Showing yourself absolutely no mercy is one of the main principles of the Koi no takinobori ryu school of martial arts. Its founder, Andrey Kochergin, is a man of many talents. According to Kochergin himself, his life is like that of a fish trying to swim up a waterfall – going against everything. After having survived the economic crisis of the 1990s and the chaos caused by local wars, he stood strong and was determined to move forward towards his goal. When he was younger, Kochergin was always fascinated by martial arts, and today he is recognised as a master of martial arts and the creator of progressive martial arts training methods. For soldier, athlete and philosopher Andrey Kochergin the understanding of kindness and strength are closely related; he believes that only a strong individual can be truly kind.