Rewind

Stephen Koepfer:

Stephen is a martial artist, SAG-AFTRA Stunt Performer and filmmaker with black belts in Tae Kwon Do, Judo, a Master of Sport of Russia in Combat Sambo and a Purple Belt in BJJ. Stephen is also a Kendo practitioner. He has competition experience in various combat sports. As head coach of NY Combat Sambo, which he founded in 2003, Stephen has coached his team to multiple national and international combat sport victories. He was a team coach for the 2008 US World Sambo Team and head coach for the 2015 - 2018 US Combat Wrestling World Team.

Stephen has trained in Russia and Ukraine at such academies as Sambo 70, The FKE Training Center, Suvorov Military Academy, Borec, and Spartak Olympic Training Center.

As a coach, he has taught across the US, abroad and has counted among his students many military and law enforcement professionals including UN and DOS Diplomatic Security Officers, NYPD, FBI, DEA and NY State Court Officers. He has been a guest instructor at West Point Military Academy, Ft. Campbell, the FKE training facility and the Lowell, Arkansas Police Department.

Since childhood Stephen dreamed of working in the film and television; even attending filmmaking camp in his youth. As he grew older he continued with filmmaking. At first with an old super 8 camera of his father's and later with modern digital technology. After high school, where Stephen focused on visual art, he earned his BFA the School of Visual Arts on a full scholarship, and his Master's Degree from Hofstra University. in 2022 Stephen completed the NYU Tisch/Yellowbrick Television and Film certificate program.

Recognized for his martial arts expertise, he began his professional foray into TV in 2007 as a technical adviser for HUMAN WEAPON (History Channel). Shortly after, he appeared as himself in DHANI TACKLES THE GLOBE (Travel Channel, 2009). He has since appeared as himself in many combat sports related programs including BELLATOR NYC: COUNTDOWN TO SONNEN VS. SILVA (2017), BELLATOR MMA LIVE (2020), and others.

Behind the lense, Stephen has produced several short films and award winning documentaries, including CONCRETE AND CRASHPADS: STUNTS IN NEW YORK (2016) and NEW YORK MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (2011), which obtained distribution through FilmBuff and appeared on HULU for many years. As a stunt performer, he has been fortunate enough to work on JOHN WICK CHAPTER THREE (2019), SAVE YOURSELVES (2020), THE BLACKLIST (NBC), DEVS (FX on HULU), THE PUNISHER (Netflix) and RAY DONOVAN (Showtime).

Paul Varacchi:

Paul Varacchi has called many places home before returning back to Manhattan the city that he loves. After studying International Hotel and Restaurant Management at Johnson & Wales Paul moved out West, which became the birthplace of Paul's 20 year long career as a chef. After returning to NYC Paul worked in many esteemed restaurants, including the Spotted Pig where he began pursuing his love of Martial Arts. Paul Varacchi is a certified Krav Maga Instructor, the only American to be certified by Professor Itay Gil of Protect Israeli Security Systems and the Director-in-Charge of Intelligence, Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security Studies at Hebrew University. In addition to representing Protect Security in New York, Paul is the owner and head instructor of Flow Krav Maga, Assistant Combat Sambo Instructor at NY Combat Sambo and a Certified Freestyle Sambo Official.

In 2015, Paul made his start in the film industry, beginning to study/train fight choreography. He began working as a Production Assistant on all the Netflix/Marvel New York productions, where he built a large professional network in the New York television and stunt community, learned the ropes and culture of a film set. Shortly after, Paul joined SAG-AFTRA and began working as a professional stunt performer. He has appeared in THE BLACKLIST, BULL (CBS), PUNISHER (Netflix), DAREDEVIL (Netflix) and WALKING DEAD WORLD BEYOND (AMC).