TESTIMONIALS

Stephen Koepfer played an integral role in the casting of special ability sambo fighters for John Wick Chapter Three. His ability to recruit talent, coordinate the audition process and work with our team, including the Director and Stunt Coordinator, was exptremely professional and dependable. Additionally, Stephen consulted with wardrobe to ensure authenticity of the scene, and coordinated the special ability background fighters on set. We would not hesitate to work with Stephen or Breakfall Studios again. -Kristian Sourge & Todd Feldman, Roman Candle Casting

I think Breakfall Studios would be a great place to fight train in Manhattan, especially as a stunt performer making their way, as not only could you build your real life self defense & fighting skill sets, but also hone you’re on camera fighting ability. Great job! - James Armstrong, SAG-AFTRA Stunt Coordinator

As a stunt performer, I know we all are expected to be Jacks of all Trades - Masters of Some. I am fortunate enough to live in an area where I’m able to practice my essential skills on a pretty regular basis. What I AM lacking is a dojo in which to train the basics (rolls, falls, fights, reactions, etc) WITH other like-minded stunt performers. I feel fortunate that Stephen invited all members of the community to his Manhattan dojo to train. I’d always felt hesitant to enter the doors of the regular haunts due to my limited experience as a “fighter.” This provides a venue where I can hone skills I’m trying to perfect, along with meeting/working with other talented performers in the industry. I’ve only made it out that way a couple times, but the Open Training is great - warm ups, basics review and then we work on some combo of new skills and at the end incorporate all of it into a short filmed video for instructional purposes. I’ve learned SO much from watching these videos! I’m grateful for the service Breakfall is providing, and the non-judgemental tutelage that makes for an amazing learning experience! Thank you Stephen and Paul for all that you do! - Becca GT, SAG-AFTRA Stunts

Working with Stephen Koepfer and his team is always a pleasure. We called on Stephen numerous times to help us stage and conduct key interviews at his gym for Bellator MMA and PBC Boxing preview shows appearing on Spike TV. Stephen is/was always professional and courteous in allowing us access to use, shape, and light his space as we wished for the best possible outcome. Can’t thank him enough for helping us, look forward to working with him again soon, and if you get the chance to work with Stephen- take it! - John Moody, Executive Producer, Matador Content

Breakfall Studio's excellent training facility was the perfect place for our firearms training workshop. We couldn't have asked for a better host! We look forward to working with them again and using the incredible training facility that Breakfall provides! - Kim Laird, Tactical Black

I was introduced to Stephen and Paul of Breakfall Studios by my actor at the time, gearing up for his physically demanding role. The scenes required choreographed fight sequences in a hallway. I had no idea how I was going to accomplish this, but by some miracle the actor knew a friend who knew a professional stunt team. The cast and crew (myself included) had little to no experience with choreographed fights, but they took us under their wing and helped us pull of a believable performance through patience, hard work, and elevation skills sets we already had. It turned out to be the coolest part of the film! I'd highly recommend them to anyone looking for genuine, hardcore, and calculated fight sequences. - Steven Flores, Writer/Director

I can’t tell you how much I LOVE training at Breakfall Studios! It has become one of my favorite places of refuge when I have something specific to work on for fighting, reactions to the ground or when I just need to brush up on my fighting skills in general. I can always count of Stephen to help me break down the movement of each step of my reaction, leg lock or takedown so I can not only give a great performance, but also give multiple variations of what I am doing. Most importantly, they have helped teach me how to stay safe even after multiple takedowns and falls to the ground. It is truly one of the best places to train and continue to grow without judgement. - Alyma Dorsey, SAG-AFTRA Stunt Performer

Stephen and Paul have cultured an incredibly welcoming, constructive and passionate environment where everyone has something to learn. Whether rookie or vet, you will get a great workout, have fun and most likely learn something new. Breakfall has become a staple in my training schedule specifically to work on falling and grappling. Although relatively new to the stunt community themselves, they understand it very well and have tailored a killer workout to hone the required skill set. Their decades of martial arts and grappling experience combined with their passion for stunts makes for a unique training opportunity in NYC - Ben Rezendes, SAG-AFTRA Stunt Performer

Stephen planned and choreographed a fight scene for my pilot “Little Hope.” He was so easy to work with and made my actors feel incredibly comfortable, well trained and confident. It was a scene that I was concerned about, but the moment I met Stephen, the worry went away. He works with directors to give them exactly what they want, how they want it (works with angles, etc. to make sure the choreography fits the scene the way you plan to shoot), but still maintains an extremely safe set. I’ll definitely call Stephen and Breakfall Studios for all my future fight scene needs! - Jacqueline Dow, Producer/Director

Breakfall Studios has been a great addition to the NYC stunt community. Since their inception, their open training has been nothing short of excellent. The learning environment is very friendly, participants are knowledgeable, and training enjoyable while maintaining a high caliber of oversight. As a stunt performer who practices martial arts, I highly recommend anyone serious about getting into stunts or expanding their martial arts knowledge to train at Breakfall Studios. Along with helping you become more comfortable and proficient in various martial skills, their training sessions will offer a great workout and leave you wanting to come back for more! - E. Calvin Ahn, SAG-AFTRA Stunts

