JEDDAH: Gold’s Gym’s Legendary Heroes of Martial Arts Academy had the first open, no weight class mixed martial arts and Brazilian Ju Jitsu (whitebelts) competition in Saudi Arabia this week.
The Martial Arts schools that took part in the event were: Asia Martial Arts, Bewell Life Center Martial Arts, Shams Martial Arts and Gold’s Gym’s Legendary Heroes Martial Arts Academy.
The Competition was part of the Gold’s Gym 5th anniversary celebration.
The celebration started with an exhibition basketball game brought staged by former Saudi national team captain Asaad and The Hood Basketball Academy players.
The evening moved on to the kids Martial Arts competition.
Winners of kids (9-12 year olds): 1st place, Ahmed El Fouly, 2nd place, Saif Salamah Al Suhaim. Both are Gold’s Gym Members.
The MMA kids (13-15 year olds) winners: 1st place Faisal Kurdi, from Captain Ahmed Makki’s MMA team, Bewell Life Center Martial Arts. 2nd place Salamh Hussien Al Suhaim from Gold’s Gym.
Next the adults took center stage with the Brazilian Ju Jitsu competition.
Ju Jitsu Winners: 1st place, Dave Kinkead, 2nd place, Jared Morrison both from Bewell Life Center.
The main event MMA adults competition got under way with captain Mohammed Al Dabbas from Bewell Life Center, one of the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts in Saudi Arabia and his student Stefan from England refereeing the events.
The MMA, competitors wore proper protection such as helmets, mouthpiece, gloves and a cup.
After four rounds of preliminary battles the final was between Al Sharief Faisal and Faris Al Shafea both were exhausted, but fought hard till Faris taped out giving the win to Al Sharief.
MMA winners: 1st place Al Sharief Faisal, 2nd place, Faris Al Shafea. Both from Gold’s Gym, 3rd place Abdul Hameed from Bewell Life Center.
The event organizer captain Abbas promises Makarem Batterjee, CEO Gold’s Gym, a place for those young students from the academy in the Olympics within 5 years.
Abbas said, “Now we are trying to find a respectable sponsor to provide a professional boxing ring, then have a section in the academy for practicing one of the Arabs forgotten art.
The art of archery, then we will compete in the Olypmics and in international competitions with qualified competitors and be the true, Legendary Heroes”
