Niagara Falls Ontario Canada: Seeing the sights and getting some Jiu-Jitsu in!

Greetings From Niagara Falls!

I made it to Niagara Falls without any problem, I caught the GO Bus on time and not only was there a stop just across from my hotel, but also the front desk let me check in early! That gave me time to catch a nap and see the sights before class that night. Niagara Falls was a big 'maybe' on the list and I really didn't know if I would be going or not until I was in Hamilton. Originally I was supposed to stay with a friend in St. Catherine's (next door to Niagara Falls) but just before the holidays that fell through. I contacted the gym I was going to go to and it ends up they would be closed for that weekend because of a big tournament in Toronto. I then asked my friend Matt Kaiser if he knew of anywhere to train or stay at, if not I'd just come back to Toronto and see some more friends and maybe check out another club or two. As it ends up Matt introduced me to Coach Rob and his gym, 1812 Fitness. Coach Rob was happy to help out and, although he wouldn't be around, set up places for me to train at. All I needed was a place to stay. As it happens, Niagara falls is dirt cheap to stay at in January! It's off season time so they get very little tourist traffic. The city is a buzz with tourists most the year and prices for everything are easily double or triple in the summer but during the winter I practically had my run of the town. Going there to see the sites without the mobs of tourists was more than worth it (Warning: Lots of pictures ahead!). Coach Rob setting me up with places to train made it a great stop I'm glad I made!

The Clubs: 1812 Fitness and Relentless MMA

Coach Rob runs 1812 Fitness, a place Matt Kaiser said he likes to check into when he's in town, so it was on my place of training at, especially since coach Rob was setting all this up for me, but their class wasn't until Saturday. I got in early Friday which meant it was the night everyone hits up Relentless MMA. The Niagara region Jiu-Jitsu community is a bit different. It's a small area and they understand that support from each club is needed to make Jiu-Jitsu successful. With that in mind they have different days for each club holding open mat. Friday evening is Relentless, Saturday it's 1812 and Sunday they all head down to Fort Erie to Dayboll-Pascuzzi Jiu-Jitsu for Sensei Sam Pascuzzi's open mat.

Fun Friday night at Relentless!

Relentless MMA is new, it had only been open for about 6 months when I visited, but Davide and Pat, who run the gym, have been working hard to make it a success. The space is an old warehouse lot that they turned into a gym, with lots of mat space, heavy bags for the kickboxing classes, and raised area for people to sit and watch, with the changed rooms and washrooms there as well. Word was put out that I was in town for the weekend and apparently that got a lot more than the usual few people out for open mat Friday night. There were a good dozen guys in the mats, and they were monsters! The rolls were tough but fun, no one was trying to rough up the new guy but they weren't playing easy either. I talked with a bunch of them about my blog and where I had been so far, most of them seem really interested in my journey, 'living the dream' as everyone says. It was a good 'Welcome to Niagara' for sure!

Open mat Friday night, a bunch of monsters on the mats.

The next day it was time to make it to 1812 Fitness. They are also in a warehouse lot, but a bit smaller and more square, with an area for weights on the right and the mats on the left. The guys all went out for drinks after training the night before, where I did not, having other plans to meet with a friend, and that seemed to knock off most of them from showing up to the noon time open mat Saturday. I myself was moving a bit slowly, being on day 6 of training and still sore from the 3 hours a day in Hamilton, so I showed up a little late. With my presence it made 5 people on the mats. Despite low numbers we still had a good time, I rolled some good matches with everyone there at least once, all bigger than me I might add (Wasn't joking about them being monsters!). We talked a bunch about different Jiu-Jitsu topics after rolling. At one point we went over some techniques and I showed them some of my favourite moves. It was a good Saturday class, too bad a bunch of the Friday night guys missed it.

Sunday I was going to go to Fort Erie to train at Dayboll-Pascuzzi Jiu-Jitsu and meet Sensei Sam Pascuzzi if he was there but Coach Rob told me he was having trouble finding me a ride. I was tired from such an active week and really needed to get on my blogs for Toronto still, so I told him not to worry and that I could use a rest day anyway. I wish I had more time to see everyone in Niagara Falls, finally meet Coach Rob and make it to some classes rather than just the open mats and make it to Fort Erie and meet all those guys too but as I've said before, if I took the time to hit every club in Canada I've never be able to leave the Country, and there's always next time.