I had the pleasure of working with Breakfall Studios on the pilot episode of my web series "Hidden Guardian." There was a crucial scene involving the main character struggling with her father as he attempts to assault her. Due to the production having to be pushed back by a month, our original Fight Coordinator could not continue on, so with far less prep time - In fact, just a few days before shooting - Breakfall created the choreography for the scene, shot a previz for me and trained the actors. On the day of the shoot, not only did the actors feel well prepared and safe enough to perform the choreography but Stephen was there every step of the way to ensure their safety and he aided in capturing the best possible footage for performing the fight! This is probably a long winded way of saying you should definitely work with Breakfall Studios but, well...You should definitely work with them! - Daniel Armour, Writer/Director

I couldn’t feel more fortunate to have the opportunity to train at Breakfall Studios. Stephen and Paul are highly qualified martial artists, passionate about what they do, incredibly supportive and generous in all that they share which has helped me become better stunt performer. I have already used several techniques they’ve taught me at work. I love what they are doing for the stunt community! - Evelyn Osorio Vaccaro, SAG-AFTRA Stunts

Breakfall Studios is a wonderful space for veteran and rookie stunt performers to come and hone their skills. Stephen and Paul provide a very clean, equipped space to learn and train in a judge free environment. Need to work kicks, throws, falls, choreo, boxing, tumbling, etc. they have plenty of mats and space for all your stunting needs! - Noah Schultz, SAG-AFTRA Stunts

I have the pleasure of training every Wednesday at Breakfall for the past half year and have not regretted it. Stephen and Paul offer lots of knowledge and patience. To paraphrase Lao Tzu "When I started at Breakfall a throw was a throw and fall was a fall, while at Breakfall throw was no longer a throw and a fall was no longer a fall..." Thanks Stephen and Paul. - Charles Haskins, SAG-AFTRA Stunts

Breakfall Studios is the only place in the city where real-life Sambo and Krav Maga is translated to practical stunt applications, but Breakfall Studios is much more than just a gym. It's a community of information from the technical aspects of a move to what is going on in town. It's a place where you can fail without outward judgement. At Breakfall, you'll be on the ground a lot, but it stands to reason that a stunt performer should not only learn how to fall safely but to land in different positions, on different parts of the body, on different axis, on different surfaces, and do it repeatedly. Prepare to break your fall or your fall will break you. - Kyro Wavebourne, SAG-AFTRA Stunts

I first heard of Breakfall Studios as they were getting started a few years ago. My career began in DC, and I saw their group come together and start gaining momentum on FB. I was really impressed with the professionalism they captured right off the bat, and continue to excel at to this day. After training with them for the first time, I realized Steve, Paul, and the others performers they train with have something incredibly special: Hardcore work ethic and a really great sense of what it takes to develop skill. There's no ego or bashing, but there is also an incredibly valuable sense of expectations and self-awareness placed upon participants. If you are a stunt performer at any level, you will learn what you need to work on in regards to physical ability, see where you're at with your current knowledge, and experience what others have to offer up close so you can set goals for acquiring new skills. Steve is an expert teacher in grappling, falling, and many other major aspects of martial arts that play into both modern and traditional fighting for film. Paul's energy and expertise in regards to combatives offers a strong insight into empty hand and weapons technique development across the board. Being able to join a community like Breakfall is a big part of what convinced me to move to NYC. Since then, I have trained with them nearly every week. Training at Breakfall is now easily one of my favorite workouts, and one of the most valuable. - Dylan Hintz, SAG-AFTRA Stunts

I can’t recommend Breakfall Studios enough. I train hard. For me to feel accomplished, I need to be heaving, covered in sweat and exhausted. I never thought I'd find kinship in this pursuit, but I sure did at Breakfall. Friendly, knowledgeable, and well rounded, with a passion for training, pushing limits, and multi-disciplinary practice just as deep as my own, the studio is the embodiment of advancement. They're well versed in movement, in all it's forms, and the space attracts industry professionals who all learn from, and teach, each other, while under the careful oversight of the staff. For anyone looking to grow as a stunt professional or martial artist, Breakfall is a place you simply can't pass up. - Jared Blake DiCroce, SAG-AFTRA Stunts

From someone who has been stunt training for around 8 months, I strongly believe that Breakfall Studios has helped me with a lot. The Falling for Rookies workshop they host is informative, helpful, and enjoyably intense. I was able to learn effective ways to hit the ground safely and still look bad-ass. I was, and am still new to this, but Steve and Paul really walked me through their instructions and made sure everyone was able to complete their essential falls. I highly recommend taking Falling for Rookies at Breakfall Studios…two thumbs up! - Zander Nicastro, SAG AFTRA