Over the years this has led me to attend seminars, camps, other clubs, and for the past 25 years I have travelled overseas regularly for training seminars, up-skilling, competitions etc. I have trained with the likes of Toshishiro Obata, Dave Kover, John Will, Michael Campos, Patrick McCarthy, Bill Wallace, Richard Norton and Bob Jones, to name a few and have also graded in many styles outside of BJMA as well as in it.

This open minded approach to training has really kept me on my toes as we keep abreast on latest training and teaching methods, to the point where I have studied things like Ortho-Bionomy, sports coaching, meditation, and leadership to name a few new skills I am interested in.

In 1995 I founded a group called Proactive Martial Arts, with the intention of spreading and making available to anyone the fantastic skills that have helped me so much. We now have seven clubs in Christchurch and growing with the objective to have clubs throughout the South Island. Our purpose is to educate and promote Martial Arts in an environment, which best services the student.

Most of my time these days seems to be spent with Martial Artists and I find it very inspirational and exciting whether it’s business or personal. Many of my close friends have either trained in the past or currently do so, including my wife who is a higher grade Black Belt in Zen Do Kai and my son who trains in our children's classes. I find it brings another dimension to relationships that I gel with.

In my spare time I enjoy the outdoors as well as problem solving and getting creative in my man cave inventing things.

Martial Arts to me is not a destination but a way of life, so ranks are just mile stones along the way of a great life’s journey and what I enjoy is just the everyday learning / training.

There is a saying in Martial Arts that goes:

It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war!

But all too often, as in any profession, it is easy to take things too far and become unbalanced. I believe it is important to have a balanced amount of many skills in life so you can easily adapt and change where required.

I look forward to the development of our organisation and the progression and growth of all the students and schools. I would like to finish with a big thank you to all my past and present teachers who have helped me over the years. With their help it has influenced thousands in a positive way.

Nigel Stupples

 Now if I can’t make it to THE CLUB I hate missing out on what’s going on!

My initial goal was to achieve my Brown Belt, but somehow you get caught up in the motion of things and just keep on going – its kind of like “well if they can do it then so can I” which is great because it keeps you motivated and achieving goals and you end up being surprised at how far you have come.

In December 2001 I graded through to Black Belt and wondered what now? But that was just the beginning! I started instructing beginners in early 2002 and apart from a break to train for my 2^nd Degree Black Belt and have a baby, I have been teaching ever since. It has been hugely rewarding for me to see some of my first students achieve their 3^rd and 4^th Degree Black Belts over the past few years! I actually did my 4^th Degree grading alongside my very first student – yes we graded to the same rank! My journey between 3^rd and 4^th Degree was very long – but that’s ok because it’s not a race. Perhaps I should tell this story more to students when they get upset about someone grading before them (:

If someone had told me 20 years ago that I would become a Black Belt and manage a full time Martial Arts School, I would have laughed! It just goes to show that you never know where life will lead you. Proactive has become like a second family to me, I am a much stronger person both mentally and physically from my journey so far. I would be lying if I said that each grading didn’t scare me because it does – but what an awesome feeling it is to work hard for something, put your heart and soul into it and actually achieve it. As you move up the ranks you slowly notice changes in yourself, not just in your training but also in your personal life – things like focus, perseverance, commitment, goal setting – for me the list just goes on.

Instructing has been one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have done and it has been what has taught me the most about training, human nature and myself. It has given me invaluable life skills!

In October 2007 I left my job of almost 18 years as Office Manager to run Proactive Martial Arts full time with Nigel. The past 13 years have flown by and so much has happened, but I have been surrounded by and supported by such a wonderful extended family and I feel so fortunate.

I currently hold the rank of 4^th Degree Black Belt in Zen Do Kai and the teaching title of Renshi.

This year (2020) marks my 21^st year of training, Proactive’s 25^th Birthday and BJMA’s 50^th Birthday.

What I love most about our family is the fact that it doesn’t matter how old you are, or how fit you are or what you do for a living – everyone is welcome.

Believe in yourself, treat others as you would like to be treated, enjoy each day and do something each year that scares you!

Renshi Anna

I started training as much as I could and most weeks it was 6 days, sometimes 7 days.  In 1995 I achieved my Black Belt in Zen Do Kai and from there I started training Muay Thai under Daniel Saunders and I went on to have a couple of ring fights.

It was around that time that I heard about an older woman who taught stick and knife fighting so I thought I would check it out and that was when I met Mam Cela and her top student Carey Lee. The stuff that were doing was awesome, but Mam Cela had to return to the Philippines and her top students went with her to live and train.  Luckily around 1998 Carey returned to Christchurch and I was able to re-commence my stick training, mostly in Carey’s back yard, no gradings, just hitting each other with sticks!  I trained hard and in 2018 Carey awarded me my Black Belt in Eskrima.

I currently Instruct the Teenage Martial Arts class at Proactive Riccarton and oversee the Weaponry component for all the Karate classes.

It has been 28 years since I started my Martial Arts journey and I’m still learning – it’s not just a hobby, it plays an essential part in my life.

Learn more about Rob at training!

Learn more about Craig at training!