Pakistan’s jiu jitsu revolution

And the man leading it

And once again, Pakistan’s leading jiu jitsu fighter, Jahanzaib “Jazzie” Rashad, stood out for his technique and won the gold medal. Last timePakistan Today talked to him was in Dec ’15, just after the world championship, where he finished an outstanding number seven out of the world’s best 425 competitors from 65 countries

 

Revolution, conspiracy, etc, are easily exaggerated terms in Pakistan. But when an inexperienced bunch represents the country in an international event in a sport almost unheard of in the country and bags 15 medals, it is special.

Few people in Pakistan know that the home Brazilian jiu jitsu team won 15 medals, including one gold, in the recently held Asian Beach Games in Sri Lanka. The achievement is made even more special because of the 32 teams that participated from more than 15 countries, Pakistan’s was considered one of the weakest going in.

And once again, Pakistan’s leading jiu jitsu fighter, Jahanzaib “Jazzie” Rashad, stood out for his technique and won the gold medal. Last timePakistan Today talked to him was in Dec ’15, just after the world championship, where he finished an outstanding number seven out of the world’s best 425 competitors from 65 countries.

He talked exclusively again to the paper after his return from Sri Lanka.

“There were no expectations really going in”, he said. “There was no way to know the level of our players since most of them went for the first time”.

Other than Jazzie’s gold, the team also won five silver and nine bronze medals. And even though he’s had good results and gold medals under his belt, it was not too high on his mind this time.

“I didn’t think too much about the gold either”, he continued. “I faced most of these players in Vietnam just last month, and the tournament did not go too well for me”.

But this time he was more focused and his technique was better tuned, according to his teammates.

Jazzie picked up the sport when he worked in the corporate sector in Dubai some years ago. When he moved back to Pakistan, he was perhaps the only technically trained competitor in the country. Since then he’s trained a bunch of players, some of whom accompanied him at the beach games and won some of those medals.

Considering how jiu jitsu is suddenly rising, with very little official attention or investment, it would help both the sport and the government if it were taken better care of

But doesn’t the lack of proper opposition hold back his own progress?

“Of course it would have been better if the quality of opposition were better”, he explained.

“But I like to take them to a certain level so we can improve together from there”.

Of late, the game has started growing in Pakistan, owing in no small part to his own successes. Even the government has started taking notice, though a lot more needs to be done. The boys are girls that accompanied him are his students at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Lahore, where fighters are provided training facilities as well as boarding and lodging.

This is, understandably, an important time not just for BJJ but sports in general in Pakistan. The recent high point in Test cricket notwithstanding, there has been little to write home about for a while now. The recent Olympic Games provided the lowest moment perhaps, with seven players and 17 officials representing the country.

Considering how jiu jitsu is suddenly rising, with very little official attention or investment, it would help both the sport and the government if it were taken better care of.

Jazzie suggests some examples from his experiences.

“The most important thing is advertising. Players in Brazil and UAE, for example, are encouraged when they see their pictures on billboards”, he said.

“Also, BJJ is part of the curriculum in Dubai. Also, in many countries, including the US, the police and special forces are trained in BJJ.

Such things, Jazzie says, help put the spotlight on the sport, increasing its appeal in the youth.

Increasingly, players who develop effective BJJ techniques tend to try their luck in the ‘cage’, which is the sport’s lingo for MMA fighting. BJJ is, after all, the basic staple for MMA fighters. But Jazzie has no such plans.

“I only do what I like doing, and I’ll keep doing BJJ as long as I enjoy it”, he said. “And if I ever go into MMA, it will be strictly to complement by BJJ”.

Jazzie will lead the team again in Vietnam later in the year. This time, in addition to the thrill of competition, they will also carry the burden of expectation.