Red Crescent Launch Jiu-Jitsu Program in Jordan
August 2, 2019
The ‘Mohamed bin Zayed Summer Jiu-Jitsu Programme’ has expanded to the Mrajeeb Al Fhood refugee camp in Jordan to support the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) in their efforts to reach at-risk communities through sport.
The programme is running from 14th July to 8th August, with the support of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Etihad Airways and Palms Sports.
Originally launched in more than 40 schools across the Emirates, the programme to teach young people the arts and skills of jiu-jitsu includes a four-week session in Mrajeeb Al Fhood refugee camp.
Fahad Abdulrahman bin Sultan, ERC Deputy Secretary-General for Development and International Cooperation said, “Bringing the sport to refugee camps further elevates the importance of the sport to serve humanitarian causes and opens up opportunities for young people in these camps by equipping them with necessary skills that can help to enhance their future.”
Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Deputy Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation added, “This first-of-its-kind programme will teach refugees the core values of Jiu-Jitsu and a host of skills that will provide opportunities for them in the future.”
The ‘Mohamed bin Zayed Summer Jiu-Jitsu Programme’ aims to support its participants by helping them develop their physical and social capabilities. This is done by teaching them the art of self-defence and instilling the core values of jiu-jitsu that focus on discipline, concentration, leadership, self-confidence, patience, resilience and teamwork, thus promoting a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude in their day-to-day life.
The programme is run by a team of 25 black belt jiu-jitsu athletes who are recipients of world-renowned certificates in jiu-jitsu training. The trainers were chosen by Palms Sports, the technical arm of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, which also provided all the necessary equipment and logistical support for the project.
The ‘Mohamed bin Zayed Summer Jiu-Jitsu Programme curriculum is comprised of 12 different sessions with different skills and values aligned for each. A group of the best trainers and experts of jiu-jitsu from Palms Sports were accompanied by 30 UAE students participating in the jiu-jitsu school project to carry out an intensive training programme in the refugee camp, which includes the basics of the sport and the principles of self-defence.