The popularity of martial arts in the Emirates is gaining momentum. Of course, international tournaments such as ADFC (mixed martial arts championships) and War on the Shore (Thai boxing championships) held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai played an important role in this. With the popularization of sports, fighting clubs in Dubai began to grow by leaps and bounds, and the existing ones began to expand and gain fame, because, as you know, demand creates supply.
My interest in martial arts as an observer came to me thanks to the founder and president of the Academy of Martial Arts in the UAE, Vladimir Burdun, who invited me to one of his first clubs, where then little-known athletes were engaged, over the years recognized world champions. Now they win prestigious international titles, conduct personal and group training themselves ... I decided to make a small fact-finding review about who, with whom, where and why it is better to engage in these sports.
To begin with, you need to decide why you need a club that teaches martial arts - are you trying to start a healthy lifestyle, want to train "for yourself" or raise an existing level to the criteria of international competitions? Or maybe you are parents who want to raise a real man from their son? Or a girl who needs to “tighten” her muscles and just “let off” steam after a long day at the office? There are many options, there are enough training places, but real trainers in contact sports in Dubai can be counted on the fingers.
I'll start, perhaps, with a kudo instructor Matvey Myasnikov. If only because he is “ours”, and my nephew is happy to attend his training. Kudo is a rather aggressive form of martial arts, originating from karate-do and including elements and techniques from the arsenal of boxing, judo, Thai boxing, various types of wrestling and, of course, karate.
Kudoists do not compete in the now popular mixed combat (MMA) competitions, but this sport has its own international championships in which the UAE team, under the leadership of Matvey, takes part and takes prizes. Plus, kudo athletes often compete in Thai boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu tournaments ... For example, Matvey has been participating in judo competitions in the Emirates since 2004, and in 2010 he became UAE judo champion in the weight category 81 kg
Matvey Myasnikov, the owner of the black belt, 2 dan, has been training in the Emirates since 2003 in the simple, but comfortable and roomy hall of the Dubai Karate Center in the Jumeirah region. The main emphasis of his studies is on the fact that a person "found" himself, on the upbringing of male and athletic qualities. In the center there is an adult group where high school students and office white-collar workers train, there is a children's room with a special program, individual lessons are held. But the girls are clearly not the place here, although, from the rostrum to watch the training is quite exciting. They do not train professional MMA fighters here, but they train young guys for a life in which they need to be strong and be able to stand up for themselves and their loved ones. The class reminded me of a good old school, with excellent “warm-up” and high intensity training — inexpensive and effective.
They do not train professional MMA fighters here, but they train young guys for a life in which they need to be strong and be able to stand up for themselves and their loved ones. The class reminded me of a good old school, with excellent “warm-up” and high intensity training — inexpensive and effective.
"Queens need idols so much ..."
As a martial arts trainer who once also started with karate, I cannot but mention Najmeddin Al Haddad. Honored karateka (four-time world champion), K-1 world champion (Korea), Middle East Thai boxing champion in 2007, WKBF kickboxing world champion in 2010, Naj is currently teaching Thai boxing, boxing and kickboxing in his father’s club in Sharjah (Shotokan Japanese Sports Center, by the way, the first martial arts center in the UAE), and in Dubai - in the territory of Knowledge Village, in the Apollo club.
After repeated visits to his classes, I had the convinced opinion that in terms of working with children and adolescents in the Emirates, today, he is the best coach. International championship titles, of course, contribute to a serious attitude to his studies, children need idols, and, of course, women too, you won’t throw words out of a song. So, in his classes, you can often see representatives of the weaker sex. But, in fact, teaching talent is much more important than high ranks and numerous awards, and both of them cannot be taken away from Nazhmeddin. It is significant that one of his Russian students even created a group of his fans on Facebook. In the classroom, Sensei simply charges the class with its hyperactive energy, and no matter how many champions he brings up, the main thing is that Najmeddin can instill in everyone a love of sports.
And here is another champion, a professional MMA athlete, with a track record of more than 170 amateur and 10 professional fights, in 7 of which he won, Abdullah Abu Hamdan doubts that a real fighter can be a good coach, he will always be disturbed by a competitive spirit. How can you fully take care of the professional growth of a pupil when he is busy with his own training, from battle to battle?
Despite this attitude to his second profession, his private lessons at Champion Club in the JLT area (Jumeirah Lakes Towers) are very popular among serious athletes and among those who like to accidentally drop out in conversation with friends that his personal trainer is a champion . On the other hand, the best study is in practice, and the more experienced and serious the opponent, the faster and more noticeable the result. In this regard, Abdullah is an excellent teacher.
And bet you fight?
Major international championships, as well as amateur fighting shows held in the Emirates, are another great opportunity for local clubs to demonstrate their level. As a rule, professional fighters are not tied to one place, but nevertheless, several training centers can be distinguished, which are respected by athletes.
If you set “MMA Dubai” in the search engine, the Contender MMA Center club site is one of the first to appear. Its founder Tom Khan is well versed in business and knows the effective power of PR. However, he, of course, says that money is the last thing he thought about when opening a club. A fighter from the UK, with a list of wins including 7 - in professional MMA fights in Dubai, he said, could not find a decent place where you could seriously engage in mixed styles. There is a ju-jitsu studio, a karate center, somewhere they teach kickboxing, somewhere - boxing ... Tom decided to put everything under one roof. Then an excellent building was found, conveniently located near the central highway Sheikh Zayed, all the necessary equipment was brought in, experienced trainers were invited. The opening of the club was attended by such celebrities as Anderson Silva, Vandreley Silva and even Jean Claude Van Dam.
Judging by the number of visitors, they didn’t have to “unwind” the place for a long time - here they not only prepare professional fighters for competitions, but also conduct classes in various types of martial arts and fitness for ordinary people “from the street”. Moreover, Tom even invited a woman coach to MMA classes so that she would conduct training exclusively for the fairer sex. So, here everyone has something to do .... As Tom himself said, "not everyone can become a champion, but anyone can claim." The name “Contender”, translated from English means “candidate” or “rival”, which fully corresponds to the concept of the club.
Nearby, on the same street, there is another fight club - Generation Xtreme. Honestly, I didn’t understand which of these two clubs was opened before. The founder of Generation Xtreme, a native of Uzbekistan, prefers to remain in the shadow and does not use advertising tools. Despite this, the club is widely known not only among our compatriots, but also among professional athletes from other countries. This place is impressive in its scope - a huge two-story area, divided into zones for warm-up, boxing ring, tatami and sports equipment.
The professional staff of the international category, with significant sports and coaching experience, prepares local fighters here for the upcoming regional and international tournaments. But besides this, here everyone, regardless of the level of preparation, can try his hand and sign up for boxing, kickboxing, Thai boxing classes and others.
The season of tournaments in various types of martial arts, which started in the Emirates last spring, seems to continue not only in the winter months, but also in the hot summer. All fans of these spectacular and beautiful sports can be advised only one thing - follow the announcements of upcoming competitions with the participation of the most famous athletes in the world.
And professionals and amateurs have to wish good luck in battle ...
