Oliver MMA Browns Bay

15/08/2026

How do you teach a child to be resilient?

You give them opportunities to get back up.

Grappling is a great way to do exactly that.

This is Maz. He started with us in our Mat Monsters programme (ages 4–6) and has since moved up into our Youth programme. I saw this moment during training and thought it was worth capturing and sharing.

Taken down. Back up.
Taken down again. Back up again.

No complaining. No giving up. Just getting back to his feet and trying again.

Some kids are naturally tough. But for many, mental toughness and resilience are built and developed over time.

And that is one of the biggest reasons we believe in martial arts for children.

We’re not just trying to build strong grapplers. We’re trying to build strong kids — physically and mentally.

Maz is a great example of what can happen when parents, coaches and, most importantly, the child are willing to embrace hard work, challenges and adversity.

You can’t always stop your child from getting knocked down.

But you can teach them how to get back up.

22/07/2026

Well done to all our adult white belts who received their stripes last night! This is a recognition of your commitment, consistency, and skill development in BJJ.

It was awesome to see everyone come together to celebrate our newly striped members. The energy in the room was incredible—every time a name was called, it was like we scored a goal in the World Cup finals! We really have a special community at Browns Bay, and we will keep it strong and continue to build it.

Apologies if we missed you for the photo! Big thanks to Seona for getting some of these snaps for us 🙏

05/07/2026

Last Saturday, we held our Term 2 Youth BJJ Grading.

This term, I really felt our kids took a big step forward in their focus, attitude, and effort, and it showed on grading day.

I always tell our students that you need to master the basics before you can move on to bigger things. Real progress comes from doing the simple things well, consistently, over time. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it didn’t fall apart in a day either. Success and failure is built through the small habits we repeat every day.

Congratulations to everyone who passed their grading. Keep up the great work, and let’s keep the momentum going!

22/06/2026

What is that classic saying? "Teamwork makes the dream work." This was a perfect example of that.

Over the last weekend, we had the massive job of cleaning out and covering our main mat space. It was a huge task that I completely underestimated, but with the number of people who showed up to help, we smashed it out in under an hour. Installing the cover took a bit longer since it required more specialized work, but after chipping away at it, we got it done.

I would like to thank all the members of our community who made this happen, with a special thanks to Corey for sorting out the final covering work.

Now, the only thing left to do is train hard on it! Stay hard!

16/06/2026

That was a nice surprise!

A big thank you to our newly promoted Oliver MMA black belt, Prashanth Guda, for dropping in and taking our Adult Gi class tonight!

The team absolutely loved it ❤️🙏

Together, we are stronger.

07/06/2026

Incredibly proud of our team’s effort at the ADCC Cup NZ competition yesterday. We did a lot of learning on the mats (win or learn 🥲), and I’m excited to see how the team responds to it!

A special thanks to Coach Julian for managing and coaching most of our competitors. Your contribution to the team is much appreciated!

Next up, the SJJFNZ Open! Let’s go team! 🔥👊

04/06/2026

Last Thursday, we concluded our morning class—aka the “morning savages”—for the time being. Ever since starting it just after the “pandemic”, we struggled to build good, consistent numbers.

Choong took over the classes a few years ago and has been doing an incredible job. He added his own flavour and unique perspective to the sessions, and everyone who attended them knows exactly what I’m talking about. Unfortunately, the 5:30 AM early birds are a dying breed, so we felt it was best to put the class on hold for now.

Thank you, Choong, for your amazing contribution to the team. We will be looking to implement Choong’s coaching skills into our evening classes in the near future. Stay tuned!

01/05/2026

A massive congratulations to Alex, who was awarded his blue belt last night! Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate this milestone.

Alex started training with us in July 2022, not long after beginning his PhD. Even with a busy study schedule, he remained dedicated to his training. Looking at his attendance, he hasn’t missed a single month—that’s true consistency.

To all our members: remember that belts and stripes are earned through a combination of attendance, consistency, and skill development. Make sure you’re signing into class so your attendance is tracked!

BJJ is a long, difficult road, but there’s no better feeling than knowing you earned your rank through pure dedication, so stay on the path!

30/04/2026

Another big comp added in July! Let’s Go Team!

We don’t usually add tournaments to the calendar ... but you asked for it, and we listened!
The SJJFNZ Open will take place on July 18 at the prestigious Eventfinda Stadium.
This will be our only 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ tournament this year, and the only internationally sanctioned OPEN in New Zealand.
This is part of a wider push to provide more opportunities for athletes across the country, with plans to expand further next year.
Registrations are now open.
Comment OPEN, and we’ll send you the link 🔗

29/04/2026

Big congratulations to all our adult white belts who received their stripes last night!

Your commitment, consistency, and skill development have earned you those stripes. Stay on the path and keep going!

Apologies to Hayden—our receptionist, Ruby, couldn’t get there in time for the photo 🙏🥲