Openmat

What Openmat does

OpenMat Mixed Martial Arts Academy is a privately held, single-location MMA and self-defence gym operating in downtown Toronto since its founding in 2004 by Elliott Bayev, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Professor Shawn Williams. The academy delivers in-person group classes and private lessons in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gi and No-Gi), Muay Thai Kickboxing, Boxing, and Wrestling, supplemented by specialized tracks for children, women-only classes, and school/corporate self-defence workshops delivered on-site at the College Street facility. Instruction is led by a roster of credentialed coaches, including world/national championship competitors, and is anchored by a proprietary 101/201 BJJ curriculum designed by the founder.

The business operates on a recurring monthly membership model with a 15% student discount, alongside pay-as-you-go private lessons and corporate/school workshop revenue. Customer acquisition is community-led, relying on free trial classes, word-of-mouth referrals, and an organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram, with the openmat.ca website serving as the primary information channel. There are no disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, patents, app products, or external partnerships; the company appears to be founder-owned and operated with a small team in the 11-50 employee range.

The addressable customer base spans adult beginners through advanced competitors, children and teens, women seeking dedicated training environments, and schools/corporates purchasing self-defence programming. While the academy offers multiple disciplines and customer segments, growth signals within the data are limited to product and pricing optimizations (free trials, student discounts, new program verticals) executed within the same single physical facility, with no disclosed geographic expansion or technology platform development.

Name

Openmat

Legal name

OpenMat MMA

Website

https://openmat.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts Training Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Grappling & Submission Arts Training (Judo, BJJ, Wrestling) (HSADADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Combat Sports Gyms (Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai) (HSADADAB), Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Training (HSADADAD)

Keywords

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training
• Muay Thai kickboxing
• Mixed martial arts academy
• Kids martial arts
• Self-defence programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Monthly Memberships: Recurring monthly membership fees for access to group classes including BJJ, Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and kids programs. Student discount of 15% available.
2. Private Lessons: One-on-one or small group personalized training sessions for BJJ, Muay Thai, and personal training. Scheduled at member convenience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OpenMat is a Toronto-based mixed martial arts academy offering in-person training programs in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gi and No-Gi), Muay Thai kickboxing, boxing, wrestling, and kids BJJ. It also provides private lessons and school/corporate self-defence workshops delivered through a structured curriculum.

Product overview

OpenMat Mixed Martial Arts Academy is a single-location martial arts gym in Toronto offering a unified portfolio of in-person training programs. The core offering consists of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (with both Gi and No-Gi variants), Kids BJJ, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Boxing, and Wrestling classes. Add-on services include Private Lessons for personalized one-on-one training in BJJ, Muay Thai, or Personal Training. The gym also offers specialized School and Corporate Self-Defence programs that bring instructor-led training to external clients. All programs are delivered on-site at the College Street facility with a structured curriculum designed by founder Elliott Bayev.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training program offering Gi and No-Gi classes for all skill levels, with a structured 101 curriculum for beginners and advanced 201 curriculum.
• Kids BJJ Martial arts classes for children focused on both skill development and character building, promoting confidence, focus, and self-defense.
• Muay Thai Kickboxing Muay Thai kickboxing classes covering fundamentals, conditioning, and sparring drills for all skill levels.
• Boxing Boxing program with fundamentals, sparring drills, and conditioning classes suitable for all levels.
• Wrestling Wrestling program designed to enhance fitness, confidence, and self-defense skills, with focus on takedowns and top control for BJJ and MMA practitioners.
• Private Lessons One-on-one or small group personalized training sessions for BJJ, Muay Thai, or Personal Training, offering flexible scheduling and customized training plans.
• Self-Defence Programs School and corporate self-defence programs using BJJ techniques, covering awareness, confidence building, personal safety, team-building, and stress management.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of Toronto's most successful BJJ competition teams
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Tiger Muay Thai: Iconic Muay Thai and MMA training destination in Phuket, Thailand, attracting both hobbyists and professional fighters. Comparable to OpenMat on the Muay Thai and MMA program mix, though it operates as an international fight-camp destination rather than a local membership gym.
• Gracie Barra: Largest global BJJ network with hundreds of affiliated academies, including locations in the Toronto area. Directly comparable to OpenMat as a membership-based BJJ school, but operates at much greater scale and as a franchise/affiliate brand rather than an independent academy.
• Checkmat BJJ: Global BJJ competition powerhouse with affiliated schools in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Comparable to OpenMat on BJJ curriculum and competition positioning, but at substantially larger network scale.
• Alliance BJJ: One of the most decorated BJJ competition teams in the world with affiliated academies across multiple countries. Comparable to OpenMat on the competition-team and curriculum axes, but with a far larger international footprint.

Direct peers

• Kings MMA: Huntington Beach-based MMA academy known for producing elite strikers and MMA champions under coach Rafael Cordeiro. Direct peer to OpenMat's boxing/Muay Thai programs in a single-location, competition-oriented model.
• Tristar Gym: Montreal-based MMA academy famous for producing UFC champions (e.g., Georges St-Pierre). The closest Canadian analog to OpenMat — a single-country, lineage-driven MMA gym that combines BJJ, wrestling, and striking with a strong competition brand.
• 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu: Founded by Eddie Bravo, 10th Planet is a global No-Gi focused BJJ brand with multiple affiliated schools. Directly comparable to OpenMat's BJJ/No-Gi offering, with a similar emphasis on structured curriculum and competition pathways.
• Para Bellum MMA: Toronto-area MMA gym offering BJJ, Muay Thai, boxing, and wrestling in a single multi-discipline academy. Operates in the same downtown Toronto market as OpenMat and competes directly for the same hobbyist and competitor member base.
• Renzo Gracie Academy: Flagship Renzo Gracie academy in New York and a global affiliate network. Particularly relevant given OpenMat's founder is a Black Belt under a Renzo Gracie lineage, making it a direct stylistic and instructional peer in the BJJ market.
• Hard Knocks 365: Single-location MMA gym in California known for high-profile training footage and a strong competition team. Directly comparable to OpenMat as a competition-brand MMA academy relying on a tight instructor roster and community-driven GTM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenMat
• Instagraminstagram.com/openmatmma
• Xx.com/openmatmma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openmat-mixed-martial-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Openmat