Ivan Salaverry Mixed Martial Arts Studio

Best Gym in Seattle area, I’ve been training there for about 8 years and I’m glad I chose this gym, Ivan is a great coach and great person I would definitely recommend!

If you want to improve physically, actually learn how to fight and defend yourself, this is the place.
Ivan’s a great guy and the place has a great family dynamic.

Ivans MMA is THE SPOT TO GO FOR MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING in Seattle.
As a personal trainer and amateur fighter, I couldn’t recommend a better spot for those looking to pick up some practical skills, get in GREAT SHAPE, and meet tons of awesome people. Ivans has VERY WELCOMING AND POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE, a scaled ring, INCREDIBLE COACHING, tons of heavy bags, locker rooms, showers, open mat hours, and more!
If you’re serious about training or just looking to try something new and FUN, you’ve gotta swing by Ivans.

This gym is a great place for anyone that wants to improve themselves. It doesn’t really matter if your plan is to lose some weight and get in shape, or to actually compete and be a fighter. The instructors do a great job of catering to both crowds of people. They give you just as much advice on how to improve your technique on day 1 as they do on day 100. The classes are small enough so that everyone gets some individual attention from the instructor, and the floor is always open to questions.
The instructors are great people in and out of the gym and are very easy to get along with. The people that show up and train are great as well. I’ve interacted with a lot of them in my 10 months here I haven’t run into anyone that wasn’t courteous and polite.
I’ve improved a lot in the time that I’ve spent here and I know that it is mostly due to the fact that I’ve had such helpful guys pushing me to get better all this time.

I’ve been going to ISMMA for four years and it is a great club. Ivan is a cool dude and better coach. Since I’ve been at ISMMA I’ve become proficient in boxing, kick boxing, wrestling, and jiu-​jitsu. It’s also a kick ass workout if you’re looking to get in shape. One of my favorite aspects of the gym is the community. The club members and coaches are down to earth, friendly, and approachable. It’s like getting a great workout and learning to be a badass with your friends all in one lol. I’d highly recommend this club to anyone and I look forward to meeting you.

I started there weighing 195 lbs and in the worst shape of my life. In 2 months I was down to a very healthy 155 lbs with nothing but training and eating a slightly better diet. Even though I left town, every time I see someone from there, we still hug it out like family. I miss this place every day and all the people in it.
As far as training goes, I’ve seen 2 UFC heavyweight champs, a UFC/​MMA legend (Ivan) and countless other pros come in and give instruction. I don’t know where else you can find instruction like that. I trained with guys here that had very limited experience at the beginning and are now professional MMA fighters. Even if you just want some competition and a fun way to stay in shape or you dream of getting in a cage one day, I recommend this place to every single one of my friends.

I began my martial arts career with Ivan and his team and I have not stopped training since the day he gave me my first class. The team there is top notch and Ivan is one hell of an Instructor as well as one amazing person. I have recommended this gym to family so naturally I would advise any person interested in martial arts to give him a try.

I joined this gym an year back. I had no prior martial arts experience. This was the perfect place for me since it had the mix of pro MMA fighters, intermediates and newbies training together. Everyone is super friendly here. So, you always feel at home.
I have been training kick boxing since i joined. Coach Paul is excellent and corrects your style and it becomes perfect one day.
Apart from learning kickboxing, it helped me staying fit and has actually improved my heart rate due to high intensity routines in our sessions.
Going to this gym has been one of the most exciting part of my day.

Awesome gym, awesome coaches, friendly and helpful members would make you welcome and help to improve your skill.

I’m a 40 year-​old tech worker who’s been a weeknight warrior here for about two years. I came in with very limited exposure to martial arts; I was mainly looking for something more engaging than lifting weights and jogging as a fitness regimen. I’ve had a very positive experience here and recommend it highly. I’ve only participated in the grappling programs (wrestling and no-​gi jiu-​jitsu) but if you look at the schedule, there are many other programs as well as a full MMA curriculum for those who want to fight in the cage as an amateur or pro.
At first, I wondered if the gym would be filled with scary, testosterone-​addled Neanderthals with whom I’d have little in common. That turned out to be laughable; the membership skews significantly toward educated professionals and college students. The coaches, Ivan in particular, go out of their way to be inclusive, attentive, and encouraging to new people. There aren’t as many women in the grappling classes (compared to boxing/​kickboxing), but the women that come here are treated very respectfully — I would say even deferentially.
The format of the grappling classes between warm-​up and warm-​down is about 60% instruction and drilling and 40% free rolling. The instruction has something for all ability levels. For example, for one class (or a multi-​class series) will focus on a leg ride theme. The instruction will start with demonstration and drilling on the fundamentals of the position — setting up, transitioning into, and controlling a leg ride — and progress into three submissions of increasing sophistication starting with meat-​and-​potato submission moves like the banana split and ending up with the twister… and maybe some extra credit rubber guard stuff for those who want to explore that.
This is an MMA gym, and like the sport itself, there aren’t any belts or formal ability divisions. When drilling or sparring, class members organically organize to weight and ability level, but when we free roll in the last part of class, you will round-​robin. If you pair up with someone much more skilled, they will tend to slow it down, play defense-​only and give you some tips if you’re open to it. In my time here, nobody has been remotely close to losing control or even just being a dick.
The intensity of the grappling classes ebb and flow with the local tournament schedules. At first, I was just looking for fitness and I had no intention of competing, but when you’ve put in all the work and many of your training partners are coalescing into a competition team, there’s almost no reason not to spend a Saturday afternoon testing your abilities in a tournament and cheering on your teammates. I hadn’t competed formally in any sport since high school and found competition to be very inspiring and focusing.
Hope to see you on the mats!

