Jovany Varela Competition Team

Hayastan MMA Academy, home to the Jovany Varela Competition Team, operates at 13428 S. Normandie Ave. in Gardena, CA 90249. The training facility specializes in martial arts disciplines including Sambo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling, Gi and No Gi Grappling, Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA. Instruction features Sensei Jovany Varela, who began training in 1991 under Gene LeBell and Gokor Chivichyan at the Hayastan MMA Academy. Sensei Jovany holds a 4th degree black belt in the Hayastan Grappling System, a 4th degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Gracie Barra Professor Thiago Reinaldo De Souza, a 7th degree black belt in Judo, and Master Level 2 in Sambo awarded by FIAS technical director Master Sergey Tabakov. Programs provide training in both gi and no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, focusing on joint locks, chokes, throws, and ground fighting control. Training accommodates practitioners of different experience backgrounds, from recreational students seeking fitness and self-defense to active athletes preparing for tournaments.