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Amin Touati

“Camelinho”

Source: web.archive.org

Stockholm-born Royce Gracie black belt who came to Dubai as a blue belt when the city had three black belts, and now heads Antara Jiu Jitsu Academy.

Biography

Amin Touati, known as "Camelinho," arrived in Dubai as a blue belt at a time when the city had three Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts. He went on to earn his black belt from Royce Gracie, taught under the Royce Gracie name in Dubai for years, and today heads his own school there. Early years His BJJ Heroes profile is the main source for his early life and his path through the belts. According to it, Touati was born in Stockholm in 1978. Growing up, he tried several martial arts without settling on any of them, then boxed for about three years. His brother, who trained MMA at a local academy, brought him to jiu-jitsu. Mixed martial arts itself held little appeal for Touati, but jiu-jitsu did: once he started, in late 2004 or early 2005, he gave up boxing to concentrate on it. His first coach, Christian Kennedy, awarded him his blue belt. The nickname goes back to his teens, when friends called him "Camel" in reference to his Arabic roots. Once he was training alongside Brazilians, the name became "Camelinho," meaning "small camel." Dubai Soon after his blue belt, Touati took a job offer to work as a fitness instructor in Dubai. BJJ Heroes names the only three black belts in the city at that point: Olavo Abreu, Suyan Queiroz and Carlos Santos. Touati trained with Carlos "Carlão" Santos, who promoted him to purple belt. Looking back in 2019, Touati told Gulf News that roughly fifteen years earlier the UAE had just three jiu-jitsu trainers and few people interested in the sport, and that the growth of the UFC and MMA had since driven a surge in demand. BJJ Heroes lists him in the over-100 kg division and credits him with an Emirates Cup title in 2006, silver at both the Emirates Asian Super Cup and the Abu Dhabi International Cup in 2007, and further silver and bronze placings through 2009 at the Emirates Cup, the Emirates Team Jiu Jitsu Cup and the Ramadan Games, including several in no-gi. The 2007 Asian Super Cup medal also appears in contemporary results: Gulf News's report on the December event in Abu Dhabi, which drew 145 competitors from 20 countries, lists "Ameen Touati" second in the Group B over-90 kg division, behind Luiz Fernando of Brazil. Royce Gracie Touati met Royce Gracie through Tam Khan, one of Royce's students. The two became friends, and Royce asked Touati to open a gym in Dubai together with Tam Khan, which became the Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy Dubai. Royce promoted him to brown belt and then, on June 11, 2011, to black belt. BJJ Heroes traces his lineage from Mitsuyo Maeda through Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie to Royce Gracie. In June 2012, when Royce held his fourth annual jiu-jitsu seminar in Dubai at the Contender MMA Centre, the centre's owner, Tam Khan, told The National that his was the only centre officially certified by Royce Gracie, and that Touati was the one Royce Gracie black belt teaching there full-time. In December 2016 Valente Brothers Jiu-Jitsu announced that Touati was the first RGJJN member to finish its Fighting Foundations specialization course. Teaching By 2019 Gulf News described Touati as manager and head instructor of the Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy Dubai. The academy's classes put self-defense and life skills ahead of tournaments. "We don't teach them to compete," Touati said. Children were taught to use their words, tell a teacher and calm a tense moment before turning to force, and he described how, after a few months of being grabbed and held in training, children begin to carry themselves differently. In a 2020 school profile on a mat supplier's blog, the academy named Touati as its owner, said he had been teaching for ten years, and described itself as the first and only Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy in the Middle East, teaching Gracie self-defense to children and adults. It gave its aim as keeping the technical and philosophical roots of the art as Royce Gracie taught them, and its advice to other school owners was to teach only what you practice yourself. Antara Jiu Jitsu Academy The UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation's club register lists Touati as the person in charge of Antara Jiu Jitsu Academy in Dubai. On his Instagram profile he describes himself as the academy's founder, a black belt under Royce Gracie and a UAE Gracie jiu-jitsu pioneer.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Heroes, 'Amin Touati "Camelinho"', fighter database profile (Wayback Machine copy of 19 June 2025).(opens in a new tab)

    • Amin Touati holds a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Royce Gracie.

      Where in the source: Opening summary paragraph under the title

      Accessed:

    • Touati received both his brown belt and his black belt from Royce Gracie; the black belt was awarded on 11 June 2011.

      Where in the source: Biography, final paragraph — 'BB on June 11, 2011'

      Accessed:

    • Touati's nickname is 'Camelinho' ('small camel'). Friends called him 'Camel' as a teenager in reference to his Arabic roots, and the name became 'Camelinho' once he trained alongside Brazilians in jiu-jitsu.

      Where in the source: Fact box above the biography, Nickname line — 'Small Camel'

      Accessed:

    • Amin Touati was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1978.

      Where in the source: Biography, first sentence (source spells the city 'Stockhom')

      Accessed:

    • Growing up, Touati tried several martial arts without staying long, then boxed for about three years. He came to jiu-jitsu through his brother, who trained MMA at a local academy; Touati was not drawn to MMA but took to jiu-jitsu, starting in late 2004 or early 2005, and gave up boxing to focus on it.

      Where in the source: Biography, first paragraph — 'late 2004, early 2005'

      Accessed:

    • Touati's first jiu-jitsu coach was Christian Kennedy, who awarded him his blue belt.

      Where in the source: Biography, second paragraph, first sentence (names Christian Kennedy)

      Accessed:

    • Shortly after receiving his blue belt, Touati accepted a job offer to work as a fitness instructor in Dubai. At that time, according to BJJ Heroes, there were only three Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts in Dubai: Olavo Abreu, Suyan Queiroz and Carlos Santos.

