Gokor Chivichyan

Gokor Chivichyan (Armenian: Գոքոր Չիվիչյան; born 1963) is an Armenian-American Judo, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts instructor. Chivichyan currently trains professional and amateur fighters at the Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood, California, United States. Chivichyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia. Chivichyan began his training as a young child in Soviet Armenia, winning national junior titles in judo, sambo, and wrestling.

At the age of 17, Chivichyan relocated to Los Angeles, California where he continued his training in no-gi submission wrestling under Gene LeBell, a famous Catch wrestler and the United States' first Judo champion. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Chivichyan traveled and competed in the Soviet Union and throughout Europe, Japan, Thailand, and Mexico. With the opening of the Hayastan Academy in 1991, Gokor retired undefeated from professional fighting, and focused his time on teaching.

In 1997, Chivichyan came out of retirement to win a superfight organized by the World Fighting Federation. In 1998, he was named by Black Belt Magazine as “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.

In February 2005, the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (ISJJF) awarded him the rank of 7th dan in judo.

To the great surprise of many, Chivichyan competed again at the 2008 USJA/USJF Winter Nationals, the first National Judo Championship endorsed by both organizations. He took Gold after defeating Gary Butts by uchi mata in the finals.