Featured affiliated academy: Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand
“There is no ego at our gym, everyone trains with everyone and rolls with everyone with no expectations other than having fun and learning from each other.”
Travis Browne, Coach at Whaingaroa BJJ
Where is the gym located: The gym is located on the Raglan Harbour mouth at 94 Riria Kereopa Memorial Drive, Raglan, New Zealand. Raglan is a small coastal town of approximately 5,000 people and one of the premier surf spots in New Zealand. Whaingaroa is the Maori name for Raglan and means “the long pursuit” which refers to the lengthy search of the Tainui waka (canoe) for a final destination and is an apt description of the BJJ journey as well.
How many people train there: Approx 16 kids and 15 Adults.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year: The gym only started in Feb of this year so we have gone from 0 to current numbers. However the gym is growing with more students arriving to give it a go.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training: At the moment 1 black belt, 1 purple belt, 2 blue belts and all the rest white belts.
When did the gym open: Feb 2017
Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand
Who founded it: Travis Browne, Andrew Higgins, Rakai Rewherawha, Dai Jenkins and Nate Marshall
Some facts about you:
Name: Travis Browne
Age: 39
Belt: Black
Profession: Primary School Teacher
How many years in BJJ: On and off 14 years
Other martial arts: Previously Kickboxing, MMA, Ninjitsu, Taekwondo, Balintawak
Where do you live: Waitetuna, New Zealand
Where are you originally from: Wainui, New Zealand
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence: Rakai Rewherewha (Blue belt) and Dr Nate Marshall (Brown Belt) had been having casual trainings as Raglan Rollers from May 2016. Rakai had purchased some mats with no place to train and by chance, met Nate at West Coast Health. I shifted to the area from Hamilton where I had been assistant coaching for Ground Control Hamilton and also met Nate. A friend from my old club Andrew Higgins (purple) also shifted out there so we all got together along with Dai Jenkins (Blue). After several months of garage training Rakai engaged with Tangata Whenua to use the space at Whaingaroa ki te whenua and so Whaingaroa BJJ was born as a space with no politics for any and all BJJ practitioners to come and have some fun and for people with no experience to come learn in a safe training environment.
Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they? We have a variety of people at our gym, from school teachers to electricians, but all good people. We are all there to have fun and learn from each other, though the mat tends to empty out when there is a swell running.
Why do they train? Some of us had trained before and wanted a venue to continue, others heard and wanted to give something different a go. There are plenty of adventure options in Raglan so we get a few people trying something new. Most just want to get on the mat and have some fun.
What are some of the challenges running a BJJ gym? Obviously keeping a roof over our heads to train under but we have the support of the local community and as we all have other jobs we do not have to rely on the academy for income. The other challenge is ensuring that the culture remains consistent and welcoming for all and is modelled by all those on the mat, not just the leadership.
Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area? It’s growing and will continue to do so as the population base grows.
What’s the best thing about your gym? Definitely the location. Harbour 5 steps away from the door and one of NZ’s best surf beaches five minutes drive away. Also the culture, we are nice and relaxed and welcoming with nothing to prove. We are also steadily increasing classes from starting with a single class when first opening to classes 4 x per week including Gi, No Gi, kids and open mat.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand? So much. Go for a surf at Manu Bay, climb Mount Karioi, visit Bridal Veil falls, stand up paddle down the Harbour and explore the estuary, go to Mount Pirongia and do the walks and caves at Kaniwhaniwha. Drive into Hamilton and visit the world famous Hamilton Gardens or watch the Chiefs Super Rugby team play. Raglan also has a bunch of adventure activities such as hang gliding and parasailing along with some very good cafes and organic food stores.
Any other comments, you are welcome to write them here. There is no ego at our gym, everyone trains with everyone and rolls with everyone with no expectations other than having fun and learning from each other. Check us out and like us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, we’d appreciate it and hope to see you on the mat one day.
