Jiu Jitsu: Bay fighters have surprising success

Zero Tolerance fighters who won medals at the recent national jiu jitsu championships - Michael McCamish (left), Charlotte Anderson, Harley Simmons and Max Godfrey. Photo / Warren Buckland

Fighters at the Zero Tolerance Gym in Napier will be the first to admit they've never had a reputation as jiu jitsu exponents.

"Putting on the gi [jiu jitsu uniform] was a challenge in itself. It felt like a dressing gown ... I'm used to fighting in Thai shorts and nothing else," Michael McCamish explained.

Despite this switch in attire and the fact he had competed in just one jiu jitsu competition before travelling to the recent national championships in Palmerston North, McCamish, 28, returned home with two gold medals, one from the under-80kg free fighting section and one from the under-90kg free fighting section.

"The gi added an extra two kilograms to my normal fighting weight and I had only done jiu jitsu for five weeks before going to Palmy," McCamish said.

"I struggled with my grappling at my last tournament so I worked hard on that and it paid off. Basically I took up jiu jitsu to help me with my grappling skills for cage fighting," McCamish said.

A Muay Thai mixed martial arts fighter for the past three years, McCamish was unbeaten in three fights on the way to winning his under-80kg title and two in his under-90kg section.

Last year he won a mixed martial arts cage fight in Whangarei and he lost a mixed martial arts fight. McCamish is hoping to fight at the November Excessive Force Fight Night in Napier.

"I've got a six-month-old child at home but I still try to get down to the gym for training three or four nights a week ... it's important I train hard for the rest of the year," he added.

McCamish was one of four Zero Tolerance fighters to return home from the nationals with medals.

Another who had five weeks' jiu jitsu experience before the nationals, Charlotte Anderson, 35, won gold in the open women's 70kg-plus final when the referee stopped the bout in the second round.

"I prefer Muay Thai but jiu jitsu challenges you with different skills. I want to become a good all-round fighter ... on the ground and on my feet," Anderson said.

"I was hoping to bring home something from Palmy. Determination and heart was the secret."

Seventeen-year-old year 13 student William Colenso College student Harley Simmons won two gold medals, one in the under-18 free fighting section and another in the under-18 grappling section, despite less than 10 weeks' experience in jiu jitsu. After one of his free-fighting opponents had to withdraw because he didn't have a mouthguard, Simmons only had to beat one other opponent on the way to gold and he in fact beat three other opponents on the way to gold medal honours in his grappling section.

A mixed martial arts fighter for almost two years, Simmons hopes to gain further experience in jiu jitsu as well as MMA.

Fifteen-year-old Napier Boys' High School year 10 student Max Godfrey was surprised by the success recorded by the Zero Tolerance contingent. He won silvers in the under-15 free fighting and the under-80kg free fighting and bronze in the under-18 grappling.

A mixed martial arts fighter for the past year, Godfrey is eyeing a professional career in this discipline.

"I have to wait until I get my braces off before my next MMA fight," he said.

Godfrey won four national titles when he did traditional taekwondo for six years. He does sprint kayaking to build his upper body strength and plenty of pig hunting to build his leg strength.

"I do weights every second night. I know I have to keep training hard and then I can take on whatever comes up," he added.

Zero Tolerance Gym trainer Dion Crouch was thrilled with his fighters' success in Palmy.

"It was a good opportunity to develop the skills of our fighters," he said.