INSTRUCTORS

Meet our instructors

The Krakow Taekwon-do Center team is made up of instructors in taekwon-do, kickboxing, and the Little Dragons program.

Portrait of Mikołaj Kotowicz, KCT instructor

Mikołaj Kotowicz

6th dan

He has trained taekwon-do since 1991, starting in the Kurdwanów district under Piotr Adamski. As a competitor, he won Polish Championship titles in patterns and sparring, became European Champion in pair sparring in 2003, and finished his competitive career with 5th place at the 2005 World Championships. He earned his black belt in 1998, the same year he began teaching.

He has been President of KCT since 2000 — during this time, the club has grown from fewer than 100 to over 1,800 practitioners. He is Vice President of the Polish Taekwon-do Union Sports Association, as well as a national and international referee. He has trained world and European champions, dozens of Polish champions, and many instructors, and has led nearly 80 training camp sessions.

A political scientist by education (Jagiellonian University), he spent years working in finance and real estate before fully committing to taekwon-do. In his free time, he hikes, cycles, plays squash, listens to Queen, and drinks flat whites. What relaxes him most… is ironing.

Contact: 502 067 081
Instructor code: MKT

Portrait of Magdalena Kotowicz, KCT instructor

Magdalena Kotowicz

1st dan

She began training taekwon-do at the age of 7. She competed at Polish and European Championships, with her greatest success being the title of European Junior Champion. After a break for motherhood, she returned to the club — this time as a coach.

She specializes in working with preschoolers and school-age children, and her students regularly make it onto the podium at competitions. She holds a master’s degree in early childhood and preschool education and is a sports referee.

For over 10 years she has been going to training camps as a counselor, and at camps for the youngest children she serves as camp director. She co-organizes day camps and overnight camps.

In her work, she focuses on the all-round development of children — both physical and emotional — teaching them how to overcome weaknesses, cope with failure, and consistently pursue their goals.

Contact: 511 364 780
Instructor code: MKO

Karolina Czech – KCT

Karolina Czech

4th dan

She began training taekwon-do in fifth grade, when KCT opened a branch in Zelczyna. She later trained in Skawina, and in high school, as her career gained momentum, she joined the group in Kurdwanów.

She is a multiple Polish Champion, a medalist at European Championship-level tournaments, and in 2019 she became ITF Union World Champion in sparring. She has been teaching at the club since 2016, leading taekwon-do, kickboxing, and Little Dragons groups. She has trained Polish champions and Polish Cup medalists in the children’s, cadet, and junior categories.

She is a member of the KCT board and co-organizer of our tournaments: the Mikołajki Taekwon-do Tournament and the Krakow Cup. She has completed studies in human resources management and a massage school. She spends her free time in the mountains, rollerblading, and reading a good book.

Contact: 530 000 104
Instructor code: KCZ

Michał Krupa (senior) – KCT

Michał Krupa (senior)

4th dan

Known in the club as “Gniewko” — a nickname given to him by coaches early in his training journey. He has trained martial arts since 2004: he started with Oyama karate, and since 2008 has been involved with ITF taekwon-do. In 2016, he earned black belts in both disciplines.

On the mat, he won the title of ITF Union World Champion in sparring (2019), and in karate — the Oyama Polish Championship and gold at the Kyokushinkai Open European Championships in the knockdown format. He is an instructor of taekwon-do, kickboxing, karate, and Little Dragons, a summer camp counselor, and a national referee.

Outside the training hall: books, cycling trips, mountain trails, and fierce discussions about geopolitics. A coach with character and a sense of humor — proof that strength and calm can go hand in hand.

Contact: 664 505 493
Instructor code: MKR

Kamila Budek – KCT

Kamila Budek

2nd cup

She’s never been able to sit still since childhood — she competed in athletics, volleyball, basketball, and tennis. She first came to KCT to help with organizational work, but coach Mikołaj quickly noticed her dedication and invited her to start training taekwon-do and join the coaching staff.

