Professor Egor “Radzik” Radzievskii has more than 30 years experience in different martial arts, including Russian Sambo, Judo, Krav Maga and of course Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Egor is a 3rd degree black belt in BJJ; received his black belt from a pioneer of MMA in this country professor Shah Franco in 2013. Winner and medalist of numerous tournaments including Ontario Open, IBJJF Toronto Open International and Montreal ADCC Pro Trials, Egor is continuously improving in the arts as an instructor as well as a fighter. Egor is also known locally as a master of leg locks – taking his knowledge of Russian Sambo he reintroduced them to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA.
647.782.4555
egor@primalmma.ca
Dan Medland has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for over 13 years. He is a first degree black belt under Egor Radzik. While Dan has trained and taught other martial arts that include wrestling, kickboxing, boxing, Japanese jiu jitsu, Kung fu, karate and Muay Thai, BJJ is his passion. His approach to jiu jitsu is methodical and technical, while still keeping self defense in mind.
A newcomer to Toronto, Mahmoud joined us from Calgary, Alberta in 2022. He began his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey in 2012, and after a decade of training, received his blackbelt from Professor CJ Hollett at 101 Academy in Calgary. As an engineer, Mahmoud enjoys the structure and systematic nature of this ‘gentle art’. Outside of Jiu Jitsu, Mahmoud considers himself an ‘energy enthusiast’ and is always up for a friendly chat about all things energy and cleantech related.
2011 Erin Veitch began his jiu jitsu training at InFighting Training Centre in Vancouver, BC. Little did he know at the time that the sport would have such an impact on his life. After attending his first class he quickly found himself addicted to the sport training routinely. Aside from training jiu jitsu, Erin also involved himself in boxing and personal training for over 10 years.
2018 Erin and his family relocated to Toronto, ON. Soon after he found Primal MMA to be his preferred place to train. A room full of great training partners to push him to the next level.
2021 Erin received his brown belt from Professor Egor Radzik and joined the Primal team as a coach. He looks forward to sharing the lessons he’s learned over the past decade of training. See you on the mat!
Konstantin comes to us from Mother Russia where he spent his teenage years shooting guns, eating ‘borscht’ & riding wild bears with Vladimir Putin. All jokes aside, Konstantin’s been training, competing & medaling in Judo, Sambo and Kudo on both Russia’s provincial and territorial level since the age of 12. A few years after his arrival in Canada, Konstantin joined Action & Reaction MMA in North York, Ontario to study the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Fernando “Gringo” Zulick. Within the following 5 years, Konstantin developed a very fun and acrobatic style of Jiu Jitsu that’s always fun to watch but not very fun to fight against. Konstantin went on to win or medal in over two dozen BJJ & Grappling tournaments, including multiple local and international podiums: the Ontario Open, Quebec Open, IBJJF Toronto Open, IBJJF Montreal Open, St. Petersburg (Russia) Open, and many more. He’s been co-instructing 7AM BJJ since 2017, and brings a wealth of martial arts knowledge and competition experience. Outside of the gym, Konstantin is an award-winning mortgage broker, host of a business podcast, serial entrepreneur and just a great person to know and have a beer with. Don’t believe it? Just look him up!
Having always been a highly driven and competitive individual, Terrence became an avid fan of Mixed Martial Arts at the onset of the sport. He started training MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2009 in Niagara before moving to Toronto to build his career as a video producer and commercial editor.
Terrence returned to the sport in 2014 where he trained under Professor Shah Franco, before moving across town and joining the Primal family. He has since been an active BJJ practitioner and competitor, with numerous tournament successes to his name on the local and provincial circuit; he plans to compete internationally in the very near future.
After receiving his purple belt from Primal Head Instructor, Professor Egor Radzik, Terrence took on the role as Primal’s Kids BJJ Coach, where he shares his expert knowledge and positivity with the next generation of practitioners.
Jullian’s always been active, from his days playing basketball to taking martial arts as a youngster. Health and fitness have always played a huge role in his life. In his late teens, Jullian discovered Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It is a martial art that he cannot live without. He loves to use Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a way to sharpen the mind, strengthen the body and calm the soul.
