[Jaric]

Okay so here’s my second club review, and the club is called Sambo Training and Fitness Center.

http://www.rus-sambo.com/Flyer.htm

Now it’s the only Sambo club in Ottawa, and it was damn hard to find. As you can see the webpage is not the best, and the guy who owns it is impossible to get a hold of. I finally got a hold of him, and asked if I could come in and see a class. He doesn’t speak English that well, but it wasn’t that hard to understand him.

The club teaches a large variety of arts. It teaches Judo, Sambo, Wrestling (MMA really), and official MMA on sat. The school itself is pretty big, with a large selection of bags to work on, and a lot of gym equipment. This is the first MA school I’ve seen with that much space and money devoted to working out equipment. The head instructor (Igor and im not making that up) teaches all the classes.

Now I’ve never seen a Sambo class before, but it was pretty similar to the Can Ryu I did years ago. ½ warm up with break falls, and 1 and ½ hour class. He teaches three different types of Sambo: sport, combat, and self defense. He would show a tech in class, then say if sport do this, if combat do this, and if self defense do this (mostly ended with stomping on the poor buggers face). I could tell that he knew his shit; he just did the tech with a certain smoothness. Lots of leg locks, but I think that’s what Sambo is known for. Some judo throws, but most people in the class didn’t throw that well. It was a long class, and in the last twenty min, he worked them like bitches. Running and pushups…more running and pushups…then more of the same. It was brutal to watch, and remember this is after over an hour of throwing people and a little randori. Also at the end of class he suggested that all the students go do some chin-ups and pull-ups before they leave. Once again that’s new for me to hear from an instructor.


The classes are $65 a month and I think that includes as many arts you want to do at once. You have to pay a $100 admin fee at the start, but after that it’s per month with no contract. Sambo Gi is $70, and a judo Gi is $70 also. This was the first school I have ever been in where there was no marketing. Like none at all. I walked in and had to go introduce myself. I watched the class and no one came up and asked me questions. I spoke to the teacher after class, but again I had to go up to him. No one else worked there I think. Add that to the fact that you can’t get a hold of the guy on the phone im surprised that he even has students. It must be the quality of his teaching.

All in all a very good looking school, that is aimed for teaching dedicated students and not catering to families or part time people.

[D Dempsey]

If I were you this is definately where I would train. Igor Yakimov is probably one of the best sambo teachers in the world. He used to come out to do seminars at the BJJ school I trained at in Michigan, he's an awesome guy. Don't miss out on an opportunity to train with him.

[Ronin.74]

This place sounds like a winner. I don't have any experience in Sambo but from your description of how classes are run it sounds like they take their training seriously. No contracts is a plus and the monthly fees are very reasonable.

Do you have to buy your gi from him or can you get one on your own? Combat Sports is having a clearance of Judo and Jiujitsu gis, excellent prices, if you can buy one on your own I would check out their website.

[marcdscott]

I trained with Igor for years you can't go wrong with him, or the club.

[Omega the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Jaric

Okay so here’s my second club review, and the club is called Sambo Training and Fitness Center.

http://www.rus-sambo.com/Flyer.htm

Now it’s the only Sambo club in Ottawa, and it was damn hard to find. As you can see the webpage is not the best, and the guy who owns it is impossible to get a hold of. I finally got a hold of him, and asked if I could come in and see a class. He doesn’t speak English that well, but it wasn’t that hard to understand him.

The club teaches a large variety of arts. It teaches Judo, Sambo, Wrestling (MMA really), and official MMA on sat. The school itself is pretty big, with a large selection of bags to work on, and a lot of gym equipment. This is the first MA school I’ve seen with that much space and money devoted to working out equipment. The head instructor (Igor and im not making that up) teaches all the classes.

Now I’ve never seen a Sambo class before, but it was pretty similar to the Can Ryu I did years ago. ½ warm up with break falls, and 1 and ½ hour class. He teaches three different types of Sambo: sport, combat, and self defense. He would show a tech in class, then say if sport do this, if combat do this, and if self defense do this (mostly ended with stomping on the poor buggers face). I could tell that he knew his shit; he just did the tech with a certain smoothness. Lots of leg locks, but I think that’s what Sambo is known for. Some judo throws, but most people in the class didn’t throw that well. It was a long class, and in the last twenty min, he worked them like bitches. Running and pushups…more running and pushups…then more of the same. It was brutal to watch, and remember this is after over an hour of throwing people and a little randori. Also at the end of class he suggested that all the students go do some chin-ups and pull-ups before they leave. Once again that’s new for me to hear from an instructor.


The classes are $65 a month and I think that includes as many arts you want to do at once. You have to pay a $100 admin fee at the start, but after that it’s per month with no contract. Sambo Gi is $70, and a judo Gi is $70 also. This was the first school I have ever been in where there was no marketing. Like none at all. I walked in and had to go introduce myself. I watched the class and no one came up and asked me questions. I spoke to the teacher after class, but again I had to go up to him. No one else worked there I think. Add that to the fact that you can’t get a hold of the guy on the phone im surprised that he even has students. It must be the quality of his teaching.

All in all a very good looking school, that is aimed for teaching dedicated students and not catering to families or part time people.

Yep, that sounds like SAMBO to me....

[Jaric]

As ridiculous as it sounds, right now im kinda leaning towards the Judo club. They simply dont have sambo tournies around here, and I really want to compete. Maybe in a few years ill go there for some wicked Sambo leg lock training...

[Ikantski]

have you checked out OAMA (www.oama.ca) yet? They have BJJ, MT and MMA classes.

[Jaric]

Im too far from it and Ronin...too far down Carling for me. (if you know anything about Ottawa).

[Omega the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Jaric

As ridiculous as it sounds, right now im kinda leaning towards the Judo club. They simply dont have sambo tournies around here, and I really want to compete. Maybe in a few years ill go there for some wicked Sambo leg lock training...

*ahem......

Fuck SAMBO competitions they all fucking suck in this area of the world. Their rules are always fucking changing and they're always playing to politics.

That is all go back to what you're doing nothing to see here.

[Jaric]

Someone sounds like they have some interesting Sambo tournie stories to tell.....come on Omega were all ears....your stories are great because they always end up with you fucking someone up:)