Sugar Rays in Vancouver

moneymango

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Has anyone been to this gym? Thinking of signing up but would like to know if anyone has trained there
 
I have.

FYI they just moved from Marine Drive to downtown (Granville) and I haven't had a chance to see the new place (more on that below). The old place was a dump but it was open 24/7 and had everything that you needed. Amir Khan trained there last year when he was having visa troubles in the US and so you can't argue that it has everything that you need.

I liked the fact that it was 24/7 access (I work long hours and want to be able to work out whenever I want). I also liked the fact that the trainer is there noon - 8 to provide advice. No classes. just somebody there to help you when you work out. It is pretty cheap ($550/yr. less for students).

My actual experience was that the main trainer - Bob - is from the Ike Turner school of training. He never showed any interest in showing me anything and generally ignored guys like me (new to the sport) whenever there were good fighters in the gym (or girls). Every week or so he would come by to spend 5 minutes running me down for bad technique (expect to be called a retard et al) then spend 10 minutes telling me it was for my own good and then another 5 minutes promising to actually teach me something the next day. Repeat the cycle. He never answered any of my questions directly and always referred to tips that he had never given me. I found the whole thing pretty frustrating. I just want to deal with somebody professional who treats me like an adult. Supposedly other guys are trainers there as well but I never knew who was who. every once in a while some guys would help me out (but Bob would tell me the opposite the next time that I saw him).

The whole move to Granville has been a clusterfuck. They closed the last location 10 days earlier then advertised and opened the new about a week late. I only find these things out by showing up and rattling the doors and tracking Bob down. Totally unprofessional.

In any case, I see the new location is now open and I am going to give it another try. Make up your own mind of course but I have played lots of sports in my life and this is the first time I had to deal with such a negative atmosphere.

I have 2 months left on my membership. if things don't improve, I am going to try Muay Thai at Universal just down the street on Granville.

Good luck whatever you decide
 
I have.

FYI they just moved from Marine Drive to downtown (Granville) and I haven't had a chance to see the new place (more on that below). The old place was a dump but it was open 24/7 and had everything that you needed. Amir Khan trained there last year when he was having visa troubles in the US and so you can't argue that it has everything that you need.

I liked the fact that it was 24/7 access (I work long hours and want to be able to work out whenever I want). I also liked the fact that the trainer is there noon - 8 to provide advice. No classes. just somebody there to help you when you work out. It is pretty cheap ($550/yr. less for students).

My actual experience was that the main trainer - Bob - is from the Ike Turner school of training. He never showed any interest in showing me anything and generally ignored guys like me (new to the sport) whenever there were good fighters in the gym (or girls). Every week or so he would come by to spend 5 minutes running me down for bad technique (expect to be called a retard et al) then spend 10 minutes telling me it was for my own good and then another 5 minutes promising to actually teach me something the next day. Repeat the cycle. He never answered any of my questions directly and always referred to tips that he had never given me. I found the whole thing pretty frustrating. I just want to deal with somebody professional who treats me like an adult. Supposedly other guys are trainers there as well but I never knew who was who. every once in a while some guys would help me out (but Bob would tell me the opposite the next time that I saw him).

The whole move to Granville has been a clusterfuck. They closed the last location 10 days earlier then advertised and opened the new about a week late. I only find these things out by showing up and rattling the doors and tracking Bob down. Totally unprofessional.

In any case, I see the new location is now open and I am going to give it another try. Make up your own mind of course but I have played lots of sports in my life and this is the first time I had to deal with such a negative atmosphere.

I have 2 months left on my membership. if things don't improve, I am going to try Muay Thai at Universal just down the street on Granville.

