Dr. Mark Cheng
Founder and chief instructor. L.Ac., Ph.D. · StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor.
Dr. Mark Cheng is the chief instructor of Kettlebells Los Angeles. He trained extensively as a private student of Pavel Tsatsouline — weekly, for years — and earned his RKC directly from Tsatsouline himself.
He has been pursuing kettlebell training as a means of rehabilitation and health ever since he experienced the successful rehabilitation of his own lower back and shoulder injuries with Russian kettlebells. He also dropped 20 pounds after becoming regularly involved with kettlebell training.
Clinical background
No ordinary private trainer, Dr. Cheng brings extensive medical knowledge as a specialist in Chinese medicine orthopedics to each and every one of his clients and students. He holds a doctorate in Chinese medicine and is a licensed acupuncturist.
Always looking to increase his understanding of the rehabilitative and prehabilitative applications of kettlebell training and Pavel Tsatsouline’s teachings, Dr. Cheng attended the 2007 RKC Level 2 Certification, which focused on Functional Movement Screen technologies as presented by Master Instructor Brett Jones, along with many other therapeutically applied movement sciences.
Certifications and rank
Dr. Cheng was promoted to RKC Team Leader and then Sr. RKC, before moving across to StrongFirst — the organisation Pavel Tsatsouline founded in 2012 — where he now holds the rank of StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor, the organisation’s most senior teaching tier. He also holds SFG II, SFL, and SFB certifications, and serves on the Functional Movement Systems faculty.
Teaching
His teaching method reflects an eye towards detail, safety, and constant fun. He has trained such luminaries as Guro Dan Inosanto and Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s Rigan Machado, and assisted his mentor, Pavel Tsatsouline, with law enforcement and military training.
He has taught internationally — Scotland, Denmark, Hungary, New Zealand, Australia, Korea, and throughout the United States — to audiences including the FBI, Navy SEALs, the US Secret Service, the LAPD and Santa Monica Police Department, and the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Bodyguard Detail. See seminars and workshops.
Few, if any, instructors bring the rare mix of martial arts master, physician, and kettlebell instructor to the mix like Dr. Cheng does.
Current work
Dr. Cheng continues to publish instructional material and run coaching programmes independently of this site. His current courses, programmes, and products — including the Tai Cheng system and his rehabilitation material — are at drmarkcheng.com.
For enquiries related to Kettlebells Los Angeles, email [email protected].
About Dr. Cheng
Who is Dr. Mark Cheng?
Dr. Mark Cheng is a licensed acupuncturist and holder of a doctorate in Chinese medicine who founded Kettlebells Los Angeles. He trained privately under Pavel Tsatsouline, earned his RKC directly from him, rose to Sr. RKC, and now holds the rank of StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor. He is known for combining clinical rehabilitation knowledge with hardstyle kettlebell instruction.
What is Dr. Cheng’s doctorate in?
His doctorate is in Chinese medicine and acupuncture, not in Western sports science. That clinical background — specifically in Chinese medicine orthopedics — is what shaped the rehabilitation-first character of the training taught here.
What is the Tai Cheng system?
Tai Cheng is Dr. Cheng’s own programme, fusing traditional Tai Chi movement with Functional Movement Systems training principles. It was produced as a home programme and is aimed at restoring joint mobility and movement quality rather than at conditioning. Details are at drmarkcheng.com.
Does Dr. Cheng take private clients?
His availability varies and he has at times not been accepting new students. The current position is best checked at drmarkcheng.com, where he lists remote consultations and coaching, or by emailing directly. For in-person training, one of the other instructors may be the practical route.