Despite the scathing temperatures in the region, Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the Middle East are having a lively summer. Professor Sylvio Behring just took off from Kuwait, where he spent a week conducting seminars at the country’s Gracie Barra academy. At almost the same time Sylvio was in Kuwait, Royce Gracie and José Mario Sperry arrived in the United Arab Emirates, both with seminars scheduled in the city of Dubai.
Speaking of Kuwait, an event promising to set a new baseline is the tournament promote in d by Ahmed Alhouli, a Vinicius “Draculino” student, and the man responsible for Gracie Barra promises worthy prizes for the championship to take place August 6 in the country’s capital.
Meanwhile in Jordan, Zaid Mirza is organizing a tournament for kids in the region up to the age of 15. “We’ll receive youths from Lebanon, Syria and perhaps the Emirates.” Among the prizes, there will even be playstations for the young ones. Zaid further points out that Pedro Galiza will oversee a summer Jiu-Jitsu camp in Syria at the end of the month: “Galiza should spur the sport further ahead in Syria, but he also has projects in Egypt and Lebanon in the works for this year.”
And, in the consecrated capital of professional Jiu-Jitsu, Abu Dhabi, a group of local schoolboys are in the dependencies of the ADCC during their summer break getting ready for a Jiu-Jitsu presentation in China at the end of August.
It’s Jiu-Jitsu that’s revving up Arabia.