
Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club: A decade of excellence
Promoting martial arts
The club serves as a pioneering model for promoting and developing martial arts among various community segments, offering a safe and encouraging environment for practice across government clubs and private centers in Sharjah, in line with the vision of the Sharjah Sports Council.
Ambitious goals and achievements
Since its inception, the club has aimed to instill a sports culture and implement sustainability practices, backed by a series of achievements and clear plans for the future. In April 2025, it will celebrate a decade of success.
Exclusive specialization
The club specializes exclusively in jiu-jitsu, judo, and taekwondo, currently hosting around 1,500 athletes, with citizens making up about 80%. It also includes top players from national youth and junior teams, with 71 athletes joining national squads in recent seasons.
Extensive network
The Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club is the most widely spread among specialized clubs in the UAE, boasting five training branches and four additional training centers opened in collaboration with Sharjah Municipality.
Recognition and awards
To date, the club has won approximately 35 prestigious local and international awards, being the first in Sharjah to receive an "ISO" certification, reflecting its commitment to high-quality performance standards and reinforcing its status as a national model in martial arts.
Talent development and commitment
The club continues to establish itself as a platform for honing talents and creating champions in martial arts, emphasizing its ongoing commitment to developing performance and enhancing sports outcomes to the highest standards.
Vision for the future
Ahmed Saeed Al-Jarwan, Chairman of the Club's Board, stated that the club is focused on creating a more attractive sports environment for local talents, in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah, to make clubs nurturing and effective in athlete development.
International participation
Al-Jarwan highlighted the club's emphasis on enhancing international participation, whether by supplying national teams with outstanding players or through direct representation in external championships, aligning with the Sharjah Sports Council's vision.
Fostering sportsmanship
He also noted the importance of instilling sportsmanship and educating young players, alongside ongoing collaboration with parents, strategic partners, and sponsors, with a focus on promoting ethical values and establishing sports as a tool for character development.
Strategic planning
Omar Boukhlef, Director of Strategy and Corporate Excellence at the club, confirmed that the club continues to work under its strategic plan for 2023-2026, prepared based on specialized foresight studies, aiming to establish itself as a smart and attractive environment capable of achieving global accomplishments, with a focus on sustainability, digital transformation, and training system development.
Jiu-Jitsu recognition
The Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club is one of the leading clubs in jiu-jitsu both locally and globally, having won the title of "Best Academy for Youth Development" in 2023. It also secured first place in the inaugural Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship (no-gi category) and second place in the gi category.
Comprehensive training plans
Ibrahim Al-Hosani, the jiu-jitsu technical director and coach of the UAE youth team, stated that the club has adopted a comprehensive technical plan aimed at enhancing training levels, in line with the qualitative leap experienced by jiu-jitsu in the UAE and worldwide.
Future development goals
The plan includes developing competitive skills for players, expanding the base of future leaders, enhancing international cooperation, utilizing modern technologies in training programs, and preparing local coaching staff from former players to support ongoing excellence.
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Gulf Today
4 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club marks 10 years of excellence
The Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club continues to solidify its status as the first specialised club of its kind in the UAE, marking ten years since its official establishment in 2015. The club stands as a pioneering model in promoting and developing self-defense sports across all segments of society — for both genders and all age groups — by providing a safe and motivating environment for practice, in both government clubs and private centers across the Emirate of Sharjah, in line with the vision of the Sharjah Sports Council. Since its inception, the club has steadily raised its ambitions to embed a culture of sport and apply sustainability practices. It has done so through a series of technical and competitive achievements and clear, forward-looking plans — all while preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary in April 2025. The club exclusively focuses on Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and Taekwondo, and currently trains around 1,500 athletes, approximately 80% of whom are UAE nationals. Among them are elite junior and youth national team players — 71 athletes have been selected to represent national teams in the current and previous seasons. Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club is the most widespread specialized club of its kind in the country, operating five training branches in addition to four more centers launched in collaboration with the Sharjah Municipality. On the achievements front, the club has so far earned around 35 prestigious local and international awards. It is also the first club in Sharjah to receive ISO certification, reflecting its commitment to the highest standards of technical and administrative performance — and reinforcing its status as a national role model in the field of self-defense sports. The club continues to serve as a specialized platform for nurturing talent and producing champions in self-defense sports, reaffirming its dedication to performance development and achieving elite sporting outcomes based on global best practices. Ahmed Saeed Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Club's Board of Directors, emphasized that the club is working to enhance its sporting environment to be more attractive to Emirati talent — in line with the vision of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah — that clubs serve as incubators for athlete development. He added that the club is committed to expanding its international presence, both by contributing top players to national teams and through direct representation in international championships, aligning with the strategic goals of the Sharjah Sports Council. Al Jarwan also highlighted the importance of instilling sportsmanship and educating young athletes, while continuing to work closely with parents, strategic partners, and sponsors. He stressed that the next phase will focus on strengthening ethical values and reinforcing the role of sport as a tool for character-building. Omar Bukhlef, Director of Strategy and Institutional Excellence at the club, noted that the club is progressing steadily within its 2023–2026 strategic plan, developed based on a specialized foresight study. The goal is to position the club as a smart and attractive environment capable of continued international success, with a focus on sustainability, digital transformation, and advanced training systems. Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club is recognized as one of the leading Jiu-Jitsu institutions both locally and globally. In 2023, it was awarded the title of 'Best Academy in the World for Nurturing Juniors,' and it secured first place in the inaugural Khaled Bin Mohamed bin Zayed No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championship, along with second place in the Gi division. Ibrahim Al Hosani, Technical Director of Jiu-Jitsu and UAE Junior National Team Coach, stated that the club has adopted a comprehensive technical plan aimed at elevating training levels — in line with the remarkable progress Jiu-Jitsu is experiencing in the UAE and globally. He said the plan includes enhancing athletes' competitive skills, expanding the future leadership pool, promoting international cooperation, leveraging modern technologies in training programmes, and preparing qualified Emirati coaching staff from former athletes to ensure continuity and excellence.


