BJJ tournament on a roll

Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors hit the mats at Queenstown Events Centre on Saturday for King of the South 7.

The comp, organised by Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu New Zealand, saw 350 adults and children of all ages and belt-levels compete in gi and no-gi matches throughout the day.

"It was really good to see the level of jiu-jitsu in the South Island," says Carlson Gracie Queenstown head coach Jose Gomes, one of the key figures in popularising the martial art in New Zealand.

"Every year we see that increasing, and the comp is held to incentivise that. We see the community growing as well, so everybody was super happy, super professional and it was a successful day for sure."

Now a 4-star NZBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship competition, King of the South 7 featured everything from youngsters competing for the first time to black belt bouts, all hotly contested. Some 22 BJJ clubs were represented.

"We had three black belts competing, two from Christchurch and one from Queenstown, which you don't always see at tournaments," Gomes says. "There was some great jiu-jitsu on display, and it was amazing for the public to see the black belts jumping in there.

"The kids' matches were a highlight too - they have so much energy and are now so technical. There's a lot of emotions for them, so it was great to see the good sportsmanship too."

Gomes says anyone interested in taking up the martial art can come into the gym in Remarkables Park, near Site Trampoline.