Hamilton woman wins gold at world champs

UPDATE: Maeana was triumphant at the World Championship. She won gold medals for Gi Open Weight and No Gi Weight Division and silver medals for No Gi Open Weight and Gi Weight Division.

Ann trains three times a week with her family at the Waikato Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Hamilton and today she is competing in Auckland.

“I’m playing,” Ann says bouncing around the warm-up zone with 100 other kids. She’s at the Kohimarama stadium for the New Zealand Grappler No Gi Regionals. She does some stretches, stops to smile, then runs off to tag a friend.

In nine-sleeps, her mum Maeana Watene, 41, is headed to Long Beach, California to compete in the Sports Jiu-Jitsu World Championship.

“I’m going to miss her,” Ann says.

Twenty New Zealanders are going to the international event and five of them, including Maeana, come from WBJJA.

Her gym is affiliated to famed jiu-jitsu black belt Steve Oliver’s “New Zealand Top Team” confederation which gives Maeana access to some of New Zealand’s best instructors and contenders. A NZTT training session is not for the faint-hearted.

“During training I’m like, ‘why do I do this to myself?’

“It’s so hard and I’m trying to breathe, I’m trying not to throw up, I’m trying to keep up with everyone else because they’re super fit and I’m just this mum who wants to do jiu-jitsu.”

She says she wants her children to see how hard you have to work to compete at a high level.

“It’s achievable. If you want it get it.”

In 2016, the solo mum’s kids were being bullied. She enrolled them in jiu-jitsu because it is a self-defence martial art.

“[With] jiu-jitsu, they put their hands up in defence. If they get touched then they can use it.

“There’s no punching, no kicking – which is what I love.”

WBJJA runs an anti-bullying programme which has taught the children self-esteem, de-escalation and self-defence strategies. Their confidence has increased and they are no longer being targeted.

Maeana saw competiton as another way to develop their confidence but the kids were initially hesitant. Her solution was to lead by example and last year she won a Māori nationals bronze medal.

On the way home she said to her kids, “you’ve seen mum compete, now do you want to do it?”

Their reply was an enthusiastic “yes” so the family worked towards being ready for the next nationals. The experience gave Maeana a new perspective.

“Before I got on the mat, I would be that sideline parent that yelled at their kid saying, ‘Get up faster! Blah, blah,’ and then when I started training alongside them [I realised], it’s so hard!

“After my first session of actual competition training I said to them, I will never ever yell at you again. Ever.”

At Ann’s fourth major competition, her mum kept that quiet pact. Even as her daughter got caught in a choke hold and started crying.

The referee stopped the match and checked Ann was okay. She was upset but walked back to her grey belt peers and her mum. Steve Oliver was on the bench behind them.

“Steve was there and he says to her, ‘you did really well. But you know you need to protect your neck.’”

Ann is trained in how to escape the manoeuver and Maeana agreed with Steve’s feedback.

“She’s five but she knows how to get out of a choke hold, she knows how to not get in one, she knows how to do one.

“Of course I love my kid and give her cuddles and I make sure she’s alright, but I’m not going to patipati (fuss over) her because that will give her the excuse to do it next time. To cry about it and make people feel sorry for her when she knows how to defend against it.”

Ann also knows how to stop a match.

At any point grapplers can tap their fingers to signal that they want to be released and everything stops. Tapping however means you submit and lose.

Ann has grappled with boys, girls, her brothers and even adults and hates to tap. After the round Maeana has spoken with her daughter about the importance of submitting when you need to, about being humble enough to tap.

“The ref stopped it because she wouldn’t tap. She does not like losing.”

At the regional competition, Ann got back on the mat for a second round and earned herself a silver medal. At home she asked to watch the videos of her matches. To critique them.

With Maeana’s trip to the World champs she is setting her kids another challenge.

“They might be from little New Zealand, but if they train hard enough and focus then they can go to that next level.” She wants to show them, “anything is possible.”

On Monday the Watene whānau were back training and Ann dissected her last match. “I couldn’t get into an armbar. I couldn’t get him to go in my arm.

“Next comp when he’s going to choke hold me, I’m going to squish him.”