The Kautai-King family, Taaniko-Ruby, 3, from left, Wikitoria, Ava-Rose, 12, Maanuka-Jasmine, 8 months, and Sheyenne.
A Waihī family have embraced jiu jitsu with a father and daughter combo returning from Japan with world championship medals.
Ava Rose Kautai-King, 12, a current New Zealand champion, achieved two gold world championships in the teen section while her dad Sheyenne Kautai-King nabbed silver in the masters at the Sports Jiu Jitsu International Federation World Jiu Jitsu Championship in Nagoya, Japan, last month.
They were among a team of 13 from from Katikati’s Global Jiu Jitsu Health & Fitness who travelled to jiu jitsu’s birthplace to compete with the best in the sport.
The group won 11 gold medals with 11 world championship titles, silver and bronze medals as well as receiving third place by points overall for no-gi team in juvenile, adult and masters.
Sheyenne and Ava had to fundraise to get to Japan and while Ava was a more experienced hand in the discipline, her dad spent 15 intensive weeks in training before the event, with no prior jiu jitsu training.
Sheyenne said he did have some experience in Muay Thai and was largely motivated by his daughter’s achievements.
“I jumped in to help Ava at home on the boxing bag, then the coach tested me, and we thought ... ’might as well’.”
Coach Lance Campbell said preparation was key with many athletes training two to three times daily for 15 weeks prior.
“Everyone in our team is not just competing, they are winning. They come from these small communities, and it says a lot of their commitment and work ethic.”
Sheyenne said it was an honour as a pāpā to train alongside his daughter and carry their name across the waters to compete at a global level.
“To share our unlimited potential in whatever space we are guided to, may this inspire other pāpā to slow down and take the space to water the seeds of your future with your tamariki, whatever that may be for you.”
Ava said to prepare for their 15-week gruelling training regime, they both had to sharpen their senses with discipline and hard preparation.
That included training three plus hours a day and the use of traditional Māori therapies, used to help heal their injuries and muscles.
“I want to continue to inspire other young native girls my age, that we too belong in these spaces, there is so much power that we can draw from when we tap into our whakapapa ancestral bloodlines, like dad said, it’s an unlimited source.
“You are all power beyond measure, with expansion comes greatness.”
The pair said they followed a strict regime of ancestral kai including bone broths, organ meats, bee pollen, juice and medicinal Māori herbs.
Their organic kai was harvested from the family’s home garden and included hunted wild meat.
Mum Wikitoria Kautai-King said a normal day for Ava started at 6am, starting with fitness or her own energetic activations.
“Harvesting her food for breakfast from the garden and collecting eggs from her hens, homeschooling through the day which included traditional Māori weaving, plucking feathers with her nanny Dale King, Uhi Ta Moko traditional Māori tattooing with a tapping stick with her dad or making herbal traditional Māori medicine with her mum to sell online and at local markets.
“At the end of each day there was up to four hours of training with dad at the Global Jiu-Jitsu academy, coming home most nights after 9pm.”
The family live in an “urban pā like lifestyle alongside their elders”, Wikitoria said, “raising and teaching their children the old ways like their ancestors”.
“Everyone has a role on our pā, we love to live wildly and peacefully.
“Medicine is how we nurture oneself, what we choose to absorb, not just being food, that being sound, music, kai, your breath, your connection to the natural world, putting your hands into the soils and listening; the physical aspect is only one small part.”
The family run Ūkaipō Native Apothecaries, a herbal native medicine apothecary.
“We don’t call it a business, as it’s really just our lifestyle,” Wikitoria said.
“Our medicine is our kids harvesting our plants, having karakia, we create tinctures, traditional ritual oils, herbal teas and tonics, elixirs, candles, everything changes with the seasons.
“We all have a role to play, and it’s hard work, we grow all our organic produce, trying to be as self sustainable as possible.
“We homeschool our children, so everyone contributes to their learning, whether it be traditional weaving, māori native instruments, uhi traditional ta moko, gathering/ foraging food, cooking on the fire and diving.
“Our whānau mission is to look after the Earth, our mother in whatever form we can give back and nourish her, that is our role of our pā.”
The family wanted to extend heartfelt gratitude to sponsors who donated towards their kaupapa to Japan.