Two Days of Jiu-Jitsu in Abu Dhabi: Bronze, Gold, and Our Hotel Lifehack

This weekend we spent two days in Abu Dhabi once again at a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition — and this time came home with two medals at once.

Kostya took bronze and 400 dirhams in prize money on Saturday, and on Sunday Sanya won gold and 800 dirhams, winning all three of his matches.

This was Round 7 of Season 3 of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship, held on 18–20 September at the Mubadala Arena. The tournament is organised by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, with rounds held across different emirates throughout the season. Sunday was precisely when the Under-12, Under-14, and Under-16 divisions competed.

Over several trips like this, however, we arrived at another crucial takeaway: we finally figured out a solid system for navigating kids’ tournaments in Abu Dhabi without draining the child with hours of waiting before their very first match.

Saturday. Kostya — 29.1 kg, bronze, and 400 AED

It all kicked off in typical fashion for us: we overslept in the morning. We only left Dubai at 8:25, even though the official weigh-in cutoff was 9:30. By 9:14 we had already pulled up to Mubadala Arena. Practically spot on — if you overlook the fact that we were sweating bullets the entire drive.

Fortunately, the weigh-in window was extended to 10:00 AM this time. Kostya weighed in at 29.1 kg and entered the under-30 kg grey belt division.

After weighing in, we did what has now become our regular ritual: headed over for breakfast at DRVN Coffee, just a short drive from the arena.

And this is where our main tournament lifehack comes in.

Why We Always Book a Hotel

The biggest mistake we made several times in the past was arriving in the morning for weigh-ins and then hanging around inside the arena waiting for the match.

The start time for the first bout is always in flux. Sometimes a kid gets called up fairly quickly, but other times the opening fight isn’t scheduled until well after four in the afternoon.

Sanya has been through this before. It creates a bizarre dynamic: the child hasn’t even stepped on the mat yet, but has already spent hours sitting in the warm-up area amidst constant noise, crowds, ongoing bouts, and persistent tension. By the time their name is called, they are already completely worn out.

So here is our game plan now:
weigh in → have breakfast → head to the hotel → track the schedule online → return roughly one hour before the first match.

Back at the hotel, the kids can relax, watch a film, play games, or simply do nothing at all. Meanwhile, I keep an eye on the tournament website, waiting for the confirmed start time to drop.

Plus, in our setup, a hotel makes total sense: one child competes on Saturday, the other on Sunday.

This time I managed to find a stay that included both breakfast and dinner, so after DRVN we checked in and quietly waited for Kostya’s division to start.

In the end, he took third place, earned a bronze medal, and pocketed 400 AED in prize money.

We only got back to the hotel around five in the evening. After that: swimming pool, dinner, VR, games, a bit of a movie, and lights out at 21:00, because everything was set to restart early the next morning.

Sunday. Sanya Came In Heavier

Sunday morning we headed in for Sanya’s weigh-in. It turned out that instead of the 42 kg division, he weighed 43 kg, which bumped him up into the next bracket — under-46 kg. His first match was scheduled for 11:52.

And rather than loitering around Mubadala Arena for hours, we simply turned right back around and returned to the hotel.

We enjoyed a leisurely family breakfast, hung out until 11:00, checked out, and only then drove back to begin warming up.

It’s precisely for moments like these that we book a hotel.

Three Matches — and Gold

Sanya had three matches in total. He finished the first two by submission. The final proved far tougher: he had to battle through the full duration, ultimately taking the win 6:3 on points.

And that was the victory I appreciated most. It’s wonderful when things come easily, but here he had to endure, stay sharp, listen to his coach, and work through every second right to the bell.

The outcome — first place, a gold medal, and 800 AED in prize money.

Special thanks to our coach, Maxim Matushkin. He was right there matside for Sanya throughout the matches, coaching him through transitions and helping him make the right decisions in real time. In kids’ competition, that is a superpower in its own right — when a child on the mats tunes in directly to their coach and keeps executing what needs to be done.

The Weekend Tally

Two days in Abu Dhabi.
Kostya — bronze + 400 AED.
Sanya — gold + 800 AED.

And for our family, our routine for tournament trips has now firmly set: instead of dwelling inside the arena all day, shape the trip into an ordinary, relaxed family weekend.

Weigh-in, a great breakfast, the hotel, a bit of downtime — and only then the mats. Because when it comes down to it, a kid needs their energy for the match, not for the exhausting wait leading up to it.

And this time around, the plan worked to perfection 🥉🥇