Fighters grapple way into medal spots

Fighters from the Masterton Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club enjoyed a silver lining to their latest competitive outing.

Winning silver medals at the Grapple Challenge in Palmerston North last month were Daniel Mokaraka in the 66kg to 74kg weight category and Robbie Haughton in the 96kg to 120kg division.

The NZ Grapplers event was a No-Gi contest and came ahead of the No-Gi Nationals Tournament to be held in Auckland this weekend.

Instructor Jamie Yarrall said Mokaraka took his fight by submission with an arm bar and Haughton won by submission with a rear naked choke.

He said the contest provided invaluable experience for both fighters, and also to fellow club member Nich Rennie who failed to place this time around

Yarrall said no fighters from the club were entering the national championships but they were preparing for other regional events early next year.

Fighters from the club took gold and silver medals at a regional tournament last year after winning silver and bronze at a previous event.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art, combat sport, and self-defence system that focuses on grappling, especially ground fighting. The discipline was derived from the Japanese martial art of kodokan judo in the early 20th century, which was itself derived from jiu-jitsu.

The Masterton BJJ club holds two-hour training sessions each Monday from 7pm at the Masterton Judo & Jiu Jitsu Academy in Queen St and new members are welcome.