Gokor Chivichyan

Who is Gokor Chivichyan?

Gokor Chivichyan is an Armenian Judo, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts instructor. Gokor currently trains professional and amateur fighters at the Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood. Chivichyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia.

Gokor began his training as a young child in Soviet Armenia, winning many national and international junior titles in Judo, Sambo, and wrestling. At the age of 17, Gokor relocated to Los Angeles, where he continued his training in no-gi submission grappling under Gene LeBell, a famous catch wrestler and America' first Judo champion.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Gokor traveled and competed in the Soviet Union and throughout Europe, Japan, Thailand, and Mexico. He amassed a record of over 400 wins and no losses over a career of competing in Sambo, Judo, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts. With the opening of the Hayastan Academy in 1991, Gokor retired from professional fighting, undefeated, and focused his time on teaching.

In 1997, Gokor came out of retirement to win a superfight organized by the World Fighting Federation. In 1998, he was named by Black Belt Magazine “Judo Instructor of the Year” and received the prestigious “Hall of Fame” spot. Since then he has produced in his school a new generation of fighters, such as Manvel Gamburyan, Sako Chivitchian, Karen Darabedyan, Roman Mitichyan, Ronda Rousey, and Karo Parisyan, who have competed in the arena of the UFC, WEC, King of the Cage, Olympic and all National Judo Championships.