Dania Seaver - The First Palestinian Woman Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

As Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grows, new barriers are continuously being broken and inspirational stories being told. Many grapplers have accomplished great feats while changing lives all around them. One of those life changing figures is Dania Seaver, the co-owner of Arctic Training Center in Palos Heights, IL, and the first Palestinian woman ever to earn a BJJ Black Belt.

Dania’s remarkable journey began back in 2009 when she was first introduced to the art of Jiu-Jitsu. She trained for a couple of years but stopped, feeling she wasn’t receiving a beneficial experience. Dania returned in 2014 under the distinguished Rodrigo “Comprido” Medeiros, who she credits with fixing a lot of her bad habits. Throughout her training, Dania spent a long time improving while zeroing in on the achievement that would make history. Finally, in January 2024, the two-time IBJJF World Medalist earned her Black Belt.

“Getting more immersed into Jiu-Jitsu and seeing how not many people actually achieve that black belt challenged me more to get it,” Dania said. “And for me to be the first one – to open doors, break barriers for young Palestinian girls, and show more eyes on what’s going on in Palestine and with my people [was important]. Just being able to do something [like that] makes them happy.”

Even with her monumental achievement, Dania didn’t yet realize what it would truly mean for her community, culture, and school.

Nevertheless, even with the support of her community, husband, and mother, there were skeptics. People would say, ‘She’s just a girl’, ‘She’s probably not that good’, or ‘It’s not ladylike.’ There would also be those who challenged Dania’s nationality, failing to acknowledge Palestine’s existence. Those spiteful remarks didn’t stop her. Dania understood it was just “trolls being trolls” and used it as motivation to show people stereotyping doesn’t belong anywhere, including martial arts.

“I thought it would just be like a label and cool,” Dania said. “But then it turned into a lot of these little girls doing Jiu-Jitsu, getting into it, feeling really inspired, and then even some young ladies getting into the sport. Within my community, where we have our gym – Little Palestine – everybody knows me, everybody knows of my accomplishments. That’s whether it’s being a world medalist or the first Palestinian female Black Belt… Now everybody is getting more in tune with Jiu-Jitsu and are coming over to us. They want their kids being led by someone with my accolades and also being a strong female presence.”

Dania and her husband, Alex Seaver, have prioritized embracing the love they receive over recognizing the hate. As a Palestinian-owned school in Palos Heights’ “Little Palestine” since 2020, many members of the community have joined them and encouraged them on the journey. That doesn’t mean everyone was on board from Day 1 though. There were those who were anxious and questioned their impact. Still, Dania and Alex have been overjoyed to be a Palestinian-owned Jiu-Jitsu school and to change people’s perspectives.

“It means the world to me, especially with a lot going on right now,” Dania said. “There’s a stereotype [around Palestinians].”

Those stereotypes are oftentimes loud, but can still be silenced. One parent admitted directly to Dania that Arctic Training Center completely changed how they see the world.

“I had a parent literally telling me, ‘When I first came in here my daughter loved it, but I was genuinely worried because it’s a Palestinian-owned gym… and I thought you guys were going to be like what’s portrayed on Western media. You guys just blew my mind with the amount of care that you have for my daughter. The amount of support you guys have in the community… I recommend your spot to everybody… you guys have been nothing but amazing.’”

In a world of chaos and division, the Seavers are proud to make an impact on changing stereotypes and bringing people together. Dania has looked toward UFC Welterweight Champion, Belal Muhammad, a fellow Palestinian, as a source of hope and standing up for what you believe in. 

“With multiple athletes who are Palestinian back home and don’t have a voice, we’re over here being their voice,” Dania said.

Dania and Alex’s ownership of Arctic Training Center has been rooted in the goal to help others. And while they have inspired those in the local and faraway Palestinian community, their reach has extended to plenty of others. One notable avenue for that diverse influence has been their women-only training program.

The couple saw a need for a safe, comfortable space and stepped up. This program, run in a dedicated facility, has given women a chance to start Jiu-Jitsu without fear of discomfort or harassment. Dania has been proud to see the progress the little girls and women have made to feel confident in themselves and their abilities.

“It’s a good funnel for them to come in, kind of see what Jiu-Jitsu is about, see what fitness is about,” Dania said. “I feel like it has worked wonders because we’ve had so many more women go from the women’s only Jiu-Jitsu to then transferring over to regular co-ed Jiu-Jitsu.”

The students’ journey and growth have always come first at Arctic Training Center. Whether they are looking for a source of confidence, self-defense skills, fitness, or even competition, the Seavers take every step to ensure their success. They make sure students are equipped to succeed on and off the mats.

Nevertheless, Dania and Alex don’t forget to keep themselves positioned to grow. All of their work toward helping students is followed by their own training. Dania and Alex are highly successful competitors and are constantly working to be the best they can be. Their most recent competitive success has come with Dania winning double gold at American Nationals and Alex taking home 2nd place in a tournament in Brazil. 

Whether they are victorious or not, each competition adds to the pressure felt. As a barrier-breaker and someone who others look up to, Dania understands the importance of representing her community and taking home medals. The more eyes watching her, the more Dania readies herself for the challenge. 

“It actually gives me a lot of motivation, but at the same time puts me under a lot of pressure,” Dania said. “It makes every win and loss so much more compared to when I was just your everyday purple belt, your everyday brown belt.” 

Even with her personal growth in becoming a historic Black Belt, Dania very much keeps true to herself. She wants to be the best she can be and bring those in her community up with her. Every roll, technique, and lesson is performed with the intent to inspire her family, her city, women, and Palestinians. She is striving to push past barriers, help others in need of support, and show people how capable they truly are to be great – no matter what anyone says or believes.