He’s found some success in local competitions but his true passion comes in the physical and social components that energize his day, hence his love for training first thing in the morning with the 7AM BJJ crew. Jullian believes in the empowering nature of jiu jitsu and loves to help his peers grow in the martial art.
You can find him smiling bright and early on the mats every Tuesday and Thursday morning and he hopes you leave the mats smiling too.
Tristan started his BJJ journey at the ripe young age of 14, and has loved the sport ever since. He spent his formative years training at Action & Reaction before joining Primal 7 years ago, where he is now a brown belt under Professor Egor Radzik. Tristan believes that BJJ is a great way to stay active without knowing it, and to develop important critical thinking skills along the way.
Growing up Jack always knew fitness and athletics were his passion. He grew up in a gym watching his father, a personal trainer, work with client after client, hoping that one day he too would follow a similar path. At the age of 16 Jack took up boxing in hopes of taking his overall fitness and self-confidence to a new level, and in return he discovered that fighting was what he was meant to do. Boxing helped him grow as an athlete, and as a young man. He’s competed at the local, provincial, national, and international level and hopes to soon land a spot on Canada’s Olympic squad. Teaching boxing lessons has only helped him grow as a fighter, and although first round knockouts are the icing on the cake for him, seeing the day-to-day improvement in his classes might be the cherry on top.
Having grown up playing high level competitive sports, specifically elite level Hockey, Justyn was immersed in athletics and strict training regimens from a young age. After hanging up his skates, Justyn transitioned into coaching hockey teams in the GTA. Having taken his knowledge of training in competitive sports, he transitioned into the fitness industry learning the ins-and-outs of strength training and nutrition. Through years of thorough research and first-hand experience, Justyn has a deep understanding of how nutrition plays a pivotal role in athletic performance, recovery, strength training and bodybuilding.
A strong believer that the mind is our most powerful weapon, Justyn continually pushes himself beyond his physical limitations to prove that our bodies are capable of exceeding our own expectations. Having dedicated himself to his passion, martial arts, Justyn has competed in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Boxing tournaments across Ontario.
Shawn Desjardins fell in love with Martial Arts and combat sports as a child watching Kung Fu movies, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and the Power Rangers! He would watch the Power Rangers and then enter a pre-dinner Kumite with his older brother on an almost daily basis.
Involved in athletics his entire life, Shawn maintained his interest in Martial Arts throughout his adolescence. When he discovered MMA, he became enthralled with the sport: The stories of the fighters, and their displays of courage, skill, perseverance and heart were akin to tales of the mythical figures he so much enjoyed watching on the big screen.
In his teenage years, Shawn committed himself to strength training through to the achievement of his Engineering degree at McMaster University. It wasn’t until 3 men attempted to rob Shawn, that he realized he needed Martial Arts training.
Shawn began to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in February 2012. Almost a decade later, it’s clear that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Combat sports have been a guiding light for Shawn in his growth and development as a person. What Martial Arts has given him is invaluable and ALMOST indescribable: Grounded confidence to defend/stand up for oneself, community, self-knowledge, growth, and sanctuary are just a few words Shawn would use to describe Martial Arts and what it means to him.
Shawn’s approach to learning and teaching Martial Arts is measured and focused on the holistic growth of himself and his students.
Landen has been involved in sports and athletics from an early age, playing hockey, football, rugby, volleyball, swimming and track and field. While attending Queen’s University, Landen was a member of the Varsity Wrestling team and competed for 2 years in tournaments across Ontario. After trying one Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class, Landen became addicted to the sport and dropped wrestling and all other athletic pursuits to focus solely on BJJ, and to developing himself as a martial artist and a competitive grappler. With several BJJ competitions under his belt, he has earned his Blue Belt under our own Egor Radzik and is continually working to improve every aspect of his game. To compliment his BJJ, Landen actively trains long distance running, kettlebells and various body weight exercises. You can find him on the mats almost any day of the week or at the front desk of Primal Academy ready to greet you with a big smile and encouragement to help you meet your goals in physical fitness and martial arts.
