Seattle Jujutsu and SAMBO Club

For my 200^th and final review as a Seattle Unilocaler, I’m going to tell you about my favorite business in Seattle. No, I haven’t forgotten about Paseo or Herkimer or Pestle Rock or Jebena. My favorite business in Seattle is a nondescript grappling gym in Maple Leaf.
I first came in about a month after I moved to Seattle, back in 2007. I’ve been putting off writing a review, because this place is more *club* than *business*. We pay dues, yes, but only enough to pay rent and keep the doors open. There isn’t really a *staff*; we all chip in with cleaning, maintenance, rent money, and even instruction, when appropriate. On paper, it is a business, but in reality, it’s just a collection of people who like to train together. Reviewing the gym feels like reviewing my circle of friends. Just to make things weirder, they discovered my Unilocal account a few weeks ago, which means that someone from the gym is probably reading this as we speak. Hi Andrew.
The founder and head coach is Aaron Fields, whose background is in Japanese jujutsu. His time in the eastern block exposed him to SAMBO, a Russian grappling sport with close ties to judo and jujutsu. The current gym manager is Lana Ramirez, an experienced judo player. This exposure to a variety of grappling styles makes the gym non-​dogmatic. Grappling is grappling; rule sets vary, but the principles do not. Wrestlers and Brazilian jiu jitsu players fit right into the club, sharing their strengths and learning from ours.
The gym has changed names a couple of times since I started training there. When I joined, it was ‘Seattle Jujutsu/​Hatake Dojo’. Then it became ‘Sea-​Town SAMBO’. Now it goes by ‘Sea-​Town Grappling’. I mention this so you can do your online research, and find out about this club’s reputation for good technique and a good training atmosphere. Aaron and Lana have built a culture of safe, technical, physically demanding practice. This is not the sort of gym where young testosterone-​addled men set out to prove how young and testosterone-​addled they are. But it’s also not a bullshit, flowery, feel-​good sort of martial arts ‘studio’ where everybody gets a shiny new belt every year. You come here to learn how to make your techniques work on a resisting opponent, often one who’s bigger and stronger and more experienced than you are, and who’s also trying to choke you unconscious. It’s a slow, sometimes frustrating process, but your training partners will help you along and keep you safe.
The gym has undergone some changes in the past few years, with a more exposed location, and Lana taking over a lot of the day-​to-​day coaching duties from Aaron. Things have gotten a bit more laid-​back over the years, which may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your temperament. But the technical strength and the take-​care-​of-​your-​partners attitude are still here. They are also getting more organized about bringing beginners up to speed. I believe they now have a weekly fundamentals class, and some informal kids’ classes from time to time.
Grappling isn’t a sport for everybody. It’s hard work, and you could get hurt. But it’s also physically and intellectually rewarding, you’ll meet a diverse group of amazing people, and you’ll get in shape. If you specifically want to compete in judo, BJJ, or MMA, you should probably find a more specialized club to use as your primary gym, and just come here to cross-​train. If you want to become a good all-​round jacket grappler (throws, pins, chokes, armbars, leglocks), Sea-​Town Grappling is easily the best gym I’ve been to in Seattle or elsewhere.

My kids love this club because they have fun while learning discipline and basic judo and wrestling technique. Very convenient to our work/​school schedules. Easy parking behind the café. ¹⁰⁄₁₀!

It was really difficult for me to give this club 5 stars. They deserve a 100 star rating. The club is a solid place for everyone — beginners and professionals. Aaron Fields has the extensive knowledge of JJJ (Japanese Ju-​Jutsu) and Sambo. His instructions are very clear and easy to understand. I salute him for his dedication to the club and what he has accomplished with limited resources. People in the club are very friendly and helpful. If you are looking for a friendly environment to pick up great grappling skills, I would go no further than Seattle Jujutsu and Sambo Club.
I just want to clarify something… Remember when I said people in the club are very friendly? Well… they are, until you start grappling. Then they will make you sweat and work really hard until there is no sweat left in you. I love it!