Clareto Monsorate

Jiu-Jitsu has come a long way in the UAE. The rapid impact and spread of the sport in the region has to be seen to be believed.

For that, the credit goes to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan who initiated the move of bringing Jiu-Jitsu from the US in 1997. The formation of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club followed in 1999 and since then the sport has not looked back.

According to Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, CEO of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, the vision for Abu Dhabi Combat Club was to make Abu Dhabi the global capital of the Jiu-Jitsu community. Today, the UAE capital is proudly known as the global home of the sport.

“Sheikh Tahnoon first developed a passion for jiu-jitsu in 1995 while studying in San Diego, US,” he said.

He joined Gracie Barra, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy, to learn the principles of Jiu-Jitsu. After his return to the UAE in 1997, Sheikh Tahnoon was keen to spread the sport across the country, due to its significant mental, physical and social benefits. Since then, the sport has thrived in the UAE. 

“Jiu-Jitsu has many physical benefits, such as giving players greater strength, flexibility, agility and stamina. It promotes healthy lifestyle choices and creates better balance and coordination,” said Fahad Ali Al Shamsi. 

According to him, practicing the sport has numerous mental benefits, including building self-confidence, improving discipline and promoting will power, determination, and hard work. 

“It has several social advantages such as fostering teamwork, teaching respect and prioritizing self-defense over aggression,” he said.

The 2019-2020 season is underway and is already shaping up to be a busy campaign especially with the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship to be held in Abu Dhabi from November 16-24 under the umbrella of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation.

The event, which will see participants from 60 countries, is for both the youth and adults. Through a school program, which started in 2008, jiu-jitsu is now taught in more than 165 schools, with more than 78,000 students participating.

“As the global home of jiu-jitsu, Abu Dhabi and the UAE welcome players from around the world to participate in the international championships as well as the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship,” Fahad Ali Al Shamsi said. 

This gives players the chance to enhance their skills by learning new techniques and compete against players from different clubs, cultures, backgrounds, and nationalities.

The sport already has a strong presence in the Middle East and more emerging jiu-jitsu nations, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, took part in the 2019 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

The upcoming World Championship in November is expected to further strengthen the sport across the region, and beyond.