      Where in the source: Biography, second paragraph, second and third sentences (names the three black belts)

      Accessed:

    • In Dubai, Touati trained under Carlos 'Carlão' Santos and received his purple belt from him.

      Where in the source: Biography, second paragraph, last sentence (names 'Carlão' Santos)

      Accessed:

    • Touati was introduced to Royce Gracie by Tam Khan, a student of Royce. Royce became his friend and asked him to open a Royce Gracie gym in Dubai together with Tam Khan, which became the Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy Dubai.

      Where in the source: Biography, third paragraph, first sentence (names Tam Khan)

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes lists Touati's main competition results as: Emirates Cup champion (2006); silver at the Emirates Asian Super Cup (2007); silver at the Abu Dhabi International Cup (2007); silver at the Emirates Cup no-gi (2008); silver at the Emirates Team Jiu Jitsu Cup (2009); silver at the Ramadan Games no-gi (2009); and bronze at the Ramadan Games no-gi in 2008 and 2009. It lists his weight division as over 100 kg.

      Where in the source: Fact box above the biography, 'Main Achievements' list and 'Weight Division' line

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes gives Touati's lineage as Mitsuyo Maeda, Carlos Gracie, Helio Gracie, Royce Gracie, Amin Touati.

      Where in the source: Fact box above the biography, Lineage line

      Accessed:

  • Gulf News, 'UAE overall champions in Asian Super Cup Jiu Jitsu', 16 December 2007.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the Emirates Asian Super Cup Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship in Abu Dhabi in December 2007, an event with 145 competitors from 20 countries, Ameen Touati, listed for Sweden, took second place in the Group B over-90 kg division, behind Luiz Fernando of Brazil.

      Where in the source: 'Results' list, 'Group B' — 'Over 90 kg' line (second place)

      Accessed:

  • The National (Mohammed N Al Khan), 'Ultimate Fighting champ can do it with his eyes shut', 29 June 2012.(opens in a new tab)

    • In June 2012, reporting on Royce Gracie's fourth annual jiu-jitsu seminar in Dubai, held at the Contender MMA Centre, The National quoted the centre's owner Tam Khan saying it was the only official Royce Gracie-certified jiu-jitsu centre and had the only full-time Royce Gracie black belt instructor, Amin Touati.

      Where in the source: Final quoted paragraph, attributed to Tam Khan — 'only full-time Royce Gracie black belt instructor'

      Accessed:

  • Gulf News (Jumana Khamis), 'Rise in interest in Brazilian martial arts Jiu Jitsu among UAE residents', 12 April 2019.(opens in a new tab)

    • In April 2019 Gulf News described Touati, who grew up in Stockholm and had practised jiu-jitsu for over 15 years, as Manager and Head Instructor at the Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy Dubai.

      Where in the source: Paragraph introducing Touati — 'Manager and Head Instructor'

      Accessed:

    • Touati told Gulf News that demand for jiu-jitsu in the UAE had surged as UFC and MMA grew popular, and recalled that roughly fifteen years earlier there were only three jiu-jitsu trainers in the country and few people interested in the sport.

      Where in the source: Quotes following the introduction of Touati; paragraph beginning 'He recalled a time'

      Accessed:

    • Touati described his academy's teaching as focused on self-defence and life skills rather than competition: children are taught to use words, tell a teacher and defuse situations before resorting to force, and he said that after a few months of being grabbed and held in training, children visibly change in how they carry themselves.

      Where in the source: Sections 'Gaining confidence' and 'Talk before you fight' — 'We don't teach them to compete'

      Accessed:

  • FUJI Mats blog, 'Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy Dubai', 7 February 2020 (questionnaire answered by the school).(opens in a new tab)

    • A February 2020 school profile named Amin Touati as owner of the Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy Dubai, said he had been teaching for ten years, and gave the school's description of itself as the first and only Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy in the Middle East, teaching Gracie jiu-jitsu self-defence to children and adults.

      Where in the source: Header line 'Owners: Amin Touati'; answer to 'How long have you been teaching?'; 'About the school' — 'first and only RGJJ academy'

      Accessed:

    • In the same profile the school stated its commitment to preserving the technical and philosophical roots of Gracie jiu-jitsu as taught by Royce Gracie, named Royce Gracie and the Gracie family as its inspiration, said its teaching focused on life skills rather than only sparring, and gave as advice to other school owners to teach only what you practise yourself.

      Where in the source: Answers to the mission-statement, inspiration, 'something special' and advice questions

      Accessed:

  • Valente Brothers Jiu-Jitsu, Facebook photo post, 19 December 2016.(opens in a new tab)

    • In December 2016 Valente Brothers Jiu-Jitsu announced that Royce Gracie black belt Amin Touati had become the first RGJJN member to complete its Fighting Foundations specialization course, and wished him success in Dubai.

      Where in the source: Photo post dated December 19, 2016 — 'Fighting Foundations™ specialization course'

      Accessed:

  • UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation, club page 'Antara Jiu Jitsu Academy'.(opens in a new tab)

    • The UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation's club register lists Antara Jiu Jitsu Academy in Dubai with Amin Touati as person in charge.

      Where in the source: Club page 'Antara Jiu Jitsu Academy', field 'Person in charge'

      Accessed:

  • Amin Touati (@amintouatijj), Instagram profile bio.(opens in a new tab)

    • On his Instagram profile Touati describes himself as a UAE Gracie jiu-jitsu pioneer, a black belt under Royce Gracie and the founder of Antara Jiu Jitsu Academy.

      Where in the source: Profile bio — 'Founder of @antarajj'

      Accessed:

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