Good luck whatever you decide

and that was why they wanted you to pay a years up front :icon_lol:

didnt that send the alarm bells ringing ?
As for Amir Khan i think it was more he just wanted a quiet and dead place so he could train in peace while his visa got done. Hardly think the staff had anything to do with it.

you gonna try Universal ? Very over-priced (175+HST) a MONTH!!! from very mediocre trainers.
 
and that was why they wanted you to pay a years up front :icon_lol:

didnt that send the alarm bells ringing ?
As for Amir Khan i think it was more he just wanted a quiet and dead place so he could train in peace while his visa got done. Hardly think the staff had anything to do with it.

you gonna try Universal ? Very over-priced (175+HST) a MONTH!!! from very mediocre trainers.

so where do you suggest?
 
oh - and by the way, I agree that Khan obviously wasn't in Vancouver for training advice. just that Ray's has all the basics that you need in a gym despite being somewhat of a dump (old location at least)
 
Whom do you feel is mediocre (or "very" mediocre) at Universal?

not to name any names but one guy was a sport/point fighting karate champ. The other one has a belt in a bullshit organisation that outside the lower mainland nobody gives a shit about.
I saw his fights online. Not impressed. An ok amatuer and a decent guy to get some tips n spar from but no way should he be teaching classes. Especially for a 175 !!!
their BJJ is good though.

If u want boxing then that one in N.Van is really good . They got Ken Howard (canada's olympic coach). Other than that theres Tony Pep's in NW. Got the best credentials in canadian boxing.
Fought Ricky Hatton,Tony Lopez,Espinoza. Was scheduled to fight Casamayor before SARs hit in 2000. Was supposed to fight Gatti, beating the guy they threw before him. Last minute Gatti said no way.....he never did like fighting pure boxers, especially tall ones !
He fought Floyd Mayweather to a 10 round decision back when PBF was at his best weight @ 130lbs. Got through without a scratch and even managed to rattle PBF.
Thats the kind of credentials NOBODY in the lower mainland and very few Canadians ever had.

heres him in action YouTube - Tony Pep vs. J.T. Williams

skip to 0:40. Dont worry...its a 1 round fight. This is a World Title fight (i think), not some Manitoba farm boy.
You wanna learn from a guy who boxes like that ?.......shit i do !
 
not to name any names but one guy was a sport/point fighting karate champ. The other one has a belt in a bullshit organisation that outside the lower mainland nobody gives a shit about.
I saw his fights online. Not impressed. An ok amatuer and a decent guy to get some tips n spar from but no way should he be teaching classes. Especially for a 175 !!!

Hmm, I have no idea who either of the two guys you're describing is; maybe it was a while ago that you were there. Anyway at Universal we are currently being trained (noon mon-wed-fri) by Dmitry Ushkanov who I assure you is a genuine Muay Thai badass (Google will back me up on this). At night on Mondays and Wednesday we do a lot of sparring with good instruction as well.

Anyway, eddymotto, the trial classes there are free so please do try them out yourself.
 
Hmm, I have no idea who either of the two guys you're describing is; maybe it was a while ago that you were there. Anyway at Universal we are currently being trained (noon mon-wed-fri) by Dmitry Ushkanov who I assure you is a genuine Muay Thai badass (Google will back me up on this). At night on Mondays and Wednesday we do a lot of sparring with good instruction as well.

Anyway, eddymotto, the trial classes there are free so please do try them out yourself.

yeah i think they just added him so stop acting like he's been there since day one. Anyways , good addition. Its always good to learn from someone who has an extensive fight record. Its gotta be double digits at least :D
Plus these Soviets are some tough bastards. Good for you.

btw i think TS is asking about Boxing .....PURE boxing. I dont think ppl switch from a Sugar Ray's to a MMA facility to continue training hands plus that pricing ! 225 for a month of training ??? 100/hr for privates ???
Most boxing gyms are 40-80 bucks unlimited and no class structure. You get taught the whole time .
 
Hmm, I have no idea who either of the two guys you're describing is; maybe it was a while ago that you were there. Anyway at Universal we are currently being trained (noon mon-wed-fri) by Dmitry Ushkanov who I assure you is a genuine Muay Thai badass (Google will back me up on this). At night on Mondays and Wednesday we do a lot of sparring with good instruction as well.

