Gracie Barra Tauriko, New Zealand’s first official Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school, is marking its first anniversary on August 10 by holding a public celebration the day before.

In just 12 months, the Matakokiri Drive-based gym has become a cornerstone for martial arts enthusiasts of all ages – from preschoolers to retirees – and a beacon of community spirit in the Tauriko suburb.

Founded by long-time Tauranga resident Sergio Garcia, the club has grown to more than 100 members, ranging in age from 3 to over 60 years old. Garcia, a Brazilian native and lifelong martial artist, is passionate about making the martial art more accessible in NZ.

“I’ve been in New Zealand for almost 20 years and I’ve been on and off the mats for a long time,” said Garcia.

“I went back to Brazil a couple of years ago and was really sick, so decided to go back to training. For the first time, I became super motivated to start doing this professionally and share a little bit of my knowledge about Brazilian jiu-jitsu to the local Tauriko community.”

Garcia’s return to the mat wasn’t just a personal comeback, it sparked the beginning of a movement. Inspired by the values of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, including discipline, resilience, staying calm under pressure and not quitting, Garcia decided to turn his hobby and passion into a lifestyle he could share with others.

“I used to be a chef, but I felt I could be more useful to the community by sharing what I love. It felt natural for me to open a gym.”

A legacy in motion

Gracie Barra is one of the most globally recognised names in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with more than 51 affiliated schools across Australia and one in New Zealand. Founded in 1986 by Master Carlos Gracie jnr, the organisation continues the legacy started by his father, Carlos Gracie snr, a pioneer of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 1925.

“The Gracie family were the pioneers, and because I’m so close to the family, I decided it’s time for me to come and do something under the Gracie family,” said Garcia.

“As a Gracie Barra member for life, I decided to open Gracie Barra here in New Zealand and we are pretty happy to be able to do that in Tauriko.”

His club is the first one in NZ and there are plans to open more, with everything run through Gracie Barra Global. Garcia’s mentor is Marcelo Rezende, who lives in Australia.

Gracie Barra Tauriko coach Sergio Garcia opened the school in August last year. Photo / Brydie Thompson

Garcia wears many hats – he is not only the head coach of Gracie Barra Tauriko but also the president of the New Zealand Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (NZBJJF), a swim coach at BaySwim and the Greerton Pools, and father to his 11-year-old son Valentin, who recently earned his white-and-yellow belt.

“For now, I’m doing everything with no back-up. I’m a bit of a one-man army,” Garcia said. “Swim coach in the morning, jiu-jitsu coach in the afternoon.

“That’s the plus with jiu-jitsu, getting the lifestyle, you’re going to end up being a healthy person, because of what we do on the mats. If you just eat a lot of sugar, crap food and soft drinks, you’re going to end up suffering all through your life.”

More than martial arts – a community movement

The club’s rapid growth has been fuelled by an interest in martial arts and the inclusive, welcoming environment Garcia has created. From the moment the club opened, the community response has been overwhelming.

“Before I even opened the doors, I had 32 parents already interested. After the first week, we had 53 members – and then we never stopped growing. Now we’re at 106 members.”

Gracie Barra Tauriko offers classes for all age groups, from preschoolers to adults. New to the schedule of programmes is GBF – Gracie Barra Female – which club member Danielle Adnitt said is “a fantastic class with a focus on female wellness, self-motivation and self-defence in a safe, encouraging space”.

Adnitt joined this year with her family and said the experience has transformed their lives.

“We were looking for an activity that would give our 9-year-old son self-confidence, life skills, discipline and focus. He fell in love with it immediately,” she said.

“Soon our 7-year-old daughter joined, followed by me in the female class and my husband in the general adult class. Our neighbour and several of our children’s friends from Greenpark School have also signed up after hearing such glowing reviews from the kids – and they’re all loving it too.

“The classes have significantly and positively impacted all of our wellbeing and the club feels like a wonderful community to be a part of.”

Adnitt said the impact has been more than physical.

“Sergio’s coaching is phenomenal. He is fantastic at teaching the kids with a perfect balance of structure, motivation, care and kindness.

“They all absolutely love him and have a huge amount of respect for him. Sergio not only teaches them Jiu-Jitsu but also provides little nuggets of wisdom to the kids in the classes about ‘always being kind’, ‘making sure you have good friends who are also kind’, ‘don’t be a bully’, ‘how to look after yourself and others’.

“And for us mums, he really emphasises in our GBF class that our two one-hour classes we do each week should be our time to do something for ourselves, outside of our family commitments.”

Garcia is rapt to have such enthusiastic parents supporting the club.

“Honestly, without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do now. It’s not ‘I’, it’s ‘us’ because without every single one of them, Gracie Barra Tauriko wouldn’t be there, it wouldn’t exist. Every single one of them plays a big role.”

Garcia said some parents have reported losing more than 14kg through regular training and everyone who sticks with it sees benefits – physical and emotional.

“There are some who have started and lost at least 5kg,” Garcia said.

“They weren’t able to get it off, and now they can’t get enough, and are saying, ‘I’m so grateful for you to be so nearby because I’ve always been keen to train and give it a go, but everything is a little bit far away from Tauriko where I live, and because you’re here now, I feel like this is my chance’. They’re super happy and I’m super stoked. I’m very blessed to have that community with me or us together.”

A party to remember

Gracie Barra Tauriko will celebrate its milestone from 10am on Saturday, August 9, at 2/195 Matakokiri Drive with a public community party, complete with sausage sizzle, cake, kids’ activities, and, of course, plenty of jiu-jitsu. Everyone is welcome to come along to join in the fun.

“We’re going to try and bring the whole community together, have a big party and be open to anyone around town. We’re going to have a blast, have a good day,” Garcia said.

For more information about Gracie Barra Tauriko and class schedules, visit its Facebook page or stop by the gym at 2/195 Matakokiri Drive.