30/01/2026
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Welcome to GAMAO — the Global Association of Martial Arts Organizations.
My name is Vidadi Hajiyev, and I founded GAMAO with a vision born from four decades of martial arts practice and nearly two decades of training elite security forces worldwide.
The story of GAMAO begins not with me, but with my father, Major Takhmaz Hajiyev. As Chief of the Crime Police Department in the 1970s and 80s, he founded a Sambo combat training group and dedicated his life to protecting the vulnerable. "He always defended the weak," those who knew him said, "and helped everyone who needed guardianship." In 1985, he began passing this legacy to me — not just techniques, but a philosophy: strength exists to serve and protect.
I have carried this philosophy through six world championships, through 18 years of designing training programs for presidential security details and special forces, through training over 10,000 personnel across 15+ countries. Every medal, every rank, every successful protection mission has reinforced one truth: martial arts training must be real, must be tested, and must serve a purpose greater than individual glory.
But as I traveled the world, I witnessed something troubling in our industry: organizations that exploit instructors through endless fees, credentials that mean nothing outside their issuing body, and training that fails the moment real pressure is applied. This is not the martial arts world my father taught me to build.
So I created GAMAO to be different.
We are built on evidence, not tradition alone. If we teach it, we can test it — and we can explain why it works. We treat instructors as partners, not revenue sources, through our revolutionary 50% revenue-sharing model. We honor all traditions — East and West, ancient and modern — while demanding that every technique proves itself under pressure.
GAMAO is not just another federation. We are a bridge between worlds: the discipline of the dojo and the demands of the protection detail, the philosophy of the East and the pragmatism of the West, the individual practitioner and the global community.
Whether you are a government agency seeking elite tactical training, a school owner wanting genuine partnership, or a practitioner seeking meaningful credentials, you are welcome here. You are family.
Three generations of protectors. One global mission.
One World, One Martial Arts Family.
Earned, Never Given.
With respect and dedication,
Grandmaster Vidadi Hajiyev
Founder & President, GAMAO
8th Dan, 6x World Champion
