On 3 October we held the official grand opening of Warrior Academy Jumeirah Islands, our new kids martial arts academy in Jumeirah Heights, Dubai, with national press, families and guests in the room. Children aged 2 to 18 have been training here in karate, jiu jitsu and taekwondo since April, and it has grown faster than any academy we have launched before. This month we finally marked it properly.
Here is what is inside the new Jumeirah Islands academy, how it came together, and what the UAE’s press has been saying about Warrior Academy over the years. If you live in Jumeirah Islands, Jumeirah Park, The Springs, JLT, Dubai Marina or Al Furjan, this is your nearest Warrior Academy.
Kids martial arts in Jumeirah Islands: our fourth UAE academy
Warrior Academy Jumeirah Islands sits in Jumeirah Heights, a short drive from Jumeirah Park, The Springs, Emirates Hills, JLT, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan. It joins our academies in Al Quoz, Arjan and Abu Dhabi.
- Three dojos, so more class times across the week and an easier fit around school, homework and siblings.
- A community room for workshops and parent sessions.
- A full reception team to look after families from the moment they walk in.
- Around 500 children already train there every week.
Jumeirah Islands follows the same syllabus as every Warrior Academy: karate, jiu jitsu and taekwondo through one belt system, with gradings registered with the WKF and the UAE Karate Federation, the 3 C’s (Confidence, Conduct and Concentration) in every class, and every class capped at 13 children.
Thank you
None of it happens without the people behind it. Our Director of Operations, Dan Gray, managed the whole project, and Vipin ran the refurbishment of the building from start to finish. Thank you both, and thank you to every instructor and every family who trusted us before the paint was dry.
Grand opening day at Jumeirah Islands
The morning opened with a ribbon-cutting, then live martial arts demonstrations from our world-champion instructors and students, and introductory classes where children got on the mat and tried karate, jiu jitsu and taekwondo for themselves.
The Jumeirah Islands grand opening in the press
The opening was covered by Gulf News, Observer Dubai and Biz Today.
- Gulf News, 14 October 2026: UAE parents put children’s confidence first: Survey
- Observer Dubai, 13 October 2026: The Warrior Academy’s Jumeirah Islands dojo nears capacity six months after opening, as the Middle East’s largest martial arts academy marks its official launch
- Biz Today, 13 October 2026: The Warrior Academy’s Jumeirah Islands dojo nears capacity six months after opening
“As a father of three, I know what I want when I drop my children at any class: someone who knows their name,” said our founder Sebastian Bates. “You can’t do that in a crowded room.”
Sebastian Bates, speaking to Observer Dubai
What UAE parents told us they want for their children
To mark the opening we shared the results of a survey of 2,000 UAE parents. Confidence came out on top: 61 per cent of parents want their children to develop greater confidence, 36 per cent want them to overcome fear and hesitation and build self-discipline, 28 per cent named concentration and focus, and 22 per cent named bullying as their biggest concern.
“At Warrior Academy we build everything around the three c’s: confidence, conduct and concentration. Together they develop resilience and leadership, and like any skill, they grow stronger with practice.”
Sebastian Bates, speaking to Gulf News
“I was bullied as a child, and I know a confident child is far better equipped to stand up for themselves and for others.”
Sebastian Bates, Gulf News
That is what every class at Jumeirah Islands is built around. Every child has an assessment before joining, every family has a monthly one-to-one call with their child’s instructor, and Warrior Academy is the largest martial arts academy in the Middle East and East Africa.
Inside Warrior Academy Jumeirah Islands
Visit Warrior Academy Jumeirah Islands: classes, ages and timetable
- Where: Jumeirah Heights, Jumeirah Islands, Dubai
- Ages: Little Warriors (2 to 3), Junior Warriors (4 to 6), Senior Warriors (7 to 9), Pre Teens (10 to 12) and Teens (13 and up), plus Family, Weapons and Sparring classes
- Timetable: see every class time at Jumeirah Islands
- Call: +971 58 542 4089
Looking for karate, jiu jitsu or taekwondo classes for kids in Jumeirah Islands or anywhere in Dubai? The best way to see what all the fuss is about is to watch a class. Book a class and choose Jumeirah Islands.