Today we’d like to introduce you to Vitaly Zaslavsky.
Hi Vitaly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From a Nine-Year-Old on the outskirts of Moscow to a Dojo in Elizabeth
My martial arts journey started when I was nine years old, growing up in Moscow, Russia.
It was a very different time. The city was big, life was not always predictable, and there wasn’t always much order on the streets. My parents felt that a kid should know how to stand up for himself, and, just as importantly, how to stand up for someone who might need help.
So they took me to a local sport club teaching SAMBO (a Self-Defense system developed in Russia to arm and prepare its military for hand-hand combat).
I had no idea then that one decision would become a lifelong journey.
At first, SAMBO was simply something I did after school. I learned how to fall, how to keep my balance, how to move, how to wrestle and how to defend myself. But as I grew older, I realized that the most important things I was learning had very little to do with fighting.
I learned how to overcome laziness. How to keep going when I was tired or uncomfortable. How to deal with losing. How to accept that I wasn’t always going to be the best person in the room, and that there was always something I could learn from someone else. Most importantly, I learned to keep improving.
Those lessons stayed with me long after I stopped being a young athlete. They became part of who I am.
Over the years, SAMBO led me to the legendary SAMBO-70 school in Moscow, to Judo, to competition, coaching, teaching and eventually leadership in the sport. I had the opportunity to learn from some exceptional coaches and martial artists and to train and teach in many different places around the world.
Building Something of My Own
A few years ago, I decided to take another big step in my martial arts journey.
I opened Stiles Street MMA Academy in Elizabeth, NJ.
Opening a small martial arts school is very different from competing in a tournament or coaching a national team. There are no medals at the end of the day. Instead, there are students walking through the door for the first time, parents trusting you with their children, adults trying something completely new, and experienced athletes looking for a place where they can continue to grow.
And that’s exactly what I wanted to build – place where martial arts are accessible to everyone.
Today, our students range from about 6 years old to 60 and beyond. Some come because they want to compete. Some want to learn self-defense. Some want to get in better shape. Some simply want to try something they’ve always been curious about.
And that’s okay. You don’t have to become a champion to benefit from martial arts.
A six-year-old can learn how to fall safely, listen, stay focused and interact with others.
A teenager can learn confidence, discipline and how to handle pressure.
An adult can get stronger, healthier and more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
An experienced competitor can continue refining technique and testing themselves.
Everyone comes to the mat with a different goal. My job is to help them find their own path.
What we teach:
Our academy brings together SAMBO, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with an emphasis on strong fundamentals, technical skills, practical self-defense and continuous improvement.
But what we really teach goes beyond techniques. We teach people how to fall and get back up. How to stay balanced when someone is trying to knock them off balance. How to remain calm when things don’t go their way. How to work with a partner and help each other improve. How to win honorably and how to lose with dignity. These are skills that have value far beyond the dojo.
That’s what SAMBO gave me when I was nine years old, and that’s what I want to pass on.
What’s Next
After more than four decades in martial arts, I still love being on the mat. But today, what excites me most isn’t what I can accomplish personally. It’s watching a student accomplish something they didn’t believe they could do. It’s seeing a shy child become more confident. Watching someone who struggled with a technique finally gets it. Seeing a beginner come back after a difficult first class. Watching an athlete lose a match, come back to practice, work on the mistakes and eventually succeed. Those moments are why I continue teaching. And they are why I opened the academy.
I want Stiles Street MMA Academy to be more than a place where people come to learn how to fight.
I want it to be a place where people become stronger, more confident and more capable—physically and mentally.
A place where children can grow, adults can challenge themselves, families can train together, and athletes can pursue competition.
A place where everyone, regardless of age or experience, can walk through the door and feel that they belong on the mat.
I started SAMBO at nine years old because my parents wanted me to learn how to stand up for myself.
More than forty years later, I have the opportunity to help others learn how to do the same.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Moving from Russia to the United States meant starting a new chapter of my life and adapting to a completely different environment. I had to build a career, support a family, and find my place while continuing to stay connected to martial arts.
There were times when work and other responsibilities took priority. There were times when training was difficult to fit into life. There were losses in competition, projects that didn’t work out, and moments when progress seemed much slower than I wanted.
One of the first lessons I learned as a kid was that being uncomfortable doesn’t mean you should quit.
You get tired. You make mistakes. You lose. You get frustrated. Then you get up, figure out what went wrong, and keep going.
The mat is a small version of life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am the President of All-American SAMBO Federation, also known as American Amateur SAMBO Federation (AASF). It’s a non-profit organization committed to fostering the healthy development of children and at-risk youth through the disciplined practice of SAMBO, a dynamic martial art and sport. By guiding participants on a journey of physical mastery, mental resilience, and personal growth, the organization aims to instill confidence, self-esteem, and a strong sense of purpose. Through structured training and mentorship, young athletes learn the value of dedication, respect, and perseverance – foundational skills that extend beyond the mat and into all aspects of life.
Our Federation is engaged in organizing fundraising events, seminars, local tournaments and national-level championship. Together with world-class athletes, we uphold and advance SAMBO by promoting it nationally and teaching its values and techniques to students of all ages, ensuring its continued growth for future generations.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
People know me as a sportsman, coach and referee, but teaching martial arts is only part of my life.
I graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in quantum physics and began my professional career researching some of the biggest questions we can ask – how our Universe was created and how it works at its most fundamental level.
Later, after moving to the United States, I earned a degree in quantitative finance and moved into investment banking, where I now lead a team of researchers working on complex problems in financial markets.
So, in a way, my life has taken me from the dojo to the universe, from physics to financial markets, and eventually back to the dojo.
Martial arts taught me discipline, problem-solving, and the willingness to keep working on a difficult problem until you solve it. It was long before I had a career in science and finance. Today, I try to bring the same mindset to my students: “stay curious, embrace the challenge, and never stop improving”.
Pricing:
- $130 monthly limited membership (classes twice a week)
- $180 monthly membership (unlimited classes)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stilesstreetmma.club
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stilesstreetmma
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19eXpXitfm/?mibextid=
- Other: https://allamericansambo.org
