[Tay’sTravels&Trains(6)]Team Legion_Riobamba

🕰️ [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

 

]