. Corey. His postdoctoral fellowship was spent at Rockefeller University, working with the late Tom Kaiser. In 1988, he accepted a position as assistant professor of chemistry at MIT, and was promoted to associate professor in 1993. He moved to his current position at the Center of Neurologic Diseases in 1996, and was promoted to Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School in 2004. During this time, he founded the Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration and the Morris K. Udall NIH Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence at Brigham and Women's Hospital, which he directed for ten years. He was the founder of Link Medicine, and served as its Chief Scientific Officer from 2005 until its sale to AstraZeneca in 2012. He is currently Chief Scientific Officer of Bial Bitechnology, a company focused on developing disease-modifying therapeutics for Parkinson's and related diseases.
David Tawil is a certified personal trainer and KAATSU Master Instructor, educated at Oxford University, who runs specialty KAATSU orientation and education programs for therapists, coaches, acrobats, professional athletes, corporate executives, military personnel, and professional MMA fighters. He manages customized KAATSU programs for the hospitality industry and media personalities. He also coordinates the KAATSU OnDemand entrepreneurial opportunities, KAATSU social media properties, and manages the anti-aging, recovery and wellness mobile centers.
Robert is a German sports scientist and the author of "KAATSU - The Pressure Training From Japan, New Perspectives in Sport, Therapy and Health Promotion". For more than a decade he has been active in education of coaches and in health consulting for companies like Google or PPG Industries. He has experience as an international lecturer and product scout for cutting edge sports technology. Robert Heiduk's motto: "Whoever wants to go to the source, must swim ain't the current."
Kate Glover graduates from Harvard University in 2022 with degrees in Sociology and Economics and plays on the women's ice hockey team. She joins KAATSU as a Business Development and Marketing Consultant responsible for developing growth strategies, marketing initiatives, and identifying potential business opportunities.
Dr Borja Muńiz-Pardos is a senior research fellow and lecturer at the FIMS (International Federation of Sports Medicine, www.fims.org) Collaborating Centre of Sports Medicine (FIMS CCSM) at the University of Zaragoza (Spain) and conducted in partnership with the sub2 marathon project (www.sub2hrs.com). Borja completed his doctorate studies in 2019 with the highest-level award as part of the GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) research group at the University of Zaragoza. His research to date has focused on the holistic underpinning of human performance with particular focus on sports integrity and the investigation of ergogenic aids such as next generation sports drinks, brain stimulation, altitude training, doping with erythropoietin, blood-flow restriction training and the application of wearable technology in health and elite sport. His current research priority is to elucidate the physiological and metabolic responses of blood-flow restriction training (the KAATSU paradigm) and its effectiveness as a training and rehabilitation (and prehabilitation) modality in both health and disease. Borja's most recent research is being conducted in partnership with the World Olympians Association (WOA, https://olympians.org) and funded by kaatsu-global.
Megan Johnston, Bachelor of Graphic Design & Marketing, graduated from Eastern Michigan University. Megan has over 15 years of experience as an industry expert in graphic design, UX design, IT project management, branding, social media, event promotion, photography, product design and accessories design. She has served as the creative director for a national entertainment company, several fashion brands in Los Angeles, an upscale event planner, and a New York beauty brand. She managed the development of the KAATSU websites, the Master 2.0 and the KAATSU Certification Training Exams. Megan was a member of the Eastern Michigan University Varsity Women's Swim Team. She continues to swim as a National Champion Masters Swimmer for Las Vegas Masters and uses KAATSU in her workout routine.
Dr. William Ursprung is a nationally board-certified Doctor of Chiropractic and is currently a candidate for his PhD in Health & Human Performance. He has 15 plus years of experience in evaluating, diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating musculoskeletal injuries in a variety of clinical settings. Dr Ursprung pursued his Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degree at Cleveland University of Chiropractic and Health Sciences in Los Angeles, CA, where he graduated with honors and received awards for clinical excellence. Dr Ursprung also completed a Master of Science in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University - San Antonio and is a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES-C) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Dr Ursprung maintains a private practice as well as serving on faculty at Texas A&M University ââ¬â San Antonio and is also the sports Chiropractor for University of Incarnate Word Athletics. Dr Ursprung previously served in both the US Army and the US Navy. Upon leaving the service, his training as a Diver Medical Technician has allowed him to work as a remote duty medic in locations around the globe. As a KAATUS specialist, Dr Ursprung currently conducts research involving KAASTU and human performance, as well as coaching recreational and tactical athletes to achieve peak sports performance by using KAATSU training.
