"In the UK, where there are thousands of jitsuka who usually train only with each other, our style usually only grades up to third dan. But being a smaller entity here in New Zealand, you have to take the opportunities to cross train in other disciplines, otherwise you risk becoming even smaller."
Ogden, who is a New Zealand Jiu Jitsu Foundation and Judo New Zealand accredited second-level coach, is Jitsu New Zealand chief instructor and director of sport for NZJJF. He travelled to Sydney a fortnight ago to grade senior jitsuka from two Jitsu Oceania clubs in the city and last weekend led a panel of four instructors to grade seniors and novices at the Wellington academy.
Two Masterton jitsuka, Rupert Bunny and Vinnie Morris, became the first from the Wairarapa academy to grade to brown belt last weekend, with two of their senior-grade counterparts from the capital, Mr Ogden said.
Jitsuka Rosie Somerville was also awarded her black belt after the almost four-hour grading session and became the first white-belt student of lead Wellington instructor Paul Huston to achieve a shodan ranking.
There were three other judo coaches at the Masterton academy and three assistant jiu jitsu coaches, including Bunny and Morris, and the judo instruction included senior and junior classes.
Jitsu NZ coach exams and assessments will be in place next year, he said, and a pair of new brown belts is a definite boon for the Masterton academy.
"Paul and I were very pleased with the grading in Wellington - everything was well above par - and having Rupert and Vinnie come through is a good thing," he said.
"There are some very real advantages with having brown belts on the mat because the translation of movement and those intermediary steps, for lower grade students, is so much easier to see."
Shorinji Kan jiu jitsu was developed in the UK and visiting British instructors had been consistently satisfied the teaching in New Zealand and Australia remained true to the style, Ogden said.
He and Huston plan to attend the 2016 Jitsu International event in Canada for five days of training and seminars on Shorinji Kan jiu jitsu, which will have downstream benefits for students in Wellington and Masterton.
"There's a great mix of people on the mat here - it's a really good melting pot. We've got a way to go yet, but it's just a matter of getting people to realise they can achieve whatever they want."
Masterton Judo & Jiu Jitsu Academy is at 149 Queen St in Masterton, with training held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Adult judo classes run from 7.30pm on Monday, kids and cadets judo (4 to 16 years) each run for an hour from 5pm and 6pm respectively and jiu jitsu (14 years and above) runs for two hours from 7.30pm. For more information, call Simon Ogden on (021) 248-6111.
