Plenty of gyms put "MMA" in the window. Here, mixed means something specific: the ground game, with judo, sambo, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, added to a competitive kickboxing program. You learn every aspect of the sport, in an academy with over 40 years of experience in mixed martial arts and 2 UFC fighters produced.
Who it's for
MMA attracts two very different crowds, and the program is built for both. Around 80% of our members never compete: they come for seriously effective conditioning, pushing past their limits, and real self-confidence. The rest aim for the cage, and the path exists for them too. You are probably one of these:
- You have watched MMA for years and finally want to try it for real
- You already train a striking art and want to learn the ground
- You want the most complete conditioning there is, without a treadmill in sight
- You have a level in another martial art and want serious training partners
- You might, one day, want to test yourself in competition, without being pushed into it
Real MMA
MMA is not one discipline: it is the assembly of several. Our program starts from competitive kickboxing for the standing game, then adds the ground: judo for throws, sambo and wrestling for takedowns and control, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu for positions and submissions.
That assembly is not improvised. The academy has over 40 years of experience in mixed martial arts, and MMA Patenaude training stands up against the best in the world. It is the same teaching that carried Marc-André Barriault and Julien Leblanc to the UFC, produced more than 30 amateur champions, and filled the belt wall in the entrance.
Classes split by level
The classic MMA fear is being thrown in with killers on night one. That is not how it works here. Classes are split by level: beginners, intermediate and amateur, professional and advanced.
You start with people at your level, you learn technique, conditioning and movement, and you move up when you are ready. Contact is progressive and supervised: you train for a long time before anyone talks about opposition, and sparring stays a choice, never an imposed step.
That structure is how the same floor can serve a 40-year-old beginner on Monday at 6:45 pm and professionals later in the week, without anyone being in the wrong room.
Up to the UFC
Marc-André Barriault and Julien Leblanc made it to the UFC. Dave Leduc, 5 time Lethwei world champion, trains here. Alain Majorique reached the PFL finals. Isaac Blais is a two-time Fight Quest champion. Our fighters compete at amateur and professional events across Canada and internationally.
Why does that matter to you, the beginner? Because it proves the teaching works. The instructors correcting your beginner stance are the ones preparing world-level athletes. You will never have to wonder whether you are learning the right version of a technique.
A training week
The MMA grappling blocks run Monday and Wednesday at 6:45 pm, with a grappling block Saturday at 10:15 am. Most members pair them with the kickboxing blocks that run right before, which is how you cover the standing game and the ground game in the same evening without doubling your trips.
Your first months follow a predictable arc. The early weeks are about movement and positions: where your hips go, how you fall safely, how you get back up. Then the techniques start chaining together, and the conditioning that felt brutal in week one becomes your warm-up. Nobody rushes that arc, because rushing it is how people get hurt or quit. Come once or twice a week, consistently, and the progress takes care of itself.
And when you are ready for more, the room scales with you: harder drills, faster partners, and eventually, if you want it, an evaluation for the Fight Team. The path is there. The pace is yours.
Over 40 years of experience in mixed martial arts. 2 UFC fighters produced, several professional champions, more than 30 amateur champions.
Real MMA, taught for over 40 years.
Book your intro · $19.99Your first class
Nobody gets thrown in the cage on night one. Here is exactly how it goes.
- 01
You book your intro
$19.99, taxes included. Fill in the form, we call back within 24 business hours to set the time. Torn between kickboxing and MMA? Say so: we advise honestly.
- 02
You arrive early, we gear you up
Shorts or loose pants, t-shirt, water bottle. We provide the rest and we train barefoot. The instructor meets you before class starts.
- 03
You do the full beginners class
Warm-up, the day's technique broken down step by step, partner work at your level, cool-down. You sweat, you learn, nobody hits you.
- 04
You ask your questions
The dojo tour, how the levels work, how you progress from one class to the next, and straight answers about membership. No pressure sales.
- 05
You decide at home
No contract at the intro, no obligation. You pick the plan that fits when you are ready, or you do not come back, and nobody hounds you.
Book your intro
$19.99 · Taxes included · Payable on site
The MMA blocks
Monday
- 6:45 – 7:30 pmMMA Grappling
Wednesday
- 6:45 – 7:30 pmMMA Grappling
Saturday
- 10:15 – 10:45 amGrappling
What holds people back
"I'll get hurt"
Contact is progressive, supervised, and optional outside the competition team. You work technique and conditioning long before opposition, and always with partners at your level.
"I have zero base"
Beginner classes exist exactly for that. Everything is broken down from zero, and the instructor stays with you. Our oldest member is 70.
"I don't want to fight"
Around 80% of members never compete. The competition team is a separate program, by invitation. You can train here for ten years and never step into a cage.
"The guys will be intense"
The family atmosphere is our reputation, and it is not a slogan. The advanced students remember their own first class. Respect is part of the curriculum, same as technique.
The price
The intro is $19.99 taxes included, payable on site. Memberships then run 3, 6 or 12 months with monthly payments, which works out to roughly $20 a class depending on your frequency.
Exact numbers are given in person after your intro, because we would rather you see the teaching before we talk money. No hidden fees, no pressure sale.
Common questions
What makes this different from a regular MMA gym?
The depth of the floor and the lineage of the teaching. The same instructors who prepare UFC fighters Marc-André Barriault and Julien Leblanc teach the beginners, with a method sharpened over 40 years. You learn the whole sport, not a diluted version.
I have never done a combat sport. Is it too late?
No. Beginner classes start from zero, and most of our new members walk in with no experience. Conditioning is built by coming, not before coming. Our oldest member is 70.
Will I be sparring quickly?
No, and never against your will. Contact is progressive: technique first, drills next, opposition only when you are ready and willing. Outside the competition team, sparring remains a choice.
Can I train only the ground game, or only striking?
Yes. Grappling blocks and kickboxing blocks are separate on the schedule. Many members do both, but nothing forces you: you build your week from the blocks that interest you.
Are women welcome in the MMA program?
Yes, and not just welcome: our female fighters compete at amateur and professional events. There is also Warrior Fitness, a women-only class coached by Christine Patenaude, if you would rather start there.
From what age?
From age 8 in the Kids 8-12 program, where training follows the same sessions as the adults, adapted to their age. From 13, you train with the adult group.
What equipment do I need for MMA?
Nothing to start: at the intro we provide everything, and we train barefoot. Come in shorts and a t-shirt with a water bottle. If you continue, we advise you on gloves, mouthguard and the rest at the right moment, based on the blocks you choose, without selling you the whole shop on night one.
What if I want to compete one day?
The path exists and it is clear: Fight Team Patenaude, the largest and most active combat sports competition team in Gatineau. Entry is by evaluation and try-out, when your level justifies it. Reach out when you feel ready.
Where to find us
The MMA grappling blocks run Monday and Wednesday in the early evening, plus Saturday morning, at 306 Notre-Dame Street in Gatineau. Parking is on site, and the drive from Ottawa is minutes over the bridge.
You can join any block at your level. There is no session to wait for: you start the week you decide.