I could give this school 3 stars but due to a flaky owner/​instructor. Also the fact that stand in instructors do give you the stink eye if you are new.
Bottomline is what sets this MMA gym apart from the rest? Nothing!
As far as membership $ 135 is pretty steep for the kind of instruction that I got.

I’ve trained here since 2008 and its hands down the best place to learn MMA, combat sports and get a good old fashioned work out in Seattle. Ivan, Johnny and Mo (Maurice Smith the world champion kick boxer) are great coaches and extremely friendly. What other place can you get world champions and former UFC fighters to train you on a daily basis? I came in as a novice and fit right in from the start. There is no «Intimidation» factor here if someone wanted to try this type of gym for the first time was thinking. In fact — it feels like a family here and you will be pleasantly surprised how helpful and cool everyone is.
The main thing you have to consider is that Ivan’s gym is extremely CLEAN, professional and has a full locker room/​shower area. A lot of MMA, Boxing, BJJ gyms aren’t set up like this. Honestly, if you live in Seattle and are considering an MMA gym, this IS the ONLY place you should consider. I HIGHLY recommend this place.

Two stars because of one simple fact. Ivan is flakey. He’ll not show up to teach class on any particular day with no notice. On it’s own, that’s not terrible, but unfortunately the people who teach in his place are terrible — with the exception of the wrestling coach who is also awesome. The stand-​in instructers are just other students and the attitude was clearly that they didn’t want to deal with teaching a class. I literally heard «you teach the class», «no, you teach the class» and the one that ended up teaching was clearly disappointed.
Basically, the instruction you get from Ivan is pretty darned good. However, on other days, it’s complete crap.
For the price they charge, it should be good every day.
Edit: From their webpage FAQ:
«In the rare event that Ivan cannot come in for class, the assistant will teach in his place.»
He missed a lot more days than I would consider to be ‘rare’

Came here for a free session during their open mat hours.
From someone who hasn’t done any martial arts training, I was pretty intimidated, but also eager to learn something. My friend introduced me to Cory, who’s not an official instructor, but a regular at the gym.
After a quick warm up and stretch we immediately went into basic positions (guard, half-​guard, side control, mount) and where your body should be placed and what to watch for. He also showed us how to execute a triangle and a kimura.
Next was boxing. There’s a bunch of bags lined up against the windows, a majority of them for kicking, along with a couple speed bags, and a ring int he back of the gym. I was lucky enough to be able to spar for 2 round with Cory, and man, thinking goes out the window once you get hit.
Everyone here, especially Cory, was extremely nice and very willing to slow down their pace to teach beginners step by step. You also get the feeling that this place is serious business, but also has a certain relaxed/​layed back vibe. I was lucky so see Ivan Salaverry as well, he actually was the very first person to great me when I walked onto the mat.
It is on the pricey side and the gym can get pretty crowed because of its smaller size.

WIN.

First of all, this gym is not for everyone, you must like train hard and want to learn REAL martial arts… if you are concern about your pretty face, or fragile fingers, you should not even try to go there. but if you are willing to be bad ass, you have to start right away… Great workout, amazing MMA skills… also best way to get in great shape…

If you live in the Seattle area and don’t train at Ivan’s gym, you’re crazy.
I’ve always been a nerd. I was too busy playing video games to get any exercise until I was 22 or so. By all accounts, I should not be training at an MMA gym. I should be at home watching Star Trek while test-​rolling 12-​sided dice looking for statistical anomalies to exploit in future D&D games. (Disclaimer: I don’t actually watch Star Trek or partake in D&D. I really am a nerd, though, I swear.) I’ve been training at Ivan’s gym for over a year now, and I’m still a nerd, but I’m a lot better at tackling people and choking them.
I think I’m one of the few nerds. There are some guys at Ivan’s who do amateur and professional fights. There are also guys who just train recreationally, like me. And we’re a lot tougher than we would be otherwise. There are some girls who train here too, though they are certainly in the minority.
The gym has exactly the right mix of professionalism and laid back-​ness. If you’ve been a part of any other gym or exercise class, you know how difficult it is to achieve that balance. The atmosphere is pretty gung-​ho, and Ivan is demanding of his fighters, but no one is going to bully you or play status games. And the advanced students won’t try to hurt you just because they can. Basically, you get a great workout, and you learn how to fight (with multiple classes for wrestling, kickboxing, etc.) in a friendly environment that still pushes you to your limits.
If you just want to lose weight or get in shape, that happens here too. And instead of losing weight half through boredom on treadmills, you lose it fighting for your life. (Disclaimer: as far as I know, no lives have been lost at Ivan’s. I meant «fight for your life» like in that song Hulk Hogan used to come out to. And you’ll be able to kick Hulk Hogan’s ass after just one or two classes at Ivan’s.)
There’s a reason this place has only 5-​star reviews. In fact, I feel a bit ridiculous writing this one, because it’s just obvious to most people who train at Ivan’s how awesome it is.
Okay, I need to stop now, because writing this review is getting me all amped up and I want to go wrestle someone.

