16 December 2021 www.bahrainthismonth.com interview “That being said, I’ve always felt that there was a sort of stigma that we downplay ourselves as Bahrainis, but people need to be concerned when they have a Bahraini guy in the brackets. Aside from resources, we have determination… nothing is going to stop us from achieving what we want,” he says confidently. “So, it gives me a lot of pride to be a Bahraini athlete during such a time,” he adds. THE GREATEST CHALLENGE Ali Monfaradi is now known for being an established athlete in the Kingdom of Bahrain after years of perseverance, but things weren’t always that way. “Looking back, and obviously I don’t look at these things as sacrifices, but I suppose the most difficult part was believing that I could one day have all of this - be a high-level athlete, have an academy and this entire support system,” he says. “There was a point in my life when I had nothing of the sort and had to simply believe that it will one day happen. There were many years of this and it was tough. The difficulty I would say was undeniable, but did I ever doubt that it would happen? No, it was just a matter of time to me.” “A DEMOCRATIC SPORT” Jiu Jitsu is known for being a highly inclusive sport which allows people of varying levels of fitness and athleticism to participate – molding itself into what the person requires. “What I love about Jiu Jitsu is that it’s a very democratic and approachable sport. Almost anybody can practice it. We have people with special needs, amputees, older people, younger people, kids suffering from bullying, professional athletes, women who want to learn self-defense and grown adults who just want a nice community be around,” he elaborates. Elements hopes to cater to a larger portion of the population through its diverse courses, levels, training and methodology. “I believe that Jiu Jitsu is much more beneficial and we want its benefits to reach as many people as possible,” he says. COACHING ATHLETES Ali started teaching on the side throughout his competitive years when he was purely a professional competitor and began helping out with classes when he was just 16-years-old. “As long as I have the physical capacity to do it, I want to be out there getting things done. To a larger extent, I want to create more athletes who can do this, not just what I do, but better. I want to see the academy grow,” he says. With a career dotted with accolades, awards, medals and trophies, Ali now coaches some of his students to participate at local and international tournaments. “Watching my students compete is a thousand times as stressful for me to watch than when I myself am competing. It’s my job to keep myself composed so I can perform to the best of my ability, but when I watch my students perform, I want them to do well, be happy and succeed. It’s not like you have remote control of them so there’s always that element of surprise,” he says. Reflecting on the early days of his career, Ali believes his students have more resources when compared to those available to him at the time. “I did not have the resources, the knowledge, the methodology and information that they have today. So, I believe that they have all the resources they need, not only to succeed as much as I have, but to do a lot better,” he says.
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