About Michael

Michael JMK is a movement teacher and coach. He is a student and authorized instructor of FM Practice which he has studied since 2016 under direct guidance of founder Jozef Frucek and senior teacher Natalia Pieczuro (fightingmonkey.net).

He holds 10+ years of professional experience in classical strength & conditioning methods, having taught at some of the most well loved gyms and movement facilities in the SF Bay Area.

His focus is on adaptive physical preparedness and movement-skill development for culturally and spiritually motivated disciplines like dance, yoga, bodywork, and martial arts.

To get in touch send a message via email to michael@michaeljmk.com

For updates you can subscribe to Michael's mailing list:

I have been training with Michael for over two years now and am so grateful for how profoundly my study with him has enriched my physical life. Michael is an incredibly thoughtful teacher with an incredible depth of knowledge and expertise that he shares generously and with great intention.

Studying with him has increased my strength, adaptability, coordination, body awareness, and capacity to engage in physical research of my own.

— Molly Rose-Williams, professional dancer and performing artist

Michael is amazing and I recommend him warmly to any person, young or old, who is interested in well-being and fitness. There is so much I could say and I hardly know where to begin.

Michael listens to you and to your body; he pays attention to what you want and need and works with you to shape attainable goals. Michael knows so much — about the body but also about different approaches to training — that he is able to help you design the program that will enable you to make the progress you want.

And Michael embodies the knowledge and the sensitivity in a way that is both instructive and inspiring. Having the chance to work with Michael has changed my life and my attitude toward my own body and my limitations and potential.

— Alva Noë, writer and Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley

Michael is that rare breed of teacher. He instills in his students a sense of play while still getting them to chase after technical mastery, building skills within them without them even knowing it, in many cases. His methods are broad-based and he pulls from many disciplines, but this isn’t simply a “best of breed” approach to general physical optimization. Best of all, he makes this rewarding for and accessible to any population, whether we’re talking about folks who are already high-level performers looking to ratchet their game up a notch or two, or people just starting on their journey toward physical prowess.

— Mike Minium, founder of CrossFit Oakland

I am a 51 yo woman, personal trainer and life-long athlete. What Michael has brought to my well-being and physical practices over our 5 years of weekly work together has become an indispensable part of my faith that I can continue to improve physically as I age.

He is always bringing me the next thing I can use to move through my limitations and offer my body something it can use. Michael’s pursuit of the best ways to train and move towards increased strength and mobility and reduced pain and dysfunction is ever expanding.

His integration of new modalities as well as his intense focus on the mastery of his own practices mark his teaching. Michael definitely has something in his far-reaching repertoire to help anyone interested in next level for themselves no matter where they are starting.

— Georgia Bertelstein, personal trainer

As a professional dancer, I could not ask for a better trainer than Michael. His programming and incredible attention to proper form has increased not only my strength and confidence in weightlifting, but has improved my flexibility significantly. I have noticed gains every week - translating directly into my work as a dancer.

His dedication to form has also resulted in me making large improvements in olympic lifting - something I struggled with when I first started training. It is always a delight to have a class that Michael is coaching as I am confident that I will be receiving detailed and direct feedback that ensures both my safety and progress as an athlete.

As someone who has very specific dietary restrictions, Michael has gone out of his way to provide strategies that have improved not only my diet and health, but my performance as an athlete. If you’re looking to work diligently at improving your athleticism in all capacities, I give Michael my highest recommendations.

— Seren Pendleton-Knoll, dancer and Associate Director of the Center for Responsible Business at Berkeley Haas

Michael is the best trainer I have ever had. He is very good at accessing personal needs and figuring out how to work with your unique mobility and get you results quickly. I have dislocated my shoulder many times and had pretty closed hips but with his instructions I saw great improvement in less than a month and he taught me how to do handstands which is something I've wanted to learn my whole life.

All in all he is excellent at balancing flexibility and mobility work with strength training and tips on diet for effectively rebuilding your muscles, and he really focuses on proper form to help avoid injury.

— Alex Mokhtari-Fox, environmental educator

I've been training with Michael for 5 years. He's the best! His approach to fitness is mindful and creative. He finds a way to pay attention to each person's training even in a group setting. I have trained with Michael in preparation for an acrobatic tour and also through injuries.

He's skilled at seeing where a person is at, what they're looking for and shaping the class meets their needs. In a Michael class I can expect to build strength, become more mobile, move in a way I never have before and laugh with the people I'm training with.

— Juliana Frick, physical theater performer, musician, and circus artist

As a fitness professional, I wanted to learn a completely new style of training that I had no experience in. I reached out to Michael to learn Olympic lifting and movement training. Even though I’m in the industry, I needed accountability and structure like everyone else.

He was able create a program that helped me achieve my goals while taking into consideration my previous injuries. After a few months, I saw amazing results not only in my physique, but in my performance in strength, conditioning, body awareness and mobility. He’s patient and coaches very well. I’d recommend him to anyone at any fitness level.

— Jacqueline Sanchez, fitness & group exercise instructor

I have worked with Michael for years, and he is truly one of the most knowledgeable trainers you'll find. He cares more than most about moving with integrity, and his clients benefit from his attention to precision. Michael has helped me improve my weightlifting, gymnastics, flexibility, and general movement habits. He takes the time to provide detailed feedback so that I always know if I need to make adjustments for safety and/or efficiency.

As a gym owner, I selected Michael to program for my advanced clients because of his skill across many domains. I saw significant improvement for all of the clients who participated in the program, especially in their mastery of body weight strength exercises like ring and bar work. Following his programming, I was at my peak performance in gymnastics skills as well.

Michael is constantly studying and learning new disciplines, which means he brings a ton of experience and knowledge to all of his clients. His straightforward style is great for those who want to take their training to the next level, as he holds a high standard for all of his clients. With patience and practice, you can achieve more than you ever thought possible when working with Michael.

— Melissa Bates, co-founder and co-owner of Grassroots CrossFit