What was once ancient history is making its mark in the UAE as swashbuckling TV hits such as The Witcher and Game of Thrones spark a resurgence in the art of sword fighting.
Historical European Martial Arts (Hema), which describes combat techniques such as swordsmanship and fencing dating back to the Middle Ages, is on the rise all over the world – including in the Emirates.
Participants, often enticed by the techniques shown in drama series and blockbuster movies, are increasingly bringing fantasy to life.
The man helping to cultivate this growing interest in the UAE is Maciej Ryszkiewicz, 34, a trainer from Poland who moved to Abu Dhabi in 2016 to get married to his girlfriend.
“I was sword fighting in Europe for almost eight years before coming here,” Mr Ryszkiewicz said.
Struggling to find a job to secure his residency he decided to start up his own business teaching Hema in the emirate.
“I teamed up with a local sponsor, Hamdan Al Afifi, and in December 2017, The Swords Fencing Club was born.”
Starting a club from the ground up was not an easy task but this did not blunt Mr Ryszkiewicz's enthusiasm.
“It was going very slow, because I was doing something new that nobody knew about in the UAE,” he said.
“Everything was done from scratch. We did not even have money to advertise, it was all done through word of mouth and social media.”
But Mr Ryszkiewicz was confident that people would soon embrace the opportunity to sharpen their skills.
“We had a chance to show people something new and different – it is the old historical version of fencing; so with a sword and shield like a Viking or Zorro or a gladiator," he said.
"This gives people a chance to experience scenes from their favourite films and mimic their favourite characters.”
When he was introduced to Hema, he was intrigued by the “heroic theme of fighting with a sword”.
“I had a bachelor’s degree in physical education and I saw potential in sword fighting as a multi-physical exercise that teaches you to defend yourself like any other martial art, but it also has the influence of movies, so people would want to try it,” he said.
Mr Ryszkiewicz’s club slowly started to gain recognition and it now trains about 40 men, women and children in Abu Dhabi as well as at sessions held in Dubai.
“About 60 to 70 per cent of our members are children, so it's mostly growing on kids.”
'I was hooked straight away'
Mohammad Al Maraghi, 34, had never tried a combat sport before attending his first session six months ago.
“I was looking on Google for a sport similar to martial arts, but in a unique way,” said the sales manager from Jordan.
“Then by chance I saw the website of The Sword Fencing Club, and I immediately registered.
“I came for the first class and I got hooked. Now I am taking it very seriously.
“It requires quick response skills, even more than boxing, because the sword is faster than the fist."
He said his goal is to become a master in the sport, to enter a fight and receive zero hits.
“This is easier said than done," he said.
He said it is common for the club to attract people inspired by what they see on the small screen.
“My cousin went with me once; he was very excited thinking he would be like a hero in a Netflix drama, from the first fight he was shocked by the amount of hits he received.”
The dramatic fight scenes on the likes of Game of Thrones and Vikings also attracted Emirati Hamda, who asked for her surname not to be used.
The 26-year-old analyst was captivated by such shows during the pandemic and was curious to learn more.
She started searching online for fencing classes and stumbled upon the club’s website.
Since October she has become a regular and considers herself of intermediate skill level.
She said her next goal would be to join fights with other women.
“I currently take a semi-private class with my friend and the coach only. I would like to join the group classes and fight other ladies.”
She said she looks forward to more women joining the classes.
“My friends are always asking me about it and they are very interested, but now it is a critical phase because not many ladies are used to training with a male coach”.
Currently there is no female trainer for Hema in the UAE, Mr Ryszkiewicz said.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from women, but most Emirati women prefer a female trainer and unfortunately we don’t have any. Right now I am the only trainer in Abu Dhabi and we have another male trainer in Dubai,” he said.
However, the club is trying to accommodate demand by providing women-only classes where the coach is the only man in the room.
Mr Ryszkiewicz is also trying to attract more locals into the sport by adding an element from Arabic heritage to it.
“We introduced the Arabic sabre sword as one of the weapons that we train with. This will spark a lot of interest,” he said.
“We want to develop the heritage of the local culture.”
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What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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