She started out with the Little Dragons groups, and today also leads groups of children and cadets who compete successfully at regional and national competitions — one of her students became the top competitor at the Polish Open Cup in the children’s category. She makes sure everyone feels comfortable in the group and isn’t afraid of new challenges. She is a counselor at camps and day camps, and director of summer family holidays.

She completed studies in international economic relations and human resources management, and is also a trained florist. In her free time: squash, walks with her dog Figa, and travel — preferably to Italy.

Contact: 791 835 010
Instructor code: KBU

Ludwik Oleś – KCT

Ludwik Oleś

2nd dan

The best proof that it’s never too late to start taekwon-do. He joined KCT in 2016 thanks to his daughter, who convinced him to train together. Today he holds the rank of 2nd dan and a silver medal from the ITF Union World Cup, and has also tried his hand at boxing and MMA. He is an instructor of taekwon-do, kickboxing, and Little Dragons, as well as a summer camp counselor.

Before becoming a coach, he worked with excavators and cranes. Outside the training hall, he is a cavalry lancer with the rank of corporal and a historical reenactor — he rides horses, reads, and writes stories.

Contact: 533 862 162
Instructor code: LOL

Dariusz Pazdan – KCT

Dariusz Pazdan

4th dan

There’s no one in the club who hasn’t, at least once, been dazzled by the shine of his shaved head. Before taking up martial arts, he played basketball for Wisła Kraków for 7 years. At KCT, he’s been known to train three sessions in a row — and it shows in his results.

He is a team Vice World Champion in taekwon-do (Glasgow 2025), a bronze medalist at the World Championships (2023), winner of the World Cup (Maracalagonis 2019), and European Champion (Chișinău 2026). In kickboxing, he won the Polish Cup and medals at the Polish Championships, and his national taekwon-do medals are too numerous to count.

He leads training sessions for preschoolers, children, youth, and adults in Nowa Huta, and on weekends, when he’s not competing, he runs overnight camps.

He holds a master’s degree in pedagogy and is pursuing postgraduate studies in physical education. On a daily basis he’s in a tracksuit; after hours — in one of his three-piece suits. He boxes, swims, cycles, and sings.

Contact: 572 877 550
Instructor code: DPA

Michał Krupa (junior) – KCT

Michał Krupa (junior)

2nd dan

We call him “junior” due to a funny coincidence — we have two coaches with the exact same name on our staff. He has trained taekwon-do since 2006, starting in Kurdwanów under Mikołaj Kotowicz, and won medals at Polish Championships and Cups in his youth.

He is an instructor of taekwon-do for children and youth as well as Little Dragons, leads personal training sessions, is a national and international referee, and serves as a counselor at camps and day camps.

Instead of competitive sport, he has focused on attention to detail, technique, and understanding how the human body works. He is currently finishing a degree in physiotherapy, regularly competes in running events, and is preparing for his first IronMan. His priority is health and discipline — he wants his students, from the youngest age, to build correct movement patterns and train mindfully, protecting their musculoskeletal system.

After hours, he’s passionate about hiking and cycling trips, nature, and music in the broadest sense.

Contact: 662 647 628
Instructor code: MKM

Grzegorz Pazdan – KCT

Grzegorz Pazdan

2nd dan

For 6 years he played basketball for Wisła Kraków, winning the Krakow and Małopolska championships with his team. When a change of school closed that path, he started training taekwon-do and kickboxing in Nowa Huta in 2012 — and passed on his passion to his brother.

In 2017 he took a break to gain professional experience as a nutrition technician at a French restaurant in Podgórze. He returned to the training hall with an even bigger appetite: in 2022 he earned his black belt, and since 2023 he has been a KCT instructor.

He leads Little Dragons as well as taekwon-do and kickboxing groups for children, youth, and adults.

After training: long bike rides, football, board games, and travel — he dreams of traveling across Asia from end to end.