A former elite middle distance track athlete, Thomas has taken his passion for athletics and fitness and molded it into a vessel for helping others achieve their personal fitness, health and athletic goals. Thomas has worked in the sports and recreation industry since 2002, as an athletics coach and strength trainer. In 2009, he began training full time in London before returning to Toronto in 2011. After years of working in a big chain gym, disenchanted by the work environment and training methods, he opted to open Primal Movement and forge his own vision for a fitness facility that puts it’s members and clients first. Since it’s opening Primal has seen two expansions with the addition of Primal MMA and Training Studio / Clinic in 2014.
Thomas believes in a wholistic approach to training, encompassing all aspects of fitness and wellness, both body and mind. He views the human being as an athlete inherently, and trains his clients following this mantra. Thomas trains clients of all ages, with a wide spectrum of goals. From young athletes looking to gain an edge with their strength and conditioning, to individuals who simply want to look and feel better through weight loss, lean muscle development and a change in body composition. His specialties include Hypertrophy (muscle development), Fat Loss, Injury Rehabilitation, Athletic Conditioning and Strength and Conditioning for MMA.
416.899.9183
thomas@primalmma.ca
I’m Lou Berkovits, a practicing yogi and Power Yoga teacher committed to sharing my love and passion for yoga. I teach a vinyasa or flow of movements based on the Journey Into Power series created by Baron Baptiste. I have consistently found this series to be the most challenging, rewarding and beneficial. Regardless of how many times I have practiced this flow, no two experiences have ever been the same. Each practice is as unique as that day, as that time, and as that moment. Get ready to work hard, get sweaty, get messy, and create the possibilities that lie within you to evolve into your grounded and true self.
Ryan has eleven years of personal training experience and has had success with countless clients. He has a deep understanding of the sciences that guide exercise, which he developed while studying at George Brown College, and pairs it with an art he has been shaping since age 12, when he first discovered weight training.
He believes the key to achieving results lies in identifying needs through thorough assessment, creating a strong foundation and practicing flawless fundamentals. This allows you to maintain constant progress and avoid injury, leading to your highest level of physical fitness. Personal training isn’t just about reaching your goals, but also understanding your own body and building confidence and independence in and out of the gym.
He takes pride in having a diverse skill set and being able to work with a wide variety of clients. Specializing in assessment, Fascial Stretch Therapy, mobility training, strength and conditioning, nutrition and kickboxing; he has all the tools necessary to ensure your success and the highest level training experience. Within a few short sessions his clients are able to move better than they ever thought possible and are on their way to a life changing experience.
416.660.3457
Taj Gordon was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Taj began his martial arts journey training MMA through the disciplines of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing and Wrestling. Taj had a mission of becoming the best martial artist that he can be. By demonstrating dedication to training, a willingness to learn and an undying passion for the art, Taj has positioned himself as a reputable source for obtaining martial arts proficiency.
At McMaster University, Taj completed the Kinesiology program. This equipped him with a high degree of knowledge and practical skills towards exercise, health, nutrition, and injury-prevention.
Currently, Taj helps a wide variety of people build muscle, lose weight and transform their health. At the same time, Taj is an active competitor and is pursuing a career in MMA.
Growing up, Rohit always had an issue with losing weight. He tried everything, from different nutrition plans to new workout routines but he always ended up being in the same spot. Frustrated, Rohit was looking for a solution.
That was until he found Kickboxing. Growing up, Rohit always loved martial arts and with the UFC becoming more popular, he made a decision that would forever change his life. From doing amateur fights to physically pushing his body, Rohit slowly started to see his transformation happen right before his eyes. As he wanted to compete more seriously and challenge himself more, he started going into strength training to further understand his body, and potential.
Rohit’s primary goal when training clients is teaching the basics of Kickboxing in the most fun and effective way possible. Through his experience of training for over 6 years, he aims to provide students the perfect blend of kickboxing and strength training, while helping achieve their goal, whether it may be weight loss, improving your kickboxing technique or building muscle, Rohit’s got you!
