Wanganui Martial Arts Centre base for six different clubs

Wayne Watson and his son, Wanganui High School student Kasey, aged 16, NZ champion and third in Oceania.

Three years ago Wayne Watson set up the Wanganui Martial Arts Centre at 159 Wicksteed Street as a base for different martial arts to come together and train. Currently there are six clubs involved:

• Wanganui Judo Club
• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• Goju Ryu Karate
• Broughton Gym Kick Boxing
• Muay Thai
• AWA Kings Kick Boxing

The Wanganui Judo Club has been operating for over 60 years. It has developed some top judo players including Wayne Watson, nine times New Zealand’s Open Weight Champion and Commonwealth Games Bronze medallist, Tim Ohara, gold medallist at the Youth Olympics. Coaches are Wayne who is a 6th Dan as head coach and Shayn Walton.

All ages and gender can do judo. While some do it for recreational purposes at club level, others compete at national and international level. Competitions are based on age, gender and weight.

Wayne explains that “there is no punching or kicking and having clothing to hold onto adds a whole new dimension to the sport, making the techniques used very different to wrestling.”

Apart from competitions, there is a grading system to progress through. There are six different coloured belts before achieving a black belt. Even then you haven’t ‘arrived.’ There are 10 levels of black belts or ‘DANS.’

According to the American College of Sports Medicine Judo is the safest contact sport for children under 13. For more information contact Wayne Watson on 027 445 7882.

The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club opened about three years ago. This type of Jiu-jitsu links into the format designed by the founders who live in Brazil. It involves grappling on the ground and is similar in some ways to wrestling with shoulder/arm locks and the objective of getting your opponent to submit. For more information, contact Jake or Joe on 022 650 6842.

Goju Ryu Karate emphasizes a wide range of karate techniques appropriate to all levels of training with an emphasis on an environment that cultivates personal strengths. Goju literally translated means hard/soft. ‘Go’ means physical hardness and strength of character. ‘Ju’ is the gentleness which flows from it. ‘Ryu’ means style. For more information, contact John on 021 0263 1160.

Muay Thai is a combat sport of Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is sometimes referred to as ‘The Art of Eight Limbs’ using eight points of contact on the body. It became widespread internationally in the twentieth century, and there is a professional league is governed by the World Muay Thai Council. For more information contact Tui Pirikahu on 027 273 1697.

There are also two kick boxing clubs – the Broughton gym kick boxing (contact 027 8458 033) and the AWA Kings kick boxing (020 409 14391). It is based on kicking and punching, historically developed from Karate, Muay Thai, and Western boxing Kickboxing is practiced for self-defence, general fitness, or as a contact sport.