Representing one’s country in an international competition is an accomplishment in itself, but add on to that being the first woman to represent her country, and that is the situation Saudi Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner Farah Al-Zahrani finds herself in. In April 2015, Al-Zahrani participated in Abu Dhabi’s World Professional Jiu Jitsu Champsionship, which was her first tournament. She qualified in the semi finals in her weight class; in addition she qualified in the open weight division. Now that she has experienced what she considers to be an achievement that she is extremely proud of at a prominent international tournament, she is eager to continue to participate in more such events in the future.
Born and raised in Jeddah, Al-Zahrani moved to Riyadh at the age of 7. When she was 13, she moved yet again, but to another country. This time, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she completed her high school education. Currently, she is 21-years-old, and is in her senior year of studying Political Science and International Relations at the University of Jordan. Al-Zahrani took the time from her busy schedule of studying and training to discuss her journey in BJJ so far and what it means to her.
What first drew you to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
I was first introduced to Jiu Jitsu through a friend. I was learning Tae-Kwon-Do at the time, and I was told that Jiu Jitsu is the most superior form of martial arts. I wasn’t very interested at first, but Jiu Jitsu kept finding its way back into my life. I took up a Kick Fit class, and my instructor — who is now my teammate — encouraged me to give Jiu Jitsu a chance. I could also see the Jiu Jitsu class in training from across the dojo, and I was struck by the grace of their movements. I think getting to watch them train day in and day out was what finally convinced me that this is something I should try.
How long have you been training now? Also, what motivates you?
I started back in 2012 but unfortunately had to stop after two months. I knew I had to continue at some point, but did not get the chance until the beginning of 2014. I have been fully committed since. What has especially motivated me is the Saudi community. I hope to inspire young Saudi women to be able to express themselves through sport. There is currently no existing platform for women to practice sport in Saudi Arabia outside of private gyms. We need professional women’s teams that allow them to participate in championships internationally. I hope to inspire the young women of Saudi Arabia to actively strive for this. I am optimistic however that this will not require many years to accomplish, since there are young Saudi Arabian women already trying to explore and expand their horizons in search for new ways of self expression, such as Adwa Al-Dakheel and Rotana Tarabzouni, who are breaking stereotypes and are not afraid to express themselves through art. And Jiu Jitsu, to me, is my art form of choice.
What has been the most challenging part of your training?
My size usually poses as a challenge since I am one of the smallest people in my dojo. However, this has proven to be beneficial in the long run, since I now appreciate the power of technique over size a lot more. This has also driven me to work much more on my physical strength, because if I encounter an opponent who is double or triple my weight, technique wouldn’t be enough on its own.
If you could train or spar with anyone, who would that be?
I am already training with who I believe to be one of the top teams in the world, The Source MMA under Fabricio International Team (FIT JIU JITSU). My head coach is Samy Al-Jamal, who is a 4th degree black belt. My teammates are world champions that I look up to, and I believe when you train with sharks you become one.
Who do you look up to? In other words, do you have a hero?
I thought long and hard about this question, and I eventually realized that I don’t have a specific hero. I do, however, admire certain qualities in people that I consider to be “heroic.” In this, I think of my father, and I think of my coach. I think of how they can focus all their energy into getting what they want and how that almost always results in success for them. I think of how they are always striving to be better, and how the word “average” does not enter their dictionary. Those are absolutely qualities that I look up to, that I think are heroic in nature.
Who are your biggest supporters?
My teammates and coach, as well as my family and friends of course! I am very lucky to have awesome teammates of girls who support and lift each other up. Communication is the key to having an open and safe atmosphere for training, and I am very grateful to be a part of that.
Which is more of a responsibility in your opinion: representing your country in a competition or demonstrating to young women how to follow their dreams?
In my case, these two are not mutually exclusive. I am very proud to be representing my country, and even more so because so few women get to do that in Saudi Arabia. This, I think, demonstrates greatly to all those young women over there that I want to inspire to follow their dreams, that everything is possible.
Farah Al-Zahrani is paving her way toward her dreams simultaneously making her country proud and leading a trail for young Saudi and Arab women to follow. Witness her practice self-expression as a dedicated athlete and BJJ practitioner on her Instagram account @thefoofster.