U.S. Army Green Beret Sergeant First Class Joe Lowrey enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and later assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group, deployed overseas three times. A PKM round pierced his helmet in an intense firefight with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan that resulted in a coma and the beginning of a long rehabilitation journey. Officially medically retired, the Purple Heart recipient is the embodiment of successful rehabilitation with daily KAATSU protocols. He is a co-founder of United Wings of Liberty that serves as a hub for military veterans seeking education, employment, health and healing.
Christina Newman is a highly sought-after aesthetician and KAATSU Beauty ambassador in Orange County, California. Prior to be trained by L'Oreal and beginning her practice 34 years ago, she was a USA Swimming national team athlete and national record holder for many years. She represented the USA in sprint freestyle in international competitions as a teenager.
Laurel Kuzins is a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist, a wellness instructor, a Pilates instructor, and a precision nutrition coach. She is also a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and YogaWorks Registered Yoga Teacher who created a comprehensive KAATSUfit program for competitive athletes, Baby Boomers and retirees.
William Branum is a retired Navy SEAL with 26 years of service. During his long career in the SEAL Teams, he was deployed around the world conducting Special Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the globe. He was a SEAL Sniper Instructor and has led as few as 4, and as many as 400 men and women, in combat operations against terrorist networks. He finished his career as a Naval Special Warfare Command Science and Technology (S&T) Director. Since retirement from the Navy, William has gone on and started two different companies ranging from military consulting to a supplements company (Naked Warrior Recovery). William is a certified KAATSU Master Instructor, has a MS in Strategic Leadership, and lives in Kailua, HI.
Peter is a Master SFG Instructor with Pavel Tsatsouline and creator and Chief Instructor of Ground Force Method. He is also a Krav Maga Expert 3 Level Instructor and International Team Instructor with Eyal Yanilov, Krav Maga Global. Péter is also a Black Belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner with Carlson Gracie Jr and Buteyko teacher. He works with elite athletes, special units around the world and consults with Olympic Federations.
Kevin Edgerton is a KAATSU Specialist and a retired prior-enlisted Special Forces (Green Beret) Officer who served over 26 years in the US Army. He currently works for the US Air Force at Lackland AFB, Special Warfare Human Performance Squadron as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach providing cutting edge fitness protocols for all future/ hopeful Pararescue (PJ), Combat Control (CCT), Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Special Reconnaissance (SR). In 1998, he began earning credentials in the fitness industry, obtained his Personal Trainer Certification, and later developed a CrossFit Program for the 10th Special Forces Group. Later, his programs were built for 1st Special Forces Group in Okinawa, and his athletes went on to win the Asian CrossFit Games. He became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Olympic Weight Lifting Coach, Power Lifting Coach, and pursued a range of other certifications. He completed a Masters in Health & Sports Science and accepted an opportunity as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Special Warfare Human Performance Squadron.
Kevin is also the owner of 18A Fitness, where he develops future warriors for Green Berets, RANGERS, and Special Warfare Airmen in their pursuit of peak physical and mental performance. He prepares men and women to endure the rigors of Special Operations training (or other high-performance programs) with detailed and focused all-inclusive plans that can't be found anywhere else. He is married to Cordelia Edgerton and has 3 wonderful kids, Khrystian (19), Isaiah (16), Cyriana (14).
COL Rob Bollinger is a 24-year veteran Army Special Forces (Green Beret) officer with nine years of command experience leading diverse organizations in both peacetime as well as during combat tours after 9/11. He was consistently recognized as a "top 5%" executive in a highly competitive field of special operations officers, and is acknowledged for success in leadership, project management, policy development, and fiscal consulting. His management experience derives from leading diverse organizations from 12ââ¬â1000 employees in the most complex & volatile environments imaginable.
