Jiu Jitsu upgrade

Award-winning athlete Ali Monfaradi, who owns a Jiu-Jitsu academy in Bahrain, has launched the region’s first online course platform to promote and encourage others to take up the martial art.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ is based on grappling and ground fighting, focussing on the skill of controlling one’s opponent through techniques that force him or her to submit.

Monfaradi, 26, took up the contact sport at the age of 12. As an adult, he spent five years living and training in Brazil at the Alliance Academy in Sao Paulo, where he also received his bachelor’s degree in computer science.

The head coach of Elements Jiu Jitsu Academy said: “I compete at the highest level (which is Adult, Black Belt) against other full-time athletes from their countries.

“I was the 99th black belt trained under Fabio Gurgel, who is a legendary world champion, team leader and businessman.”

During his career he has earned more than 150 medals, many at local tournaments in Brazil, which he says were ‘very important’ to his development.

Monfaradi won the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Championship in 2012, six bronze medals throughout the years in the UAEJJF World Professional Championship, a bronze at the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) World Championship in 2018 and gold at the Brazilian team championship. He was the Asian JJIF champion four times, has achieved several gold medals at IBJJF Opens, as well as a triple gold at the 2016 American Nationals.

His efforts have received royal recognition too from Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Majesty the King’s Representative for Charity Work and Youth Affairs, National Security Adviser and chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport (SCYS) and by Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, multiple times. 

“I even taught and trained with Shaikh Khalid,” he added. “Most importantly, however, was receiving the Medal of Honour of the First Degree from His Majesty King Hamad in 2016. To my knowledge, this was unprecedented for a martial arts athlete.”

In September of last year, Monfaradi shared his passion for the sport by launching his academy. He attracted around 100 students including adults and children.

The gym closed shortly before it was mandated by law. However, the demand for the sport didn’t stop.

Monfaradi said: “We actually closed before other gyms because we felt a need to take a socially responsible stance that others could look up to. We didn’t know where the situation was going and did not want to play any role in worsening the spread of the virus, or God forbid, risking one of our students.

“It didn’t take long before we had to adapt and switch gears, so we began teaching classes online. This was not exactly common with Jiu-Jitsu being a contact sport. However, our students didn’t want to stop and we certainly didn’t want to stop positively impacting their lives.

“This also opened the door to new students from abroad. I now teach three kids in Kuwait as part of our daily activities.”

Monfaradi’s goal is to reach even more people than before. “It is true that Covid-19 has more-or-less induced us to start the online platform, but it is a huge step for me as an instructor and Elements as a business regardless,” he explained. “The Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle is an unbelievable one and we deliver it to people of all ages, sizes, or occupations. Whether they want to get fit, enjoy training two-to-three times a week, learn self-defence or become a world champion.

“These are unprecedented times and we are all suffering, not the least of which, businesses. It is difficult to suddenly be faced with a ‘new normal’ but I believe the Bahraini people are tenacious, creative and hardworking, and that there is opportunity for all of us to come out stronger than ever before.”

Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts can visit online.elementsjiujitsuacademy.com to learn more about the course or follow @alimonfaradi on Instagram for more updates.