Featured affiliated academy: Kambiz Warriors Gym Malaysia BJJ
Kambiz Warriors Gym Malaysia BJJ
Where is the gym located?
The gym is downtown Kuala Lumpur behind Ampang Point Mall, on the 4th floor above the TIME ZONE shop. We’re about 10 mins away (via bus or taxi) from the iconic landmark KLCC twin towers, and the nearest train lines are Ampang Park (Putra LRT train line) and Ampang (Star LRT train line).
How many people train there?
Kambiz Warriors Gym has around 60-70. That’s Muay Thai and BJJ.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Growing gradually. We’re a gym that is more focused on producing local talent rather than making money.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
White is the lowest and purple is the highest.
When did the gym open?
Kambiz Warriors Gym Malaysia opened in 2002, but the BJJ programme started in 2014.
Some facts about you:
Name: Seyed Ali Ramezani Bayani, AKA Coach Ali
Age: 39
Academy: Kambiz Warriors Gym Malaysia
Belt: 1st degree black belt
Profession: I’m an English teacher by trade. The teaching of BJJ, which I do two hours a day, five days
a week, is purely for the purpose of giving back to an art which has given me so much.
Years in BJJ: 18
Other martial arts: I started my martial arts journey at the age of seven. I have a black belt in
Kenshen Karate, and full contact Karate.
Currently living in: Based in Malaysia for 11 years now.
Originally from: Iran, but I was born in Kuwait and I was raised in the UK.
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
The gym was opened up in 2002 by Master Kambiz, and initially it was purely a Muay Thai gym. Master Kambiz himself is a 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo and a true master in Muay Thai, which he practiced and fought in Japan. He has produced multiple champions and even world champions. I joined the gym in 2014 and started the BJJ classes. Since then, Master Kambiz and I have been working in perfect harmony alongside each other. He teaches Muay Thai and I teach BJJ, and together we teach MMA.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Kambiz Warriors Gym Malaysia BJJ has practitioners from all walks of life. Master Kambiz and I have always been focused on teaching the very essence of martial arts; we’ve never been a commercial gym. Through the years we’ve produced many Muay Thai and BJJ champions, but our crowning achievement has been the fact that we’ve produced humble, kind, and generous human beings. That is how we aim to give back. A lot of our members are refugees, and from low income families. I myself have never made money from the BJJ I teach. There was a short documentary that was made on our gym and how we’ve taken in refugees and given them an opportunity through martial arts.
Why do they train?
They all have different reasons. Some do it for fun, some to become champions. We try to cater to all needs. The practitioner who does it for self-growth and the one who goes on to become champion are all given the same treatment. I always tell my boys and girls that they do not need to compete to be great martial artists. There is so much to the martial arts, and competition is only one small part of it.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
Well, we have such a mixed background of students studying here, and once they’re done with their school course they return to their home country.
Kambiz Warriors Gym Malaysia BJJ
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
Definitely growing. There are a lot of new competitions popping up, and the interest in the art has gone up. When we first started our BJJ classes here, there were only a handful of gyms and competitions, but now there are quite a few of both.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
I would say the environment. We’re not a fancy gym with a lot of facilities, but we do put our heart and soul into our practitioners. We’ve built an environment where all members are respectful and very caring of each other no matter what background of life they come from. Our BJJ class is run in a very unique way. Due to my experience of teaching inside a classroom, I am able to apply some of my teaching knowledge into my instruction of BJJ. Our BJJ class has differentiation, meaning that practitioners are divided into groups based on ability and everyone follows a scaffolded curriculum when it comes to technique. Start our class with solo BJJ drills, then partner drills, and then one throw for the week. We then go on to technique and rolls.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Malaysia is famously known for its iconic twin towers (KLCC), beautiful beaches, and for its mouth-watering cuisines. Luckily enough, our gym is located only about 10mins away from KLCC (which you can see it from the gym’s window) and it’s in one of the most multicultural parts of the city. The Ampang Point area is also home to a variety of famous local and international dishes from Malay, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Arabic, and Western cuisine. So after a training session the hardest decision to make is what you want to eat.
