Empowering ordinary people with realistic self-defense
Voted top 5 places to learn real martial arts in Singapore
Yahoo! Sports, Feb 2014
In partnership with:
Instructors
Qin YunQuan
CEO/ Co-founder, Kapap Academy
Queen's Young Leader , for her Majesty Elisabeth II
Associate Fellow, Royal Commonwealth Society
Chief Instructor, Ladies and Children
Kru, Muay Thai
Gracie Combatives Instructor
Counter Terror Shooting Instructor
Close Quarters Combat (CQC) Tactical Shooting Instructor
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Yunquan is an Bio-engineering (Honours) graduate and a certified Behavioural Consultant in a personality assessment tool known as DISC. She is a certified Rehabilitation Trainer for sports and martial arts injuries (MasterClass), and has also undergone formal training with the Paul Ekman Group (founded by the eminent psychologist Paul Ekman) in the field of detecting deception. She is also trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Rational Emotive Therapy by CBT Australia. Currently, she is in the midst of completing a Masters degree in Artificial Intelligence with the University of Bath.
As a former National athlete, Yunquan earned a silver medalist in the National Wrestling Open trials 2013. In the same year, she won 3 more silver medals in the Singapore Combat Championship in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling. At the Jagsport Open Championship in submission grappling, she was given the Top Athlete Award by Jagsport (2013). In the National Wrestling Open trials 2015, Yunquan won a silver medal. In the same year, she also won first place in the SEA Senior Championships 2015 trials. In the SEA Senior Wrestling Championships 2015, Yunquan was a bronze medallist.
In terms of self defense expertise, Yunquan is a KAPAP level 1 instructor. She is also a certified Executive Bodyguard by Colonel Chaim Peer, a former operative with the elite special forces unit, Sayeret Matkal. Specializing in ladies and children self defense, Yunquan teaches the use of specially selected bio-mechanics and principles of engagement that are critical for a smaller person to defend against a much larger opponent. In 2016, she was certified as a Counter Terror Shooting Instructor by the renowned, Israeli Tactical School (US). In addition, Yunquan is a certified Close Quarters tactical shooting instructor under Tricom's CQ-FIT (Close Quarters- Firearms Integration Tactics) programme.
Yunquan studied Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the renowned Gracie Academy (US), and became a certified Gracie Combatives Instructor. Yunquan also studied catch wrestling under the the famous catch wrestler, Coach Roy Wood, Snakepit (Wigan), and was also formerly trained by the legendary British and European catch wrestling Champion, the late Billy Robinson. Yunquan was also a student of the international edged weapons expert, Tom Sotis (AMOK!).
Yunquan was certified as a Kru/ Instructor by Master Toddy in 2017 and is recognised as a Coach by the Thai Ministry of Education and the Muay Thai International Association She is also a certified Sanda Coach by the North American Sanda Champion, Dr Raul Ramirez.
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As a passionate social activist, Yunquan was the top 3 finalists for the Singapore Woman Award (2014). In 2014, she led Kapap Academy, a social enterprise, to be one of the top Promising 500 Small-medium Enterprises.
In recognition of Yunquan's contributions to society in helping ordinary people stay safe, she was personally conferred by Her Majesty the Queen of England the status of Queen's Young Leaders for Singapore (2017). This recognition makes her the only martial artist in the world ever to be awarded this prestigious accolade by the Queen herself under this award. Further to this recognition, Yunquan won a Citation Award as one of the top 10 finalists of the Singaporean of the Year Award (2017).
In 2018, Yunquan was recognised as a honouree of the Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia - a list which features 300 young disruptors, innovators and entrepreneurs across Asia who are under the age of 30. She was also named by Singapore Tatler, Generation T, as one of the 50 most promising individuals in Singapore for 2018. The 150th year old Royal Commonwealth Society in 2018 conferred Yunquan the status of Associate Fellow with this international charity committed to youth empowerment, education and advocacy.
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In 2019, Yunquan was one of 5 women selected around the world to be the brand ambassador for Converse, in their campaign, ‘All Her Stories Are True’. In the same year, Yunquan also became one of the finalists of the prestigious Women of the Future Awards under the Social Entrepreneur Category. In 2020, Yunquan was also one of 25 women chosen across Southeast Asia to be awarded the Kindness Leadership Award by the international women group, Women of the Future.