Sharjah 24
21 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club: A decade of excellence
Promoting martial arts The club serves as a pioneering model for promoting and developing martial arts among various community segments, offering a safe and encouraging environment for practice across government clubs and private centers in Sharjah, in line with the vision of the Sharjah Sports Council. Ambitious goals and achievements Since its inception, the club has aimed to instill a sports culture and implement sustainability practices, backed by a series of achievements and clear plans for the future. In April 2025, it will celebrate a decade of success. Exclusive specialization The club specializes exclusively in jiu-jitsu, judo, and taekwondo, currently hosting around 1,500 athletes, with citizens making up about 80%. It also includes top players from national youth and junior teams, with 71 athletes joining national squads in recent seasons. Extensive network The Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club is the most widely spread among specialized clubs in the UAE, boasting five training branches and four additional training centers opened in collaboration with Sharjah Municipality. Recognition and awards To date, the club has won approximately 35 prestigious local and international awards, being the first in Sharjah to receive an "ISO" certification, reflecting its commitment to high-quality performance standards and reinforcing its status as a national model in martial arts. Talent development and commitment The club continues to establish itself as a platform for honing talents and creating champions in martial arts, emphasizing its ongoing commitment to developing performance and enhancing sports outcomes to the highest standards. Vision for the future Ahmed Saeed Al-Jarwan, Chairman of the Club's Board, stated that the club is focused on creating a more attractive sports environment for local talents, in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah, to make clubs nurturing and effective in athlete development. International participation Al-Jarwan highlighted the club's emphasis on enhancing international participation, whether by supplying national teams with outstanding players or through direct representation in external championships, aligning with the Sharjah Sports Council's vision. Fostering sportsmanship He also noted the importance of instilling sportsmanship and educating young players, alongside ongoing collaboration with parents, strategic partners, and sponsors, with a focus on promoting ethical values and establishing sports as a tool for character development. Strategic planning Omar Boukhlef, Director of Strategy and Corporate Excellence at the club, confirmed that the club continues to work under its strategic plan for 2023-2026, prepared based on specialized foresight studies, aiming to establish itself as a smart and attractive environment capable of achieving global accomplishments, with a focus on sustainability, digital transformation, and training system development. Jiu-Jitsu recognition The Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club is one of the leading clubs in jiu-jitsu both locally and globally, having won the title of "Best Academy for Youth Development" in 2023. It also secured first place in the inaugural Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship (no-gi category) and second place in the gi category. Comprehensive training plans Ibrahim Al-Hosani, the jiu-jitsu technical director and coach of the UAE youth team, stated that the club has adopted a comprehensive technical plan aimed at enhancing training levels, in line with the qualitative leap experienced by jiu-jitsu in the UAE and worldwide. Future development goals The plan includes developing competitive skills for players, expanding the base of future leaders, enhancing international cooperation, utilizing modern technologies in training programs, and preparing local coaching staff from former players to support ongoing excellence.


Sharjah 24
2 days ago
- Sharjah 24
SSC honours Emirati Champion Abdullah Nasser Al Hammadi
The honouring was to celebrate his remarkable achievements during the sports year, achieving five first-places at the regional and continental levels, and raising the UAE flag in several international championships. Great effort During the honouring, His Excellency Issa Hilal praised Al Hammadi's great efforts in representing the UAE, emphasising that his achievements reflect the rapid development of air sports in the country and deserve full support and appreciation. His Excellency Issa Hilal expressed his pride in the champion's accomplishments, noting that paragliding has gained a distinguished presence thanks to distinguished champions like Abdullah Al Hammadi, who continuse to raise the UAE's flag in various forums. Honouring During the meeting, an honorary shield was presented on behalf of the Council in recognition of Al Hammadi's sporting achievements, which have contributed to enhancing the status of the Emirate of Sharjah and Emirati sports at the international level. For his part, Al Hammadi said that he is proud to have raised the UAE flag on five international occasions this year, and he promises everyone to continue the journey with strength and passion. He also extended his sincere thanks and deep appreciation to the Sharjah Sports Council for this honour, which holds great moral value in his career. The meeting concluded with a photo in an atmosphere reflecting the commitment of the sports leadership in the Emirate of Sharjah to supporting Emirati champions, its commitment to enhancing the status of individual sports, and encouraging national talent to continue to excel in regional and international championships. Achievements Abdullah Nasser Al Hammadi's most notable achievements in 2025: • Third place in the Sharjah International Paragliding Championship • First place in the Beach Games – Sultanate of Oman (Target Landing Category) (Gulf Olympic Championship) • First place in the Beach Games – Sultanate of Oman (Cone Knockout Category) (Gulf Olympic Championship) • First place in the First Asian Paragliding Championship – Precision Landing Category (Kazakhstan) • First place in the Second Asian Paragliding Championship – Precision Landing Category (Kazakhstan)