Tukaha waiheke whĀnau
Established in 2010 by Chris Bailey and David Teehan under the guidance of 4th-degree black belt Pedro Pacheco Fernandes (Tukaha Jiu Jitsu), Tukaha Waiheke began as a humble club of friends sharing what they knew of the art of jiu jitsu.
Since then, the Tukaha Waiheke whānau has steadily grown and is now an academy that offers classes from young kids, teenagers, adult gi and no-gi, and women’s only classes.
Tukaha Waiheke provides for all levels of gi and no-gi jiu jitsu. All classes are safe and accessible for newcomers. Our students are not just members, but whānau. We support each other - no matter what your goals are – to reach your best physical, mental, and emotional self.
The gentle art
Jū = (Japanese) gentleness
Jutsu = (Japanese) art or technique.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (jujitsu or jujutsu) originated in Japan –
a martial art that uses levers, torsions, and pressure to dominate the opponent. Its exact beginning is unknown, but was developed and refined in the Samurai schools of Japan. A weapon-less art that was efficient and effective in battle.
Mitsuyo Maeda, from the Kodokan Japanese school, travelled the world to showcase jiu jitsu, arriving in Brazil in 1914. In 1917, teenager Carlos Gracie took lessons from Maeda and later opened the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy in 1925. His brother Helio Gracie became most noted for his technical innovations to the martial art and as an instructor. The family’s victories in no-rules matches quickly became legends and headline stories.
“The rest of this story continues to be written by each white-belt who steps into a Jiu-Jitsu gym for the first time.” – Gracie Mag, 2007
