Hind Charifi

When I was 13 years old, I was in the national hand-ball team in Morocco. The sport was everything to me, but I had to leave the team when I left the country. After that, I decided to pick an individual sport.

The first time I tried BJJ I found it strange because I wasn’t used to contact sport. However, every time I tried something else, I kept coming back to BJJ. It is as much a mental sport as it is physical, and that’s what I found fascinating. Some people call BJJ the ‘chess of martial arts’ because you must use your brain and 100% of your concentration to succeed. Strategy, leverage, and technique is what matters – it is not about force or size. It even strengthens your concentration. After just a few months, I was more motivated and confident in every area of my life.

I took the sport seriously and trained very hard – too hard. I didn’t listen to advice and didn’t rest my body enough. In 2001, I badly injured my knee and needed surgery. I didn’t think I would ever be able to train again because I could hardly walk but thanks to my coach and mentor Carlos Castro and support and guidance from my instructors, Alexander and Royce Gracie, I regained my strength. After months of dedication and perseverance, I won a gold medal in the 2022 BJJ World Championship in Abu Dhabi.

In June 2023, I finally gained my black belt, enabling me to open my own academy. As a coach, I hope to make a significant impact on the lives of my students, helping them overcome challenges, build resilience, and develop valuable life skills such as discipline, perseverance, and goal setting.