Under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Sharqi Crown Prince of Fujairah, the Sword Championship was held on Nov. 11, 2011. It took place on a lovely autumn evening at the footsteps of the Fujairah Fort. The lovely autumn breeze and the changing colors of the imposing fort looming in the backdrop both added to the enjoyment of the contenders and the spectators alike.

In its second edition, the Sword Championship had seen an increase in the number of contenders versus last year. Part of this is largely owed to the training scheme offered by the championship’s training committee. “We have put a training program in place that aims to meet the needs of the youthful generation who wish to learn this old traditional art,” affirmed Rashid Al Yammahi, chairman of the training committee.

Taking part in the Sword Championship is open to any male who is over 16 years of age who demonstrates skills in handling the sword while dancing. Though the swords used in the competition have met all the safety requirements imposed by the organizing committee, dancing with a weapon of war in hand is not a walk in the park, and it should be handled with both care and respect.

The competition is broken into rounds where each round sees two different contenders compete against each other. Within the round, each of the two contenders has to demonstrate his skills in handling the sword, not only in dancing with it but also by throwing it high in the air and catching it again — a process known locally as Ghall. The most thrilling part of the round is when the competitors engage in a mock compact known as Mazafen. Mazafen sees the two competitors jump high in the sky, waving the swords at each other and perhaps striking the sword blades, and making a sound that adds to the thrill and amusement of the attending crowd. The third and last part of the round is the skills demonstration part where each contender, or rather Zafeen as called in the local tongue, demonstrates his different sword handling skills like balancing the sword, upside down, on the tip of his finger while dancing. Once the round has finished each of the two contenders’ performance is scored by the judging committee.

The Sword Championship is a widely regarded cultural event that attracts spectators from the emirate of Fujairah as well as the rest of the United Arab Emirates’ seven emirates. It is considered an important event aimed to preserve the local tradition as well as the Emirati identity. With the winds of globalization strongly blowing, heritage focused events like Fujairah’s Sword Championship is strongly encouraged to spring up in all four corners of our region.