Teo Yew Chye
Founder, Kapap Academy
Co-Founder, Modern Street Combatives
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Teo Yew Chye is a qualified Psychologist and a certified Facilitator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Yew Chye has extensive training experience and gained recognition as the Master Trainer for Building Excellence (US) in learning styles. He was a former Board Member on the International Learning Styles Network (US), and the former Chairman of the LifeSkills programme with the Boys Brigade (Singapore). Yew Chye is the CEO/ Chairman of the Centre for Cognitive Technologies, a Council member/ a Life Member of the EDB Society (Singapore), and the Stanford Alumni (US).
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Yew Chye has been a martial artist for over 40 years, having received formal training in Taekwondo (blackbelt), Savate, Wing Chun, Dynamic Combat Method, SAMBO, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Kapap. Kapap is the original hand-to-hand combat used by top Israeli Special Forces. He is a certified instructor in Dynamic Combat Method, SAMBO, Gracie Jiu-jitsu and Kapap. Yew Chye is the highest ranking kapap instructor in Asia (kapap level 4), and the Founder of Kapap Academy Singapore. Yew Chye was the first in Asia Pacific to be awarded the Gracie Instructorship in August 2009, and was the official representative of the world’s top grappling school, Gracie Academy (US) for Singapore. In Jan 2012, Kapap Academy Singapore became the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in Asia to be awarded membership with the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
Yew Chye is also the personal student of one of America’s top catch wrestlers, Tony Cecchine (www.catchwrestle.com). Catch wrestling, or shoot wrestling as known in Japan, is one of the most brutal submission styles wrestling in existence today. Coach Tony Cecchine has been rated by the respected Black Belt magazine as one of the top 20th toughest street fighters alive today (April 2006). In 2013, Yew Chye was awarded full instructorship status by his Coach Tony Cecchine in American Catch Wrestling. This honour and recognition makes Yew Chye the first and only certified Instructor in Tony Cecchine's American Catch Wrestling in the whole of Asia Pacific.
Yew Chye is also a certified Protective Security Details (PSD) operative/ executive bodyguard by Elite International. In 2011, Yew Chye became the first Asian to be certified as an Instructor by the world’s largest gun ownership group, the National Rifle Association - in pistol, Personal Protection in the Home, Rifle and Shotgun, and as a Safety Range Officer. He is also a certified Executive Bodyguard by the founder of Modern Kapap, Colonel Chaim Peer.
Yew Chye, together with his protege, Ms Qin Yunquan co-founded an eclectic system of street style fighting, known as Modern Street Combatives. Modern Street Combatives draws upon realistic self defense systems such as KAPAP, Catch Wrestling, Gracie Combatives, Savate de Rue etc.
During his national service/ reservist, Yew Chye was a Company 2IC with an operational unit, 3 Singapore Infantry Regiment and has served as a battalion staff officer as deputy S1 (Manpower) and deputy S2 (Intelligence) as well.
Wayne Kwan
Chief Instructor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
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Coach Kwan is a well respected athlete and champion competitor in the local and regional/ international grappling circuit. A black belt in Karate, and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Coach Kwan has competed in over 52 local, regional and international championships and earned 31 Gold medals, 14 Silver medals and 7 Bronze medals.
The prestigious championship events that he earned medals from include: Singapore Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Open, Singapore Grappling Challenge, Singapore National Ju-jitsu Championship, Pan Asia Jiu Jitsu, Johore Jiu Jitsu Championship, Dumau Asia Open, Copa Da Malasia, Grapple Asia, Philippines/ Manila Abu Dhabi National Pro Trial Gi/ No Gi, South East Asia Grappling, Shiai Combat Sports V2 Newaza, Copa De Hong Kong and Shogun Grappling Open.
He represented Singapore in the 30th SEA Games in 2019 (Bronze) and Singapore Kyu Championship in 2015 (Bronze).
Coach Kwan actively contributes to the growth of the grappling industry as a Founder of a non-profit Charity Team Jiu Jitsu League (2018 to present), and volunteers as an Advisor with the Singapore Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Open.
