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Ali Monfaradi

Ali Monfaradi is a Bahraini black belt balancing international competition, coaching and the running of Elements Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

Biography

Born in Bahrain in 1993, Ali Monfaradi joined his uncle Reza’s new children’s jiu-jitsu class in January 2006, aged twelve. After his school exams and first World Championships in 2011, he moved to São Paulo to train at Alliance under Fábio Gurgel. He continued his education alongside his jiu-jitsu training. Monfaradi learned Portuguese to enter university, and GulfWeekly later reported that he completed a bachelor’s degree in computer science in Brazil. Living abroad also meant separation from people he loved. In a 2014 interview with Woman This Month, he described missing family and friends while gradually finding people who supported him in Brazil. In his later Bahrain This Month interview, Monfaradi recalled repeated early tournament defeats before a World Pro bronze that remained especially meaningful to him. The 2011 IBJJF Worlds brought bronze in the adult blue-belt lightweight division. In 2012, he won that division and took silver in the open class, where athletes of different weights compete together. He also earned lightweight silver and open-class bronze at that year’s Pans. An overconfident performance at the Brazilian Nationals also became part of his education. Looking back on the defeat in the 2014 interview, Monfaradi described the need to concentrate on the match in front of him. Expecting to win had drawn his attention away from the work of actually doing it. He returned to Bahrain in December 2015 as a brown belt, after four and a half years in Brazil. Gurgel awarded him his black belt in July 2017. By 2018, he told Bahrain This Week, he had moved away from making particular medals compulsory goals. He wanted to judge his work through sustained commitment instead. Monfaradi opened Elements Jiu-Jitsu Academy in September 2019. GulfWeekly reported about a hundred adult and child students before the pandemic forced its closure. Monfaradi moved teaching online, reaching beyond the academy’s physical space: his remote lessons included three children in Kuwait. Running the school now required finding ways to keep teaching when students could not gather on its mats. Elements names Monfaradi as its co-owner and head coach, with Vadzim Pukhau also a co-owner and a wider coaching team sharing the instruction. The academy’s expansion announcement describes its first branch in Tubli and a second in Muharraq. The academy describes distinct routes for beginners, advanced students, competitors and no-gi practitioners, who train without the traditional jacket. Its progression system combines attendance milestones with individual practical belt examinations overseen by a coach. Attendance is part of the structure; students must also demonstrate their skills. Monfaradi developed its children’s program, which starts at five and, according to Elements, puts three or four coaches in a class. Adult sessions use a lead coach and an assistant. His own preparation continued alongside teaching. In June 2021, he told GulfWeekly about focused practice with family, conditioning, mental preparation and studying match footage during the closures. That April, he had won silver in the adult black-belt under-69kg division at the World Pro in Abu Dhabi. His 2021 season also included the JJIF adult world title at 77kg. In Bahrain This Month’s December profile, he described adding strength and mobility coaches while relying on Elements for his jiu-jitsu preparation. Farah Baig’s report placed that competitive work beside the academy’s everyday life, observing children training with coaches while parents watched. At the 2023 AJP World Masters, competing in the men’s Master 1 age group, Monfaradi won the black-belt 77kg final against Talison Costa. AJP’s account describes Costa taking the lead twice, with Monfaradi working from underneath in half-guard and threatening to reach his opponent’s back. He recovered to 4–4 and won because he had scored last. The organizer also identified half-guard and quick transitions toward the back as features of his game. Monfaradi has named Marcelo Garcia and Lucas Lepri as technical influences, including on what he passes to his pupils. In his Jiu Jitsu Legacy interview, he described studying techniques, competition footage and business around the demands of training, coaching and running Elements. Family occupied the time left over. His aim was to sustain a career in all three roles. By his 2025 interview with Akhbar Al Khaleej, the difficulty of combining those responsibilities had brought greater attention to developing students. His father had encouraged him to enjoy the sport as well as to achieve results. Monfaradi wanted Bahraini pupils to exceed his own accomplishments and eventually represent national teams, and described a training plan directed toward that ambition. He continued competing. GulfWeekly reported that, at Dammam in 2026, he moved above his usual weight to enter a merged adult brown- and black-belt under-94kg division for Al Hilal. He explained that the lower divisions were empty and accepting a medal without a match would bring no points to his club. He chose the heavier division and won gold. Monfaradi said he traveled to the tournament in the morning and returned that night to be home with his family.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Heroes, Ali Monfaradi biography(opens in a new tab)

    • Ali Monfaradi was born in Bahrain on 30 October 1993. He joined uncle Reza’s newly introduced children’s class in January 2006, aged twelve.

      Where in the source: Biography, opening.

      Accessed:

    • After his 2011 school exams and first Worlds, Monfaradi moved to São Paulo to train under Fábio Gurgel while studying. He returned to Bahrain as a brown belt in December 2015 after four and a half years in Brazil. Gurgel promoted him to black belt in July 2017.

      Where in the source: Biography, school departure, Brazil and return.

      Accessed:

  • Woman This Month, Monfaradi interview, 20 May 2014(opens in a new tab)

    • Monfaradi recalled starting at twelve with uncle Reza at Alliance Bahrain, then moving to São Paulo after his first Worlds. He learned Portuguese to enter university while training. He described missing loved ones, finding a Brazilian support circle, and learning to concentrate on each match after an overconfident Nationals defeat.

