Featured affiliated academy: Balance Jiu-Jitsu, New Zealand

Where is the gym located?
Nelson, New Zealand.

How many people train there in Balance Jiu-Jitsu, New Zealand?
Including kids, we’ve got about 80 or so regulars that come in.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, always growing. Lots of new kids coming through at the moment.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have three black belts, including myself, as well as lots of brown, purple, blue, and white belts on the mat every night. Super tough room with a lot of experience. Even the lower ranked guys are giving us a hard time at the moment.

When did Balance Jiu-Jitsu, New Zealand open?
We opened early 2020, right before the pandemic hit!

Some facts about you:

Name: David Gordon
Age: 36
Belt: Black
Profession: Coffee roaster
Years in BJJ: 13 or so
Other martial arts: Little bit MMA
Currently living in: Nelson, New Zealand
Originally from: Christchurch

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence? 
I moved to Nelson around 2018, and found a good bunch of people who were really keen. I wanted to open my own place with some different ideas to everyone else. I wanted to get away from a few of the traditions and create a fun atmosphere to train in. So, I took the leap and started Balance in early 2020.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Like every Jiu-Jitsu team, we have a wide range of people from all different backgrounds and walks of life. We have people from all over the world – Chile, Venezuela, Germany, Japan. Police officers, builders, fishermen, you name it.

I’m very lucky. Everyone is really kind, fun, and friendly.

Why do they train in Balance Jiu-Jitsu, New Zealand?
The most common answer I get when I ask people this is, that they want to improve their mental wellbeing and they want to learn new things. For a lot of us, grappling is a great escape and a lot of fun. We do well in competitions and there’s a lot of hard training, but no one is in here to become world champ.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
There are a lot of challenges. Making time for everyone. As the gym has grown, I don’t get as much 1-on-1 time with everyone as I would like.

I also find it hard when people come and go. Injuries, people moving cities, priorities.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I think it’s growing all the time, and the standard of Jiu-Jitsu is getting higher. I think if some of these kids keep training, they’ll lift the sport entirely.

What’s the best thing about your gym? 
The vibe.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Abel Tasman National Park.

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Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit Balance Jiu-Jitsu, New Zealand you can contact them here (balancejjnz).