I’ve never done wrestling, kick boxing, jiu jitsu, boxing, submission wrestling, or any other type of martial art except tae kwon do when I was about 11. And I had no interest in getting fights. But none of that mattered to Ivan or any of the coaches. If you were in class, they were going to teach you.
Workouts were some of the hardest workouts I’ve ever done, but there were people of all fitness levels. If you go in willing to work and learn the best you can, whatever that may be, you’ll get great coaching, regardless of skill or fitness level. I went to all four classes (boxing, kick boxing, wrestling, and sub wrestling, although not in the same night) and they all provided great coaching and a great challenge despite my lack of experience.
I didn’t know what to expect from the other students there, but they were all awesome. Everyone there is trying to help everyone else learn and get better. Ivan and the coaches foster a great environment. The experienced guys don’t just tee off on beginners. They work with you and push you to become better.
All that being said, there were some pretty experienced guys looking for fights. They were challenged too and Ivan worked with them to get them fights and trained them to maximize their chance of winning.
Facilities were always clean. I never saw anyone get hurt. Everyone is really friendly. I took a clean right hook to the head got a pretty good headache and stopped boxing for the day and nobody gave me any grief about it, they did care that I felt alright though. I imagine at some gyms people would give you crap for stopping, but they want everyone to be safe, learn, improve fitness, and have a good time.
Bottom line is this place is pretty good for beginners looking to learn, good for experienced players looking for fights, and everyone in between. If your thinking about joining, DO IT. There was no downside to my experience.

With 15 fights under his belt (including 5 UFC), Ivan is just about as authentic and practical as it gets when it comes to Mixed Martial Arts training. But don’t let his fearsome record scare you away if you’re just getting started and aren’t even sure you want to go near a ring: he’s also a fantastic coach, and very invested in making sure his beginners have a safe, fun experience.
You’ll find all types at Ivan’s gym: from folks who just want to learn some basic self defense, to those who enjoy tussling around with teammates, to those who are training for hardcore cage matches. All present, all welcome, no posturing.
The facility is beautiful, the class offerings diverse and well-​balanced, and the workouts are cardiovascularly intense. Great way to learn self defense, and a great way to get in shape.

HEY HEY, KIDS!
this place is fuckin’ awesome. you see the picture for this fuckin’ place? that’s ME grimacing like a huge pussy while i bridge!
most gyms i’ve been to usually consist of a few cool coaches and a bunch of burly assholes who like to give you the stink-​eye while you try and fit in.
ivan’s isn’t like that in the least! the atmosphere here is great! ivan salaverry [UFC fighter and overall chilean badass] instructs classes himself, when he’s not getting ready for a fight, and even when he’s not teaching himself, he’s got totally competent, capable people coaching in his stead [shoutout to brian, clint, matt, brandon, etc, etc].
sometimes you even get to see maurice smith! he’s a nice guy, too, and surprisingly soft-​spoken.
the classes aren’t for pussies, though, so be forewarned. if you’re looking for a place to just get into shape/​look good, you should probably sign up at kickboxing classes at the ymca– clint and brian will put you through hell. be serious about what you’re coming to learn and don’t kill the vibe by being a hardass, either.
my favorite part about going to this gym, though, is the playful banter that often goes around during the cool-​down stretches: ivan will often heckle the fellow coaches and jokes are a-​plenty.
on ivan himself: he is one of the nicest, most intellectual, well-​spoken, and informative fighters i’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. hell, not even as a fighter– as a person, too. he’s a great coach with a wealth of knowledge [one of the best guards in mma!] and always remembers your face.
the gym is a little on the pricey side, but you can make the most of your money by going mondays-​fridays, 4−8pm. that’s a lot of hours to put in, especially if your body can handle it [which it probably can’t].
also, since this is a joey y review, i gots to say something about drinking: if you sit around and shoot the shit with the coaches and local fighters after hours, you get to hear the craziest drinking/​party stories.
mma’ists live the most fucking awesome lives ever.