Group shot of the Friday night class that welcomed me to Niagara Falls, thanks for the good rolls guys! Davide, the co-owner of Relentless MMA and BJJ instructor is in the middle with the yellow spats.

I also wish I could have set up an interview with someone, there are so many interesting  people here: Coach Rob who runs 1812 Fitness and has an open door policy and set everything up for me I think would have been a good interview. Pat and Davide who are dealing with a new club in a small but dedicated community would have made an interesting interview. And of course talking to Sensei Sam Pascuzzi in Fort Erie, who is the head black belt for the area would have been a great choice as well. There just wasn't time and I was looking to take a rest from the hectic schedule I had been running lately, so I'm sorry but there's no interview for this week, but there are a bunch of photos from the sites of the city so hopefully that makes up for it.

Pat, who runs Relentless MMA with Davide and instructs the kickboxing classes.

Thank you Coach Rob for setting everything up and introducing me to all the awesome guys in Niagara and Thanks to Pat and Davide for having me over at Relentless, it was a blast!              

*UPDATE* 
Shortly after leaving Niagara Coach Rob had to close 1812 Fitness. It's always sad to hear of a club closing, especially when it's your friends' and you've trained there before. It's too bad you reading this won't get the chance to train there if you haven't already, but with the tight knit Jiu-Jitsu community in Niagara Falls I'm sure you'll see more of Coach Rob and his students!

The Sites: The Falls and The Strip

During my off time I hit up the sites at Niagara Falls, mostly on the first day I made it in to town. I hadn't been to Niagara Falls since I was a kid and my family went on the one summer vacation we did together. To be honest it was fun back then as a kid and I'll always have those memories but I think I'm glad we didn't do it again, it would make those memories not so special I think.

Old photo of the family vacation, I was scared to stand beside Frankenstein, but at least I had style back then.

My mom and brother and I. We're actually under the Horseshoe Falls, there's a tour through caves that brings you out under the falls. My mom was holding us so tight, apparently she thought I jump over the balcony hahah.

This time around I was on my own, as I said before there were no hoards of tourists around. I didn't go into the wax museums or haunted houses like we did when I was a kid (I don't have the money for that, and I still not over being creeped out by them haha) But I did walk up and down the strip of Clifton Hill and check out the falls themselves. Clifton Hill isn't as big as you would think, although it has a tons of stuff there, museums, arcades, even a dinosaur themed mini-putt and ferris wheel.  

Clifton Hill, the strip.

Frankenstein's haunted house, wonder if it's changed inside at all, too bad I'm not looking!

There's an ape on the side of the building..

The dinosaur mini-putt.

More of the strip.

The falls are pretty awesome to see and I think seeing them in the winter, with all the frost and ice around them, made them look ever more impressive to see. If you don't know, right on the boarder to the USA is Niagara Falls, which is the name for the group of three waterfalls, Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls (the Bridal Veil, in my opinion is just part of the American Falls). Right next to the falls is the Rainbow Bridge the connects USA and Canada and is a really busy border point. Its a beautiful sight to see and I spent a good time walking along the mile long stretch, stopping at every view point to get some pictures of the waterfalls. Here are some of the best ones:

Rainbow Bridge, sadly it doesn't go to Asgarde.

The falls, American on the left, Horseshoe on the right.

American Falls, with the Bride Veil Falls on the far right.

Horseshoe Falls, commonly known as the Niagara Falls. 

I rode up one those carts and took the overhead pic from it, its a pretty cool view.

I also went back at night in attempt to get pictures of the waterfalls and the strip, with the LED lights on the the falls and all the shops and signs and buildings and ferris wheel lit up. It was cool to see them but my phone is not the best option for capturing this sights, but I tried to make do.

Clifton Hill at night.

The ferris wheel I mentioned before. the day time picture didn't turn out well, but the night time shot did.

Best I could do to get a shot of the falls at night, this is the American and Bride Veil Falls.

Horseshoe Falls, before I took this picture they had it in a rainbow and it looked pretty cool.

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After a short weekend of training, taking in the sights, and walking down memory lane, it was time to head to Kingston Ontario Canada, for a long over due family reunion!

Until next time, see you on the mats!
OSSS!!