ABU DHABI // Jiu jitsu has found a home in the schools of Abu Dhabi, and as it spreads to Al Ain it seems the martial art is here to stay.
Children aged nine to 11 will be taught jiu jitsu in their physical education classes in 42 government schools this year. Eighty-one coaches have been brought in from Brazil to serve as instructors.
The Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Schools Programme began last year with 14 schools in the capital. Under the watchful eye of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and the Emirates Jiu Jitsu Team, children in grades six and seven were taught jiu jitsu as part of their sports education.
With the first year deemed a success, the size of the programme has tripled. This year, 17 schools in Al Ain will participate, including two girls schools. Of the 25 schools in Abu Dhabi, four are girls schools.
"We have had a lot of support for the programme from schools and families," said Carlos Santos, the head coach of the Emirates Jiu Jitsu Team and the man behind the school programme.
"Jiu jitsu teaches you everything. It teaches fitness, it teaches fighting, it teaches self-defence and discipline," Mr Santos said. "It is all about lifestyle. Being fit and healthy, and having respect for others."
Another goal of the programme is to nurture a new generation of jiu jitsu champions, allowing the UAE to assemble a formidable national team.
A spokesman for Adec acknowledged the programme serves dual purposes.
"The competitive element is important, but is balanced by sportsmanship and fair play," the spokesman said. "One of the main things that students learn is to respect their opponents and to win and lose graciously. These virtues will make students better and productive citizens of the future.
"In the long term, we want to identify talented students who will be groomed to become national and international champions. We are already planning to set up venues in each education zone and to run classes out of school hours for talented students."
Last year, 25 coaches from Brazil worked in the programme, and more have been added to handle the increase in schools. The coaching team includes more than 20 world champions.
"We chose the best coaches in the world," Mr Santos said. "We looked at each individual carefully, if they could be a good coach, if they had worked with kids before. For the best education programme you need the best coaches that is what we have."
Pedro Lott, 28, a national Brazilian champion, has been teaching in Abu Dhabi for a year.
"It is a great challenge and I am very excited to be part of it," he said. "We hope to create national champions for the UAE. Some of the kids are very talented. There is a lot of potential here."
Modern jiu jitsu found its way from Japan to Brazil a little over 100 years ago, when a business associate from Japan introduced the Gracie family to judo and jiu jitsu.
The Gracie family has been credited with creating the modern form of the martial art in Brazil, which has since been known worldwide as the home of jiu jitsu.
Mr Santos has similarly grand plans for Abu Dhabi. Having arrived in the capital eight years ago, the three-time world champion has created a stronghold of jiu jitsu in the city.
Originally brought to the capital to train the Abu Dhabi Armed Forces, Mr Santos and his team of Brazilian coaches quickly caught the attention of Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed. With his backing, Mr Santos became coach of the fledgling national Emirates Jiu Jitsu Team.
"In five years time I hope to have jiu jitsu in every school in Abu Dhabi," Mr Santos said. "We want to create a world champion UAE national team and the best way is to start teaching children when they are young."
More than 50 of the Brazilian coaches took part in a tournament at the Al Ain Sports Club on Monday night, as part of the 15th Ramadan Football Tournament. The event was part of a drive to raise awareness of diabetes and a way to promote jiu jitsu in Al Ain.
One of the night's winners was Michel Maia, 28, who claimed the under 80kg category. A two-time world jiu jitsu champion, Maia is considered one of the top four champions in the world.
"I want to help the children learn about jiu jitsu," he said. "It is a wonderful sport. It has been the only thing I've known all my life and I'm proud children in Abu Dhabi will be learning it."
Maia is also keen to be part of the 2010 World Professional Jiu Jitsu Cup, which will take place in Abu Dhabi next summer.
The event was another brainchild of Mr Santos.
"The main plan for the future is for Abu Dhabi to become the capital of jiu jitsu for the world," Mr Santos said. "We want all the players of the world to come to Abu Dhabi to play jiu jitsu and improve jiu jitsu. If you don't have competition from players from across the world, you won't have a successful national team. You need both.
"Eventually we plan to have world headquarters in Abu Dhabi and create a university of jiu jitsu."
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
Freezer tips
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- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
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Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
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Director: Kangana Ranaut
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Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
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Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 295bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: Dh155,000
On sale: now
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Start times
5.55am: Wheelchair Marathon Elites
6am: Marathon Elites
7am: Marathon Masses
9am: 10Km Road Race
11am: 4Km Fun Run
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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