Contact: 519 495 067
Instructor code: GPA

Emilia Fiutowska – KCT

Emilia Fiutowska

1st dan

She started at the age of 5 in the Little Dragons group in Kurdwanów — today she teaches the youngest children herself. She has competed since 2015 and has repeatedly made the podium at the Polish Cup and Championships in taekwon-do and kickboxing. In 2023, she became Polish Champion in kickboxing in the pointfighting format and best junior in that format, and at the Tae Kwon-Do International World Championships she won gold in light contact sparring and team gold in semi-contact. That same year, she passed her black belt exam and completed an instructor course.

She is studying materials engineering at AGH University of Science and Technology. In her free time, she takes photos, reads, and watches medical and crime series.

Contact: 531 380 670
Instructor code: EFT

Valerii Boiko – KCT

Valerii Boiko

7th dan

The highest-ranked coach in our club. He has trained combat sports since 1986, and from 1991 to 1997 trained under Korean master Han Chol. He holds master ranks in several federations: 7th dan ITF, 6th dan ITF Union, 6th dan GTF, and 1st dan in Olympic WT taekwondo. He was Champion of Ukraine, and in 1992 placed 5th at the World Championships in Pyongyang. For years he led the Ukrainian national team and trained five world champions.

He graduated in cybernetics from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and in physical education from Dragomanov Pedagogical University. At KCT he leads children’s groups as well as an adult 40+ group.

In his free time: cycling, boxing, paintball, drawing, and rock music.

Contact: 792 501 797
Instructor code: VBO

Grzegorz Pajda

Grzegorz Pajda

2nd dan

With KCT since 2011 — he started in the Little Dragons group in Kurdwanów and worked his way through every level, from youngest student to coach. He is a multiple Polish Champion in taekwon-do and also holds medals from the Polish Kickboxing Championships. In 2023, in his debut in the senior black belt category, he won bronze at the Tae Kwon-Do International World Championships. In 2026, in Corigliano-Rossano, he became ITF Union European Champion in sparring and won bronze in patterns.

He is a taekwon-do instructor and tournament referee.

He is studying psychology at Jagiellonian University and wants to apply this knowledge in his coaching work, including as a sports psychologist. Outside the training hall, he goes rock climbing, hikes, reads, and loves animals.

Michał Klimek – KCT

Michał Klimek

2nd dan

He started as a 5-year-old in the Little Dragons group in Kurdwanów, and today he shares his own passion and experience in the training hall. He is an active member of the national team with an impressive medal record — in his senior debut alone he won two bronze medals at the Taekwondo International World Championships (2023), and two years later he took silver and bronze at the Taekwondo International Worlds as well as bronze at the ITFU Taekwondo Worlds. He also recently won the title of ITF Union European Taekwon-do Champion (2026), along with multiple Polish Championships in taekwondo and kickboxing, as well as podium finishes at the World and European Kickboxing Cups.

At the club, he leads the club team group in the semi-contact format, co-leads training sessions with coaches Ludwik and Karolina, and also serves as a summer camp counselor.

Balancing demanding training with his role as a coach, he is studying medicine at Jagiellonian University — in the future, he wants to treat and help athletes as an orthopedist. In his free time (of which he never has much), he enjoys computer and board games with friends, discovering new music genres, and trying different cuisines from around the world.

Zofia Zapolska

Zofia Zapolska

2nd dan

As a 5-year-old, she started training in the Little Dragons group in Czyżyny — in 2026 she began leading her own training groups. A multiple Polish Champion in taekwon-do, she has won the title of best competitor of the tournament 6 times. She is also a medalist at the Polish Kickboxing Championships. She has won bronze twice at the Tae Kwon-Do International World Championships — first in 2023, then in 2025 — and in 2025 also won bronze at the ITFU Taekwondo World Championships. In 2026, she became ITF Union European Taekwon-do Champion.

At the club, she leads 2 children’s training groups and serves as a referee at sporting events.

She combines sport with coaching while studying biotechnology at Jagiellonian University — in the future, she would like to study medicine at the same university. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and watching crime series.

Find a group led by your chosen instructor

Choose a class and check KCT training locations.