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Award-winning martial artist Ali Monfaradi, who has more than 150 medals under his belt, will put his skills to the test against the best at the 2021 World Professional Championship in Abu Dhabi in November ... with gold as his goal.
Currently ranked the Number One Jiu-Jitsu No Gi athlete in Asia, the 27-year-old black belt has not let the pandemic and gym closures get him down as he continues to train … both mentally and physically.
“Gym closing has definitely been a challenge, but I truly believe that such challenges don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, not when you are absolutely determined,” explained the owner and head coach of Elements Jiu-Jitsu Academy.
“And, the pandemic has made me more determined. That’s not to say it isn’t frustrating, but I think in such times, we discover what we’re truly made of.
“Having such a supportive environment of like-minded individuals around me makes sure I never take my eyes off the prize.
“I’m always training my hardest, regardless of what’s coming up. Competitions, while something I’m very passionate about, hardly ever affect how hard I train.
“Being a professional athlete is a full-time job and there are no days off. That being said, I am currently undergoing something of a transformation, both physically and technically.
“I have been doing more focused, specific training with my family and compensating by studying the game more, working on my strength and conditioning, doing more mental training, creating content for the community and also for Elements Online teaching platform.
“My focus for the second half of the year will ultimately be winning the World Professional Championship in November.”
Monfaradi is looking forward to that particular championship as in the past he achieved bronze and as of last April, silver. Now he is gunning for gold.
“I was the only Bahraini, Middle-Eastern or Asian fighter in the final and the first Bahraini in history,” he said. “I remember just feeling a combination of joy and excitement, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
“It was always my dream to walk onto centre stage with the whole world tuning in and hearing ‘Ali from Bahrain’ as I stepped onto the mat.
“I achieved silver in the -69kg weight adult black belt category. Next time, I will win it!”
But before that, he is aiming for success at the Moscow Grand Slam in September and the Sao Paulo Grand Slam in October.
He also returned last weekend from Saudi Arabia with glittering gold after competing in the Damman Eastern Region Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monfaradi’s Jiu-Jitsu journey started at the age of 12. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ is based on grappling and ground fighting, focussing on the skill of controlling opponents through techniques that force them to submit.
As an adult, he spent five years training at the Alliance Headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, under legendary professor Fabio Gurgel and is the first and only Bahraini black belt competitor to have been trained by him.
He 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 Championship. He was crowned Asian JJIF champion four times, has achieved several gold medals at IBJJF Opens, as well as a triple gold at the 2016 American Nationals.
He also won the Asian Indoor Games and Martial Arts in 2017 along with the IBJJF German Nationals, the United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) Al Ain International Pro No Gi and UAEJJF Dubai International Pro No Gi. He also achieved gold in the IBJJF European No Gi Championship in 2019 and silver in the IBJJF Dallas International Open this year.
He thanks his family, the academy and the community in Bahrain for constantly pushing him forward.
“I can safely say that without all three elements, I would not be nearly where I am today, so ‘thank you’ all,” he added.
Follow @alimonfaradi on Instagram for more updates.
