🕰️ [Past Story]
I had made the decision to reach the southern tip of South America to compete.
After successfully wrapping up my first South American stop in Colombia, I headed by bus to a city called Riobamba.
⸻
🥋 [Gym Info]
• Date: March 2025
• Name: Team Legion Riobamba (MMA Legion Team)
• Location: 88W2+6G6, Carr. Panamericana, Licán, Ecuador
• BJJ Globetrotters Affiliation: No (I came here through matsurfing)
• Facility:
– Dream-like setup with a large mat space, a cage, drums, old-school workout machines, a hidden garden, a tub, and a broken arcade machine at the entrance
– Private parking, showers (I never used them so can’t say for sure)
– Tough and gritty underground vibe
• How to get there: By bus (30 cents)
⸻
🧾 About
Through BJJ Globetrotters’ matsurfing, I met Mario — a practitioner from Ecuador who invited me to train in Riobamba.
As soon as we met, we found we had a lot in common.
We both liked the number 12, held purple belts, and had gone through divorces.
Despite the pain in our pasts, we were living a new life through Jiu-Jitsu.
On my first day, I headed straight to his gym.
Located right next to a bus stop, it was incredibly easy to find.
After entering through a large gate, I was greeted by the sight of a wrecked car (from a coach’s drunk accident) and a broken arcade machine at the door.
Inside, the space was huge — with mats, a cage, old workout gear, drums, and even a hidden backyard where people could cool off after hard training.
It had this raw, masculine, underground vibe that I absolutely loved.
The head coach of Team Legion Riobamba, Jamo, welcomed me warmly.
Though he looked like a Hong Kong gangster boss, his charisma was matched by a surprisingly gentle coaching style and smooth Jiu-Jitsu.
Over dinner, I asked him about his background — he had grown up as a top-level boxing athlete in Riobamba and was known for speed and power.
However, in Jiu-Jitsu, he sought to move like water, flowing and accepting, just like Bruce Lee’s philosophy.
That conversation gave me a new perspective on how I want to approach my own Jiu-Jitsu.
Everything about life here felt satisfying.
They offered not only gi training but also no-gi and MMA.
There were a lot of tough athletes in the room, and I was even able to share some techniques in a mini seminar.
Riobamba’s high elevation — one of the highest in the world — made every training session more intense (snow-capped volcanoes were literally visible nearby).
After training, we’d eat at Encebollado spots run by a UFC fighter from Riobamba.
Sometimes, we’d go back to Mario’s spacious house and watch Jiu-Jitsu videos while eating together.
His love for the Bjj was everywhere — a Gracie Barra front plate was displayed in his living room and his body as a tattoo.
His home was incredibly comfortable, and I felt totally at peace.
(I slept same sofa which Roberto Jimenez used to stay)
If it weren’t for the immigration issue when I crossed the border from Colombia to Ecuador without getting an entry stamp, I probably would have stayed much longer.
⸻
🤯 Impressions
• The gym had a gritty, macho vibe I really liked
• Coach Jamo embodied that energy too — but also had incredible finesse
• His approach to Jiu-Jitsu as a soft art really impressed me — especially how he’d absorb my sweep, stay relaxed, and immediately reverse the position
• Mario’s lifestyle and passion for BJJ were deeply inspiring
⸻
💡 What I Learned
• Entering single leg X from standing
• How to stay relaxed even in MMA
• Shooting takedowns like a squat-step combo instead of charging
• Creating a figure-four grip with my arms to finish takedowns
• Holding side control heavy after takedown
• Using body movement to generate powerful ground-and-pound
• Mixing ground-and-pound angles to force both arms up, then finishing with Americana
• Using jab + hook + switch step to close distance and catch the leg
• From there, pulling the opponent out using a crucifix-style arm setup
⸻
🤔 Thoughts
• I practiced defending leg catches by pushing the head and freeing the foot
• Worked on heel hooks — not just twisting but creating tight holds and wait for their reaction
• Focused on efficient standing techniques without spend much energy in standing
• Kept hand fighting slow but persistent to create openings
• Coach’s hand fighting was brutally effective — both in BJJ and MMA
• Even during tough warm-ups, everyone followed Coach Jamo without complaint — he led by example
• His Jiu-Jitsu was smooth and effortless,
but his physical conditioning drills were intense
• I learned how his charisma united the team
• After training, group dinners made me feel oddly safe —
almost like being part of a gang, especially in Ecuador’s current unstable climate
• I invited Coach Jamo to dinner, and his insights on the direction of Jiu-Jitsu left a deep impression on me
• During my single leg takedown seminar, he asked the most questions — I was genuinely surprised and inspired by his attitude
@teamlegion_riobamba
@Krappling_club_yyc
@tayhoney12
]