Rob is currently a Board member for "Combat Veterans to Careers" and is responsible for recreational rehabilitation opportunities while simultaneously serving as a Board Member for "Tecton," responsible for program effectiveness and operational system efficiency.
Rob's introduction to KAATSU took place after injuries associated with his combat service. He was one of the first advocates for the use of KAATSU for rapid rehabilitation at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) headquarters in Tampa, FL. Rob lives in Gulf Breeze, FL with his family.
Colonel (Dr.) Pete Demitry retired from the US Air Force after over 28 years on active duty and served as the Assistant Air Force (AF) Surgeon General. Dr. Demitry earned his undergraduate degree with Honors from the US Air Force Academy in 1978 and his Medical Degree (MD) in 1986. Col (ret) Demitry graduated from the Air Force's prestigious Test Pilot School in 1991 and holds the distinction as the only Test Pilot Physician in Air Force history. His test pilot assignments included directing the Advanced Fighter Technology Integration F-16 Joint Test Force, at Edwards AFB, CA - as the only physician to ever hold that position.
Dr. Demitry completed medical residency training and research fellowship at Harvard in 1998 and was selected as the Chief Resident in his class. Dr. Demitry is a Diplomat (Board Certified) of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association.
Pete is a lifetime member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots with operational/flight test experience in the F-4, A-10, F-16 and F-15 fighter aircraft. Dr. Demitry has piloted over 37 different types of jet aircraft logging over 2,300 fighter and flight test hours and has been transitioning medical technologies since his AF retirement. In addition to creating the medical vision for Meridian MPS, Dr. Demitry is also the Chief Technology Editor for the leading business publication dedicated solely to physicians, "Today's Practice".
Dr. Lyle Nalli, DPM is a board-certified podiatric surgeon specializing in podiatric orthopedics and medicine over 34 years. He has served as the Chief of the Podiatry Department of the Talbert Medical Group and Chairman for the Shoes for the Needy. He holds staff appointments at six surgical centers in Southern California and he oversees a large group practice within Optum. He has received numerous commendations for service to senior citizens from President Ronald Reagan, California Governor George Deukmejian, Senator Pete Wilson, and leads KAATSU Global's efforts and research in wound care and diabetes. He holds a Guinness World Record for channel swimming and was an NCAA Division II All-American swimmer.
Bill graduated from Florida State University in 1998 with a degree in Computer Science. As a full-stack developer with 20+ years of professional experience, Bill has worked on various client/server architectures, web applications, mobile apps, and database systems. His career spans various industries such as telecommunications, audio/video streaming, casino gaming, online poker, cryptocurrency, real estate, and medical devices.
Michael Renteria is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with over a dozen human performance certifications and a decade of successful experience in training athletes across multiple fields. He graduated with his bachelor's from the University of Nebraska in Nutrition-Exercise-Health-Science, and his master's in Exercises Science at the University of South Florida. He began his career working with collegiate baseball at the University of Nebraska, from there he went to work as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets. At the end of the 2014 season, he was invited to Beijing to train and prepare the Chinese Men's Olympic basketball team for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. In 2015 Michael stepped in as the head strength coach for Special Operations Command Central at MacDill AFB. He has been in the reserves for 14 years, as a Security Forces member, and TACP in Air Force Special Warfare. He is an avid user of Kaatsu and a publisher on blood flow restriction training.
David Swensen, DC, DIANM, MAppSC is a board certified chiropractic orthopedist. He earned a BS in Exercise Science in 1984 at the University of Massachusetts, a Doctor of Chiropractic degree (cum laude) from Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in 1988, and a Masters of Applied Science in Musculoskeletal Management from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2010. He has been certified as a chiropractic sports physician and as a strength and conditioning specialist. He has been in practice for 33 years, with a focus on sports injuries and performance enhancement, as well as musculoskeletal conditions in the general population. Dr. Swensen has worked with all levels of athletes, ranging from local youth sports to Olympic and World championship participants. Dr. Swensen is the current Vice President of the American College of Chiropractic Orthopedists, and is a member of the American Chiropractic Association. He has been utilizing KAATSU in his practice since 2015.