Head Coach and Owner of Elements Jiu Jitsu Academy, Ali Monfaradi spent over a decade cementing his legacy in GCC’s sports history. Ali spent 5 years training at the Alliance Headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, under legendary professor Fabio Gurgel. He eventually received his black belt from him, becoming the first and only Bahraini to do so and went on to become a gold medalist on many international stages including at the coveted IBJJF World Championship.
Ali's understanding that the changing landscape due to the Covid-19 is forcing businesses to change gears and innovate fast. With this in mind, Ali launched the region’s first Jiu jitsu online course platform – Elements Online.
“The change in consumer behavior means that the fitness sector needs to accelerate its digitization efforts. This is a project that has been in the works for a long time and I’m very proud to be the first regional BJJ athlete to have created a platform with original Jiu jitsu training material that can be accessed worldwide.” says Ali Monfaradi, head coach and owner of Bahrain’s Elements Jiu Jitsu Academy.
While BJJ online courses have traditionally been created and launched by a handful of top tier international athletes and brands, this is a unique initiative to the region and is a testament to the growth of Jiu jitsu in the GCC through the accomplishments of its athletes.
The first course launched on the platform is a beginner’s guide to Jiu jitsu fundamentals, titled Everything You Need To Know Before Getting Your Blue Belt. “It is a very detailed and systematic approach to the essentials of Jiu jitsu. Fundamentals is the core understanding you need to be able to make it as an athlete and go ahead and perform on international stages. The course spans 13 chapters and 65 lessons.”
While facing the challenge of identifying new business opportunities, Ali’s advice to other entrepreneurs in the sports and fitness sector is to look to their customers. “How can you provide them value with your products and services during these times? An understanding of their needs will guide you on how to pivot your business to meet them. In our case, our community of Jiu jitsu practitioners is at the core of what we do in Elements JJ, so keeping that communication line active and engaged is important to us.,”
Elements JJ has also launched an online live personal training service and set up an online shop to ensure students can still enjoy products while fitness academies are still closed.
Jiu jitsu enthusiasts can visit online.elementsjiujitsuacademy.com to learn more about the course of follow @alimonfaradi on Instagram for more updates.