São Paulo – Representatives of Arab and Brazilian companies that are members of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) took part in a morning of kung fu in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, earlier this week, with the aim of making the practice an ally for businesspeople. About 30 people tried ving tsun, a Chinese kung fu style that dates back around 300 years, in an initiative offered by the ABCC’s Dubai office in partnership with the global headquarters of Moy Yat Ving Tsun Safeguard Group, based in Abu Dhabi.
“The decisions that matter most in a leader’s life do not originate in the mind—they originate in the body, an instant before we become conscious of them. And that is what ving tsun offers the business world: a foundation that does not give way under pressure, a center that does not get lost when the room becomes tense, and an awareness that recognizes the right moment to act. In other words, it is much more than fighting in a strict sense. It is the body as a leader’s first instrument—it is what we call embodied cognition,” says Brazilian senior ving tsun master Tiago Quintela, who heads the Abu Dhabi headquarters.
In addition to the group ving tsun sessions, the participants also meditated to close out the day, which had a Brazilian touch, with coffee and pão de queijo served to the participants. The gathering took place at the martial arts pavilion, or mo kwoon, of the Moy Yat Ving Tsun Safeguard Group in Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen neighborhood.
“I can say it was Brazil and the Arab world on the same ground. We used the mo kwoon, this martial arts space, to create this opportunity,” Quintela said.
He described the moment as an encounter between two cultures mediated by Chinese martial arts.
Rafael Solimeo, head of the ABCC’s Dubai office, said the initiative is part of an effort to offer new experiences to the institution’s partners.
“Networking is no longer enough. Businesspeople are now looking for more than an exchange of business cards. They want to experience something new, learn, build genuine connections, and at the same time, create business opportunities. With this in mind, we recently held a padel event in Sharjah and have now chosen kung fu as a new way to connect,” he said.
The head of the office said the choice of kung fu has special significance.
“In addition to the inspiring story of a Brazilian who’s built his career in this world (Tiago Quintela), we saw a very interesting connection between the philosophy of kung fu and the business world. Discipline, strategy, balance, resilience and purpose are fundamental values both in martial arts and in the journey of any entrepreneur,” Solimeo added.
The office sought to create a balanced group of Brazilians and Arabs for the initiative, bringing together businesspeople and executives from different sectors, from artificial intelligence and construction to food. Brazil’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Sidney Leon Romeiro, attended the event. Partners also took part, including K-JO, which brought traditional Brazilian pão de queijo to the event; Tres Marias Coffee Company, with coffee and plant-based beverages; and Just One Media, which handled publicity.
“These are companies that represent very well this new Brazil that we want to showcase in the region: entrepreneurial, creative and increasingly present in the UAE market,” Solimeo said.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
