Wairua Bjj

07/10/2026

🔥 WHAT A DAY ON THE MATS! 🥋❤️

The smiles. The nerves. The courage. The battles. The friendships.

Our Wairua Jiu-Jitsu In-House Competition was an incredible day, and we couldn’t be prouder of every single Tamariki who stepped onto the mats and represented their clubs.

You fought hard, challenged yourselves, showed courage under pressure and, most importantly, demonstrated amazing sportsmanship and respect both on and off the mats. 👊🥋

The Wairua shown by all the kids competing was truly inspiring and heart-warming. Seeing our Tamariki give everything they had, then shake hands, embrace and congratulate each other afterwards is what Jiu-Jitsu is all about. ❤️

One of the greatest things about Jiu-Jitsu is the competitive friendships it creates. These young athletes may battle fiercely on the mats today, but the friendships, respect and bonds they build can last for years to come. Today's opponents can become tomorrow's training partners, teammates and lifelong friends.

A massive thank you to Professor Joseph Rivers and his Wairua Team for putting on such a fantastic day and creating an environment where our Tamariki could test themselves, learn, grow and enjoy their Jiu-Jitsu. 🙏

And a huge thank you to Julie and Jess Illingworth for taking care of the Smoothcomp organisation and helping everything run so smoothly. Your work behind the scenes is hugely appreciated! ❤️

To all the parents, coaches, supporters and clubs who came along and helped make the day such a success — thank you!

We’re already looking forward to the next competition and can’t wait to see everyone back on the mats! 🥋🔥

Train hard. Compete with courage. Show respect. Build friendships.

That’s Wairua. ❤️🥋

01/10/2026

🥋 HONOURING THE BIRTHDAY OF GRANDMASTER HÉLIO GRACIE 🥋

Today, we honour and celebrate the birth of Grandmaster Hélio Gracie, born on 1 October 1913, a legendary pioneer whose influence helped shape the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu we know and practise today. 🇧🇷
Hélio Gracie dedicated his life to developing, refining, and demonstrating the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Working alongside his brother Carlos Gracie and the wider Gracie family, he helped develop a system built around leverage, timing, technique, and the ability for a smaller person to defend themselves against a larger, stronger opponent.
Through decades of training, teaching, and challenging opponents in the ring, Hélio helped bring Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into the spotlight. His legendary encounters, including his bouts against Masahiko Kimura and Waldemar Santana, became important chapters in the history of the art. His legacy would go on to influence generations of practitioners and help lay the foundations for BJJ's worldwide growth. 🥋
But his legacy is about more than fighting. It lives on in every student who steps onto the mats, every challenge faced with courage, every lesson learned through adversity, and every generation that passes this art on to the next.
At Wairua Jiu Jitsu, we recognise the importance of honouring those who came before us and respecting the history, principles, and traditions that have shaped our art.
Today, we pay our respects to Grandmaster Hélio Gracie and the lasting legacy he leaves within the global Jiu-Jitsu community.
Oss! 🙏🥋

29/09/2026

WAIRUA JIU JITSU IN-HOUSE COMPETITION

LAST DAY FOR REGISTRATIONS TODAY!

Get onto SmoothComp and get your registration in for this weekends in house comp!

Don't miss your chance to enter and have some fun, compete against fellow Gracie Gym athletes and enjoy an exciting day with the Wairua whanau and extended family!

See you there, OSS! 🙏

27/09/2026

🥋 WAIRUA JIU JITSU — NZ GRAPPLER WELLINGTON CHALLENGE 🥋
What a day of challenging matches, tough opponents, fierce competition and valuable learning curves for our Wairua Jiu Jitsu Adult Competitors at the NZ Grappler Wellington Challenge! 🔥
Every competitor stepped onto the mats ready to test themselves, and we saw some solid performances, improvements and plenty of lessons earned the hard way. Some matches went our way, some didn’t — but every round gave our athletes another opportunity to grow, adapt and sharpen their Jiu Jitsu.
And when teammates find themselves standing across from each other, you get something special — fierce competition on the mats, backed by a brotherly bond off them. We push each other, challenge each other and ultimately make each other better. 🤝🥋
💜 PURPLE BELT ZANE SMITH — GOLD MEDAL 🥇
An outstanding performance from Zane in the Gi! Zane put on a dominant display and secured the Gold Medal, putting his opponent to sleep AGAIN to finish the job! 🔥😴🥇
Not everyone made it to the podium this time, and that's part of competition. The medal isn't the only measure of success. The courage to step up, face tough opponents, learn from the experience and come back better is what builds a competitor.
And collectively, our results speak volumes.
🏆 WAIRUA JIU JITSU — 3RD PLACE TEAM TROPHY 🏆
Our medal tally helped secure 3rd Place in the NZ Grappler Wellington Challenge, a result that reflects the hard work being put in across our entire team.
From the fundamentals at the beginning of the journey, to competing at the highest level — we're building quality athletes from the ground up.
Proud of every competitor who stepped onto the mats. Proud of the improvements. Proud of the battles. Proud of the team.
Wairua Jiu Jitsu — built together, tested together, stronger together. 🥋🔥

25/09/2026

🥋 WAIRUA JIU JITSU TAMARIKI — NZ GRAPPLER WELLINGTON CHALLENGE 🥋

What an incredible day for our Wairua Jiu Jitsu Tamariki at the NZ Grappler Wellington Challenge! 🔥

A huge congratulations to every single student who stepped onto the mats and put their hard work, courage and Jiu Jitsu skills to the test. Every competitor faced challenging matches, pushed through adversity and showed incredible resilience, determination and composure.
And what a result — every one of our students made it onto the podium and brought home medals! 🏅
But the medals are only part of the achievement. The real victory was seeing our kids step up, challenge themselves, learn through tough matches and continue to fight right until the end. Every student who stood on that podium is a winner. 🏆
Their performances are a reflection of the countless hours of training, drilling, sparring and learning that happen behind the scenes. The Jiu Jitsu skill, discipline and resilience they displayed on the day was something to be incredibly proud of.
A massive thank you to our students, coaches and parents for your hard work, dedication and commitment to Wairua Jiu Jitsu. The support, encouragement and effort from our entire whānau makes achievements like this possible. ❤️
🏆 And to top it all off... Wairua Jiu Jitsu took home the 3rd Place Trophy at the NZ Grappler Wellington Challenge!

🥉 3rd Place — Wairua Jiu Jitsu
👊 Just 16 competitors
🏅 Every kid competing on the podium!

A massive achievement from our Wairua team — proof of what can be accomplished through hard work, commitment, resilience and a strong team spirit.
Proud of every one of you. Ka pai, Wairua! 🥋🔥🏆

03/09/2026

CONGRATULATIONS AMBROSE RATCLIFFE!!

GOLD MEDAL AT SJJIF WORLDS IN JAPAN

30/08/2026