ounir Ghrawi certainly does not fit the picture of your everyday martial arts expert, a fifth dan in TaeKwonDo, a ninth dan in Aiki Jutsu and a sixth dan in Hapkido, he's been a full time teacher in the martial arts for the past ten years. But his teaching at his studio is more for the mind and internal development before raw physical power.

"There are many choices around here for the student of the martial arts these days. What you choose and the teacher you go to depends on the quality you want. It's not just a sport. Rather, it is an art; a lifestyle," says Ghrawi .

As the officially designated 'Pioneer of Arab TaeKwonDo' by the ITF (International TaeKwonDo Federation) and a premier international class TaeKwonDo referee, Ghrawi has seen martial arts emerge from its cocoon to become the fast expanding movement that it is today.

Ghrawi's own start in martial arts began at the age of 10 in his native city, Beirut. He later went on to train under Korean and Japanese TaeKwonDo masters. And just in case you think he is just another martial art nut, think again, Ghrawi is also a qualified dental technician who studied dentistry in Belgium.

While studying there, he also became a teacher to Belgian Special Forces, passing on some of his skills to enable them to cope in combat situations. An experience that while rewarding, was also quite different from the principle of self-defence that TaeKwonDo teaches. At the very least, his dental training helped him repair a few faces in the Forces !

His dental training has given him an awareness of just how important it is for the children he teaches in Dubai and Sharjah to develop good eating habits and speaking skills. "Martial arts start with the mouth. What you feed yourself and the way you speak are a vital part of a students self development. With the small children whom I teach, I find that they are

Mounir Ghrawi is more willing to respond to advise from someone like me. When their parents tell them something, they take it as an order. When I tell them something, I do it on their level," says Ghrawi.

For the adult students, he is much more selective in who he takes on. "My students are my friends and through the training we become like a family. We go out and eat together at times," he explains, "When I take on a student they must have the mental attitude to learn all sides. Many who come, come only because of what they have seen in the movies and are quickly disappointed by the hard work and total commitment required in my classes. As a matter of fact, I try to cover all aspects of life through martial arts, to enable my students to realise their full potential as human beings."

Ghrawi also feels that martial arts are a perfect way for people, especially teenagers, who are shy and lack confidence, to become confident and outgoing.

And what is his greatest fulfilment? "My happiness comes in seeing a student, who knew nothing of martial arts before, become excellent in their techniques," says Ghrawi. As for his retirement; " My teacher is 78 and still holds classes in a different country every week. So I guess, I will quit the day I die."