My Account
A Matakana martial arts school has enjoyed success at the Jeff Speakman 5.0 Oceania Championship 2017, held in Cambridge last month.
The school, run by Shane and Leanne Rynne, had five students return with silverware, including four first-time competitors.
“I was very impressed with how they performed in what was a first competition for most of them,” Shane says.
“The feedback from other teachers around New Zealand was that our students are at the top of their game.”
The school began teaching Jeff Speakman Kenpo last year, making the championship their first taste of competition under this banner.
Paige Ewing, 6, won in the beginner junior self defence and was second in beginner junior forms and sets, and beginner lightweight sparring.
Lachlan Simpson, 13, was first in mid-weight sparring and third in beginner self defence.
Other winners were Luis Nahman-Rohen, 27, Toby Ewing, 13, and Sophie Ewing, 10.
All five students trained three times a week for six weeks leading up to the competition.
They will compete in another Jeff Speakman tournament in August with hopes of being selected for the Jeff Speakman 5.0 Fighter World Cup Championship in Las Vegas next year.
