Teachers at Alliance Bahrain

Fabio Gurgel revealed to GRACIEMAG.com first hand where the newest branch of Team Alliance will open its doors: Bahrain, a small insular state in the Persian Gulf.

Jiu-Jitsu Black belt Reza Monfaradi invited Alliance to open its base there.

I’ve known Reza for some years.  Sent Marcelo Garcia to Bahrain in 2004 to spend a week with him and Reza showed interest in joining our team. At the time, though, we were unable to assume all the necessary commitments. But the academy grew. Our black belt Alex Monsalve went there to teach a seminar, liked it and will stay with Reza over there. Now we have made official the partnership,” said Gurgel.

According to the Alliance general, one of the aims of opening the new branch is to set up a base in the Middle East, for the team to compete in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

“Reza does serious work in Bahrain, has a big team and Jiu-Jitsu has been there for many years. The black belts who go to compete at the Abu Dhabi Pro, in 2010, can perhaps adapt there for the week preceding the championship. So Bahrain is an important point for us to have that kind of flexibility. It would be like what we do before competing at the Jiu-Jitsu Worlds in the USA, we stop off in Atlanta and stay there a week,” explained Fabio.