Rarotonga Training part 1: Cricket Pitch Jiu Jitsu

How a stopover to a random sports hall became a highlight of the trip.

I recently visited the Cook Islands and spent a couple of weeks on the beautiful island of Rarotonga. Again, i was there for a friends wedding and it was all about taking a few weeks off to enjoy the island life with friends.

It was definitely the best wedding I've ever been to, and one of the best holidays i have ever had. We were spending our days riding scooters around the small island, eating some unfamiliar and delicious foods, drinking coconuts, hiking through the jungle and generally taking it easy. 

We were doing some training of our own on the beach and around the island as many of the wedding-goers were into it. Tee and Al were running the Muay Thai seminars in the backyard, Saber was putting us through some front yard circuits, and there was a bunch of other stuff going on for those wanting to get involved. 

It was one week into the trip when i started to feel the itch - i hadn't trained any jiu jitsu for a couple of weeks leading up to the trip as i had injured my shoulder in training, and after a week of holidaying i was starting to feel the urge to roll. I asked the boys who had been to Raro before if there may be a chance that there could be any jiu jitsu on the island. Their response:

"Heheheh, you are in Rarotonga bro. There aint no jiu jitsu here"

Little did we know that 15 minutes down the one ring-road that circumnavigates the island, inside a quaint sports hall in the area known as Titikaveka there was a man named Clem, and Clem ran Jiu Jitsu Classes.

I passed the hall one day on my scooter and saw some climbing ropes and weights inside. I pulled up and read the timetable on the wall next to the door which stated:

'Jiu Jitsu Class 5:30-7:00pm'

I went inside and met with the boss named Clem and enquired about his class. His response was:

"i'm not gonna lie to you bro, our classes aren't really jiu jitsu as such. My background is more muay thai and striking, i just know a few submissions and takedown moves. Our classes tend to be a little more 'island-style'. We would be happy to have you in here teaching us a few tricks cause its hard for us to come across new moves. This is a real small island in the middle of the Pacific bro!"

  

"im stoked i found you guys, i'll come train for sure" i said.

I noticed there was only hard wood floor in the hall, and i asked where they train.

"we pulled the old cricket pitch up from the park next door and cut it up into big pieces - we just put them out on the floor and go for it!" said Clem.

I looked over at the slabs of roughed up cricket pitch leaning up against the wall. They looked like giant scourer pads. I love visiting new gyms!