Open mat mixes the

The Martial Arts Academy medallists Zanetta Poretti (left), Lukas Hainge, Christine Young, Jesse Poretti, Aron Pearce, and Trent Turner. Photo/George Novak

The Western Bay of Plenty seems to be a magnet for martial arts instructors.

It means there is a wealth of experience in a wide variety of martial arts. Mixing and sharing that experience is the thinking behind 'open mats' once a week at Tauranga's The Martial Arts Academy (TMAA).

"This is a way friendlier version of the UFC," says TMAA co-founder Christine Young. "We have been having mixed code sparring since the beginning of the year and everyone who comes along enjoys mixing it up and sparring people from different codes.

"In one space we have the stand ups and in our second space we have our ground fighters rolling.

Recently we had a club from Rotorua come along and roll with our local Brazilian Jiu Jitsu players."

The academy teaches five different martial arts - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Taekwon Do, Muay Thai, Kung Fu, Mixed Martial Arts - so has instructors with a range of skills, and also invites instructors from other clubs along on a Friday. Some of those instructors have lived or been trained overseas.

There is a wealth of experience in individual martial arts to share and we want to build a community of martial arts within the Bay.

Christine Young

"It's about helping each other, to get different sparring partners, looking at things from different angles, having different experiences - all coming together in a space just trying to get better in the art they have chosen."

Those taking part need to have two or three years experience and normal martial arts etiquette requires that students ask permission from their instructor if they are not a member of TMAA.

"We just ask that students leave their egos at the door. We do not believe that one martial art is better than another. "We do not want the movies played out where one instructor challenges another to a duel, says TMAA director Scott Coburn.

So far the open mats have proved to be well received and a great success. "We've had loads of different clubs visit both standing like MMA, Karate and Taekwon Do, and wrestling martial arts," says Christine, who has 30 years experience of standing martial arts.

The TMAA was opened at 154 First Avenue West about three years ago and opened a second gym for Muay Thai and boxing at Windermere last year.