With a passion for teaching as well, Coach Kwan is a professional teacher - having earned a Diploma in Education with the National Institute of Education and due to complete his Degree in Sports and Exercise Science with the Edinburgh Napier University. He is also a registered Coach with Sports Singapore.
As part of his national service/ reservist duties, Coach Kwan served as a 1 Sergeant with the 8 Signal Battalion during his active days, and the Armour National Group 1, Ops Specs Signal Company during reservist.
Nicole Teo
Kapap Instructor
Kru, Muay Thai
Close Quarters Combat (CQC) Tactical Shooting Instructor
Gracie Combatives Instructor
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Nicole Teo first started training in martial arts when she was 14 years of age - in Gracie/ Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Kapap (Israeli unarmed combat) and Catch Wrestling. In 2012, Nicole became a certified Kapap instructor, while in 2014, she received certification as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Combatives Instructor. She had also trained in traditional Tae-kwondo under Sinsei Desmond Shea (4th Dan/ Canadian National Champion).
Nicole is currently learning Italian knife fighting/ fencing under Maestro Danilo Rossi Lajolo. Her attraction to this no nonsense, brutally effective knife fencing system, is partly contributed by her prior background in European Fencing. During her schooling days, Nicole was the Vice-Captain of her school's Fencing Team and represented her school, St Margaret's Girls, in several fencing competitions. In 2010, she was part of her school team that came in 1st Raffles Inventee, Women's Epee Team Event, and was place 3rd at the 5th National Inter-school Fencing Championships 2010, C Division, Girl's Epee Team.
Today she continues her grappling art as the personal/ direct student of top catch wrestling 'hooker', Coach Tony Cecchine - training to be the second certified Catch Wrestling instructor under him in this region.
Nicole is a certified Close Quarters Combat (CQC) instructor under the CQ-FIT program. She was personally trained and certified by international expert, Jared Wihongi - a former SWAT operator whose specialization is the integration of firearms, impact weapons, edged weapons and empty-hand combat with emphasis on police, military and self-defense application. In 2022, Nicole also successfully completed Tricom's Fundamental Tactical Handgun Course.
In 2023, Nicole was awarded the title of 'Kru' (instructor) in traditional Muay Thai by the internationally renowned Master Toddy. This award is recognised by the Thai Ministry of Education and the Thai Government.
Nicole graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology from James Cook University (Singapore) in 2017, and earned a Masters Degree in Artificial Intelligence with the University of Bath (UK) in 2023. She is currently pursuing a Doctoral in Engineering (EngD) in the field of Artificial Intelligence. However, as a committed social activist in helping others, especially women stay safe, she continues to volunteer her time in community outreach programmes. One of the highlights in her life, was being part of a two person team that went to Bihar (India), to train 200 at risk women for free in ladies self defense (2019).
​Dr Igor/ Volkau Ihar
Modern Street Combatives/ Kapap Instructor, Weapons
​Dr Igor is a Kapap level 1 instructor and has been studying martial arts for about 2 decades. His previous martial arts training include Aiki- Jitsu (9 years), Arnis (6 years), Krav Maga (6 years), and Wing Chun Kung Fu (5 years). As a research scientist, he is fascinated with the science behind the arts - in particular the use of bio-mechanics and principles of physics in generating force. The benefit of studying a variety of systems, allows Dr Igor to approach such studies of martial arts with the same mental rigor as a scientist, in distilling the universal principles behind these systems.
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A Russian by birth, Dr Igor's expertise is in brain imaging, and is the recipient of 12 international conference awards for his scientific work. He has also authored over 30 articles and the holder of 5 scientific patents
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Instructor
A former US Navy Seal graduate, Nicholas Koh, was Warrant Officer (second class) with the Singapore's elite Special Operations Forces. Trained in counter terrorism, hostage rescue and intelligence gathering, Nicholas has completed Ranger course in Singapore/ Thailand in 2000 and served in an overseas deployment to Afghanistan between 2008 to 2009.
Apart from being a diver, Nicolas is also a trained as a Combat medic (level 1 and 2), Paramedic (level 1 and 2) and Underwater Combat Medic. Prior to his departure from the Special Operations Forces, he was promoted to become a company Sergeant Major in 2010. He is also the recipient of several Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Service Medals and Good Service 12 Years Medal (2008).