Academy gets off the mat

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A Kiwi boxer and a blackbelt jujitsu champion from Brazil celebrated the realisation of a shared dream this month, when they opened the doors to New Zealand Fight and Fitness Academy in central Dunedin.

Ryan Henry, of Sawyer's Bay, and Johnny Gui, of Brazil, believe it is the first academy of its kind New Zealand.

For Mr Henry, it all began when a couple of local kids wanted to learn how to box eight years ago.

From there, he started up a small boxing club in a Sawyer's Bay scout hall. After three years, Mr Henry recognised a demand when he saw mothers driving their children all the way from Mosgiel to join the club. When they urged him to meet them half way, he gave it a thought.

In 2003, Mr Gui met Mr Henry through a mutual friend while visiting New Zealand. They found they both had a passion for coaching children, and the vision to one day run their own academy. They kept in touch.

The Brazilian is back in New Zealand after a world tour of competitions and jujitsu teaching seminars.

Mr Gui is still abuzz with the academy's launch, and is excited about his future in New Zealand.

‘‘It's a dream come true,'' Mr Gui said.

‘‘We're lucky to have this same dream and to have met each other.''

Mr Henry considers the Brazilian import to be ‘‘a really good asset to New Zealand'' and the ‘‘best Behring jujitsu fighter in Oceania.''

In his home country, Mr Gui said jujitsu is a popular sport, ranked after football, and he hoped to help make it new pastime for New Zealand.

With Mr Henry's wife Cherine on board as codirector, the three set out to build a family friendly, worldclass facility that was not intimidating for women or children. Working from a cramped country scout hall, their vision required a significant space upgrade.

Renovations at their new Princes St location that were supposed to take 14 weeks, ended up taking 12 months.

The team feared that after all their work, nothing would happen when they opened their doors.

However, the Mosgiel mothers made good on their deal to meet half way.

Now, after four weeks in business, the Fight and Fitness team was pleased to offer 73 classes a week running 7am to 8:30pm, and children as young as seven are breaking in the mats with a smile.

The classes, mostly noncontact, encompass both martial arts and boxing to improve fitness, skills, alertness, and ‘‘everyday confidence''.

‘‘It's a new concept of academy for people to understand: It's not about full-contact fighting, its about teaching skills,'' Mr Henry said.

The Fight and Fitness Academy team is rounded out by Dunedin boxing coach Grant Robertson.