Anyway, eddymotto, the trial classes there are free so please do try them out yourself.

thanks for the input. I have spoken to a couple of other people (friends of friends) who were positive towards Universal.

which location do you work out at (Richmond or downtown)?

also - is there a lot of open gym time? i want a place where I can work out on my own time if need be

thanks
 
I train at the downtown location.

As for open hours, there are the ones listed on the website. But I find that generally when there's a class going on there's often someone working out on their own not as part of the class. Obviously the instructor won't likely be thrilled if you're pounding on the speed bag as he's teaching technique but I've found people are often by themselves doing their own thing.

But I'm not really sure on the official open hours policy (if there is one) so it's probably best if you talk to them directly.
 
I train at the downtown location.

As for open hours, there are the ones listed on the website. But I find that generally when there's a class going on there's often someone working out on their own not as part of the class. Obviously the instructor won't likely be thrilled if you're pounding on the speed bag as he's teaching technique but I've found people are often by themselves doing their own thing.

But I'm not really sure on the official open hours policy (if there is one) so it's probably best if you talk to them directly.

thanks. when I can make the classes I obviously want to get the benefit of the instructors' knowledge. I am going to check out a couple of free classes and see how it goes.

i appreciate your advice
 
I train at the downtown location.

As for open hours, there are the ones listed on the website. But I find that generally when there's a class going on there's often someone working out on their own not as part of the class. Obviously the instructor won't likely be thrilled if you're pounding on the speed bag as he's teaching technique but I've found people are often by themselves doing their own thing.

But I'm not really sure on the official open hours policy (if there is one) so it's probably best if you talk to them directly.

whats dmitri's style of teaching ?
 
whats dmitri's style of teaching ?

Thick russian accent, :icon_lol: lots of cardio, leads the warm up himself rather than standing around dictating it, more time spent on free flowing drills working combinations, timing drills, clinching and sparring, less pad work. Emphasis on movement.

He has been at Universal for about a year, and teaching since January I believe.
 
Thick russian accent, :icon_lol: lots of cardio, leads the warm up himself rather than standing around dictating it, more time spent on free flowing drills working combinations, timing drills, clinching and sparring, less pad work. Emphasis on movement.

He has been at Universal for about a year, and teaching since January I believe.

how much do you guys spar ? how long and how many days a week ?
I mean real sparring not "you jab only and you only leftkick"
 
In the afternoon and early evening classes it varies a bit but usually at least a few rounds at the end. Afterward, who ever wants to as much as they want, and in the late evening advanced classes they do sparring for the last half of a 1 and 1/2 hour class.
 
In the afternoon and early evening classes it varies a bit but usually at least a few rounds at the end. Afterward, who ever wants to as much as they want, and in the late evening advanced classes they do sparring for the last half of a 1 and 1/2 hour class.

so i take it he doesnt teach in Richmond ?
Theres no Advanced Classes.
 
I don't know anything about the Richmond location really except that Wilf Betz mostly runs it. Dimitri has been there to teach classes at times but I don't know if it is a regular thing or not.
If you only want to take Dimitri's classes, he definitely teaches the Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday noon classes at the Vancouver location, beyond that I don't really know who is teaching what because those are the only muay thai classes I have attended there recently.

If you want to know all the trainers schedules you are better off just calling them and asking.
 
I don't know anything about the Richmond location really except that Wilf Betz mostly runs it. Dimitri has been there to teach classes at times but I don't know if it is a regular thing or not.
If you only want to take Dimitri's classes, he definitely teaches the Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday noon classes at the Vancouver location, beyond that I don't really know who is teaching what because those are the only muay thai classes I have attended there recently.

If you want to know all the trainers schedules you are better off just calling them and asking.

what kind of guys are in your sparring class ? noobs/beginners or fighters ?
 
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