About Dan Van Zandt

Dan Van Zandt is the founder of Flexibility Research.

He has spent nearly forty years studying flexibility and stretching, and more than thirty years teaching it to athletes, coaches and clinicians.

Flexibility training is full of strong opinions and weak evidence. His work exists to correct that.

Flexibility Research translates the best current science into clear, pragmatic training principles that coaches and athletes can apply immediately, to develop functional range of motion without wasted effort.

What he does

Most people do not need more stretching routines. They need better understanding.

Dan focuses on:

• building flexibility that transfers to real movement;
  
  
• improving range of motion without endless warm-ups;
  
  
• separating useful methods from outdated myths;
  
  
• applying biophysics and psychobiology instead of guesswork.
  
  

He is known for challenging misconceptions that persist even in high level sport, especially misleading claims around stretching, injury risk, strength loss or the idea that flexibility training must be slow or ritualistic.

Martial arts roots & lifelong learning

Dan’s background began in martial arts in the 1980s, where flexibility was widely recognised as a requirement for elite performance.

He holds black belts across multiple systems and has spent most of his life learning directly from Bill “Superfoot” Wallace. That long mentorship shaped his technical approach to kicking and flexibility, and also his insistence that range of motion must be instantly available on demand.

His competitive career includes gold medals at the Taekwondo World Games and European Championships, along with more than ten national titles. In full-contact karate, he achieved three world championship titles.

He later served as head strength and conditioning coach for the England national karate team for five years and was recognised twice as International Coach of the Year.

Training through setbacks

Dan’s perspective is not built on theory alone. Injuries sustained during his time in the army led to both hips being replaced, and he has lived with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) for over a decade.

Despite this, he can still perform full splits and high kicks without a warm-up, as proof of what evidence-based flexibility training can achieve when it is done properly.

His work is driven by the belief that flexibility is not reserved for the uninjured or genetically gifted. It is trainable, adaptable and often misunderstood.

Scientific and academic foundation

Alongside decades of coaching, Dan has achieved degrees in several subjects including kinesiology, biomechanics, cell biology and biological physics, and continues advanced study in neuroscience and psychology.

He also holds certifications in sports therapy, strength and conditioning, yoga and personal training.

He remains closely connected to the research community through memberships with organisations including the International Society of Biomechanics, the European Society of Biomechanics, the Biophysical Society, the Royal Society of Biology and the British Psychological Society.

Teaching and education

Dan has taught evidence-based flexibility training internationally, including working with elite dance institutions such as the Berlin State Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet.

He has lectured at universities including the University of Zurich, Humboldt University of Berlin and University College London. He has also served as a peer reviewer for several scientific journals.

Many of his students have gone on to advanced academic and professional careers in sport science and coaching.

A personal note

Dan has been a lifelong artist. All sketches and illustrations featured throughout the Flexibility Research website and associated social media platforms are his own work. Please do not reuse them without asking permission and giving credit.