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Self-expression through Jiu Jitsu
Self-expression through Jiu Jitsu
Trump awards medals to the Kennedy Center honorees in an Oval Office ceremony
- Trump said they are a group of “incredible people” who represent the “very best in American arts and culture”
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Saturday presented the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees with their medals during a ceremony in the Oval Office, hailing the slate of artists he was deeply involved in choosing as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever assembled.
This year’s recipients are actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford.
Trump said they are a group of “incredible people” who represent the “very best in American arts and culture” and that, “I know most of them and I’ve been a fan of all of them.”
“This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans,” said a tuxedo-clad Trump. “This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center Honorees ever assembled.”
Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center
Trump ignored the Kennedy Center and its premier awards program during his first term as president. But the Republican has instituted a series of changes since returning to office in January, most notably ousting its board of trustees and replacing them with GOP supporters who voted him in as chairman of the board.
Trump also has criticized the center’s programming and its physical appearance, and has vowed to overhaul both.
The president placed around each honoree’s neck a new medal that was designed, created and donated by jeweler Tiffany & Co., according to the Kennedy Center and Trump.
It’s a gold disc etched on one side with the Kennedy Center’s image and rainbow colors. The honoree’s name appears on the reverse side with the date of the ceremony. The medallion hangs from a navy blue ribbon and replaces a large rainbow ribbon decorated with three gold plates that rested on the honoree’s shoulders and chest and had been used since the first honors program in 1978.
Trump honors the honorees
Strait, wearing a cowboy hat, was first to receive his medal. When the country singer started to take off the hat, Trump said, “If you want to leave it on, you can. I think we can get it through.” But Strait took it off.
The president said Crawford was a “great star of Broadway” for his lead role in the long-running “Phantom of the Opera.” Of Gaynor, he said, “We have the disco queen, and she was indeed, and nobody did it like Gloria Gaynor.”
Trump was effusive about his friend Stallone, calling him a “wonderful” and “spectacular” person and “one of the true, great movie stars” and “one of the great legends.”
Kiss is an “incredible rock band,” he said.
Songs by honorees Gaynor and Kiss played in the Rose Garden just outside the Oval Office as members of the White House press corps waited nearby for Trump to begin the ceremony.
The president president said in August that he was “about 98 percent involved” in choosing the 2025 honorees when he personally announced them at the Kennedy Center, the first slate chosen under his leadership. The honorees traditionally had been announced by press release.
It was unclear how they were chosen. Before Trump, it fell to a bipartisan selection committee.
“These are among the greatest artists, actors and performers of their generation. The greatest that we’ve seen,” Trump said. “We can hardly imagine the country music phenomena without its king of country, or American disco without its first lady, or Broadway without its phantom — and that was a phantom, let me tell you — or rock and roll without its hottest band in the world, and that’s what they are, or Hollywood without one of its greatest visionaries.”
“Each of you has made an indelible mark on American life and together you have defined entire genres and set new standards for the performing arts,” Trump said.
Trump also attended an annual State Department dinner for the honorees on Saturday. In years past, the honorees received their medallions there but Trump moved the ceremony to the White House.
Trump to host the Kennedy Center Honors
Meanwhile, the glitzy Kennedy Center Honors program and its series of tribute speeches and performances for each recipient is set to be taped on Sunday at the performing arts center for broadcast later in December on CBS and Paramount+. Trump is to attend the program for the first time as president, accompanied by his wife, first lady Melania Trump.
The president said in August that he had agreed to host the show, and he seemed to confirm on Saturday that he would do so, predicting that the broadcast would garner its highest ratings ever as a result. Presidents traditionally attend the program and sit with the honorees in the audience. None has ever served as host.
He said he looked forward to Sunday’s celebration.
“It’s going to be something that I believe, and I’m going to make a prediction: this will be the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done and they’ve gotten some pretty good ratings, but there’s nothing like what’s going to happen tomorrow night,” Trump said.
The president also swiped at late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose program was briefly suspended earlier this year by ABC following criticism of his comments related to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.
Kimmel and Trump are sharp critics of each other, with the president regularly deriding Kimmel’s talent as a host. Kimmel has hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Academy Award multiple times.
Trump said he should be able to outdo Kimmel.
“I’ve watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible,” Trump said. “If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”
