Aqsa is a Barrister specialising in criminal, public and international law. Before committing to the legal and human rights world, Aqsa gained experience in the fields of international development, cyber security, and strategy consulting. Aqsa has been training in martial arts for over two decades and has for the past couple of years focused solely on BJJ. This project combines her passions of law, social justice and martial arts.

Zaki is a death penalty caseworker and investigator, working on cases across the Middle East. Zaki has worked in legal aid law firms and international organisations in the UK including the UN Refugee Agency, and also spent time representing asylum seekers in their claims for international protection in Egypt. Zaki is a life-long martial artist, holding a brown belt in BJJ under Jude Samuel and a black belt in Shotokan Karate.

Harry is a commercial lawyer, having led the legal functions of numerous tech companies. Harry is also a lecturer of law at Queen Mary University London and the University of Law (Bloomsbury). Harry is also involved in numerous mentoring and social equity programs in the field of law. Harry started in Shotokan and full-contact Karate from an early age, taking up Judo, BJJ and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu at 18. Harry has competed in BJJ and Judo, and is passionate about empowerment through confidence in martial arts.

Ahmed Aydeed is director of public law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors. Specialising in public law and human rights, he acts for NGOs and legally aided individuals in complex systemic challenges. Ahmed has been responsible for a series of high impact cases in the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Ahmed was awarded the Marsh Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Fight Against Modern Slavery at the 2019 Anti Slavery Day Awards. He was also awarded Junior Lawyer of the Year at the 2017 Law Society Excellence Awards, and was Highly Commended in 2018 and 2020 as Human Rights Lawyer of the Year. Ahmed has trained in BJJ when he was younger and is a huge fan of mixed martial arts. Ahmed is excited to help young refugees gain access to mixed martial arts and BJJ classes.

Elisa is currently working in FinTech, with several years of experience in relationship management and business development, both in big corporations and start-ups. In recent years, she has developed a passion for ESG and digitalization. Elisa has been involved in various volunteering projects and she’s also a community responder with Saint John Ambulance. She trained boxing and Muay-Thai in the past but now she is fully committed to BJJ. Elisa believes that martial arts are a great way to build not only a strong body, but also meaningful friendships.