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Samir Annabi

Samir Annabi built Maeda Team Tunisia around visiting teachers, ground-fighting fundamentals and a close training community.

Biography

Samir Annabi’s interest in ground fighting followed an accident affecting his knee, foot and ankle. In his October 2020 BJJ Globetrotters interview, he explained that his uncle, a fourth-dan judo practitioner and ne-waza teacher, taught him ground-fighting basics. Visiting foreign practitioners introduced him to more BJJ. He dates his BJJ training to 2008. MAEDA Team BJJ Tunisia opened in 2016 in Carthage, in the Tunis area. Annabi and his students invited international black belts for workshops, training and belt evaluations. By 2020, he described a programme combining self-defence, confidence and national and international ne-waza competition. Escaping bad positions was a particular technical emphasis alongside the fundamentals. The community brought children and adults together, including university students and people from different professions. His practical challenges included helping students and parents make room for training, dealing with injuries and managing egos. He described the close relationships and sense of belonging as a family. The same 2020 interview identified him as the Tunisian Jujitsu Federation’s ne-waza technical director.

Sources for this profile

  • SamirAnnabi, complete3October2020 firstperson MAEDATeamTunisia interview inBJJGlobetrotters(opens in a new tab)

    • SamirAnnabi dates hisBJJtraining to2008.

      Where in the source: FullSomefactsaboutyoublock andwholehowgymcameintoexistenceanswer.

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    • He says anaccident affectinghisknee,foot andankle turned hisattention fromstanding togroundfighting.

      Where in the source: Entiregymoriginsfirstparagraph.

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    • Hisuncle, ajudo fourthdan andne-wazateacher, taught himgroundfightingbasics.

      Where in the source: Completeoriginsparagraph.

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    • Visitingforeignpractitioners introducedhim tomoreBJJ andhelped drawhimintothesport.

      Where in the source: Wholeclosingoriginsparagraph.

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    • MAEDATeamBJJTunisia opened in2016 intheTunisarea, which hedescribes moreprecisely asCarthage.

      Where in the source: Fullopeninglocation/openingyearanswers andentirefinalwhat-toseeanswer.

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    • He andhisstudents invited internationalblackbelts forworkshops, training andbeltevaluations.

      Where in the source: Wholeunusualbelt-evolutionanswer.

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    • In2020 hedescribed theclub asworking onself-defence,self-confidence andnational/internationalne-wazacompetition.

      Where in the source: Completecluborientationparagraph.

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    • The2020interview identifieshim as ne-wazatechnicaldirector at theTunisianJujitsuFederation.

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    • He described a mixedcommunity ofchildren andadults, withuniversitystudents andpeople fromdifferentprofessions trainingtogether.

      Where in the source: Entirepeopleatthegymanswer.

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    • He said practicalchallenges included helpingstudents andparents makeroomfortraining, dealingwithinjuries andmanagingegos.

      Where in the source: Wholechallengesanswer.

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    • He identified escapes frombadpositions as theclub’sparticulartechnicalemphasis alongsideBJJbasics.

      Where in the source: Wholebestthingtechnicalanswer.

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    • He linked theclub’svalue to students’senseofbelonging andclose relationships, describingthem as afamily.

      Where in the source: Wholebestthingpersonalparagraph, comparedfullpeopleanswer.

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