      Where in the source: Interview, beginnings, education, challenges and humility.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Worlds results, 2011(opens in a new tab)

    • The 2011 Worlds results place Ali Monfaredi of Alliance USA joint third in adult male blue-belt lightweight.

      Where in the source: Adult / Blue / Male / Light.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Worlds results, 2012(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2012 Worlds, Ali Seena E. A. Munfaradi of Alliance placed first in adult male blue-belt lightweight and second in the open division.

      Where in the source: Adult / Blue / Light; Open Class.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Pans results, 2012(opens in a new tab)

    • IBJJF lists Monfaradi second in adult blue-belt lightweight and joint third in the open division at the 2012 Pans.

      Where in the source: Adult / Blue / Light; Open Class.

      Accessed:

  • GulfWeekly, Jiu Jitsu upgrade, 10–16 June 2020(opens in a new tab)

    • GulfWeekly dated Elements’ opening to September 2019 and reported roughly one hundred adults and children before closure. Monfaradi described moving lessons online during the pandemic, including teaching three children in Kuwait. The report also says he completed a computer-science bachelor’s degree in Brazil.

      Where in the source: Opening biography; academy launch and online lessons.

      Accessed:

  • Elements, class programs(opens in a new tab)

    • Elements describes separate fundamentals, advanced, competition and no-gi programs. Its progression combines attendance milestones with individual practical belt examinations. The children’s program, developed by Monfaradi, starts at five and uses three or four coaches; adult classes pair a lead and assistant coach.

      Where in the source: Class descriptions, progression and children.

      Accessed:

  • Elements, coaches(opens in a new tab)

    • Elements names Ali Monfaradi as co-owner and head coach, with a coaching team including Seena Monfaradi, Mahmood AlNajjar, Abdulla Monfaradi, Hassan AlKhayat, Ahmed Bukanan and fellow co-owner Vadzim Pukhau.

      Where in the source: Named coach cards.

      Accessed:

  • GulfWeekly, Packing a punch, 16–22 June 2021(opens in a new tab)

    • In June 2021, Monfaradi told GulfWeekly he had taken adult black-belt under-69kg silver at April’s World Pro. During closures he used focused family practice, conditioning, mental preparation, footage study and the academy’s online teaching platform to maintain his work.

      Where in the source: April final recollection; pandemic training.

      Accessed:

  • Farah Baig, Bahrain This Month, December 2021(opens in a new tab)

    • Farah Baig reported Monfaradi’s 2021 JJIF world gold at 77kg. He recalled repeated early losses before a valued World Pro bronze, and described adding strength and mobility coaches while Elements handled his jiu-jitsu preparation. The reporter observed children training with coaches and parents present.

      Where in the source: Becoming a World Champion, pages 14–15.

      Accessed:

  • AJP, World Masters finals report, 7 November 2023(opens in a new tab)

    • AJP’s report records Monfaradi winning the 2023 World Masters men’s black-belt Master 1 final at 77kg against Talison Costa. After trailing twice, his half-guard and attempts to take the back brought a 4–4 tie; scoring last gave him the title.

      Where in the source: Men’s Gi / Master 1 / Black Belt, 77kg final.

      Accessed:

  • AJP, Monfaradi–Costa preview, 30 December 2023(opens in a new tab)

    • AJP’s preview characterizes Monfaradi’s game through a strong half-guard and rapid transitions toward the back.

      Where in the source: Monfaradi profile in match preview.

      Accessed:

  • Ahmed Tawfiq, Akhbar Al Khaleej, 1 April 2025(opens in a new tab)

    • In Ahmed Tawfiq’s 2025 interview, Monfaradi described the strain of balancing competition, coaching, business and family, and giving more attention to developing pupils. His father stressed enjoyment alongside achievement. Monfaradi wanted Bahraini students to surpass him and represent national teams, with a training plan to help them progress.

      Where in the source: Questions on family, balancing roles and future ambitions.

      Accessed:

  • GulfWeekly, Bringing home the gold, 9–15 April 2026(opens in a new tab)

    • GulfWeekly reported Bahraini Monfaradi winning Dammam’s adult under-94kg merged brown/black category for Al Hilal in 2026. He explained moving up because the lower divisions were empty and an uncontested medal would earn no team points. Monfaradi said he returned home the same day to be with family.

      Where in the source: Dammam report, merged division and same-day return.

      Accessed:

  • Elements, press and expansion announcement(opens in a new tab)

    • The academy’s own expansion announcement describes its first branch in Tubli and a second in Muharraq, maintaining a family-oriented school led by founder Ali Monfaradi.

      Where in the source: Closing academy expansion announcement.

      Accessed:

  • Jiu Jitsu Legacy, Monfaradi interview, updated January 2023(opens in a new tab)

    • Monfaradi identified Marcelo Garcia and later Lucas Lepri as technical inspirations, also influencing pupils. He described studying techniques, match footage and business between training, teaching and running Elements, with remaining time for family. His aim was a lasting career across all three roles.

      Where in the source: Technical influences, current focus and free time.

      Accessed:

  • Amal Abdullah, Bahrain This Week, February 2018(opens in a new tab)

    • In 2018 Monfaradi said he had stopped treating particular medals as compulsory goals, preferring consistent commitment. He recalled seven bouts at the 2012 Worlds and distinguished technical difficulty from the heat and humidity of the Asian Beach Games.

      Where in the source: Questions on goals, schedule and toughest competition.

      Accessed:

Lineage

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Open lineage