“Who would be a martial arts athlete?” asks Tairongo Hudson,head coach, founder and owner of Ōpōtiki’s Scorpion Claw Gym.

The Church Street fight club teaches boxing, kick boxing and Muay Thai to all comers.

“In our sport there is no podium, you either win or you lose. You can train for three-to-six months with no pay and go on to fight for just six minutes. You might be the happiest person in the world or break down in tears that you lost despite all the work.

“But here we all are – most of us wouldn’t change anything about our sport.”

Having practiced and taught martial arts over many years Hudson regards his gym as a dream come true.

“Our gym is for everyone; we don't discriminate. We don't talk about politics, when we walk through the doors, we leave the outside world behind and get to work. There's also a lot of humour involved, we love it that way. Everyone is on their own journey - some may come for therapy, to get fit, stay active or to seriously train to fight.”

That last group includes athletes now training for Dragons Lair 2025, a fundraiser, to be held by the Mount Maunganui-based Thai Boxing Gym on October 11. It is expected to seriously test all comers.

“We have nine fighters on this card - five boxing and five kickboxing – and this show is going to be huge for us. It is the first event we will compete in since moving into our new gym in Church Street.”

The club performed well at a July tournament staged by Dragons Lair, a women’s event billed as, ‘The Queen of Mean’, showcasing Muay Thai, boxing and kickboxing. The Scorpion Club’s four entrants chalked up two wins and two losses.

The Ōpōtiki group’s top female fighter Saph Carmichael shone in all three disciplines, going up against the formidable Alejandra Lara from Tihipuke Myaythai (TMT) in Hamilton, in the final.

“Alejandra is one of the best female fighters from one of the country’s best gyms. Her club, TMT is the home gym for the athlete considered this country’s best professional kick boxer, Big Titas Proctor.

“In the main event Alejandra certainly showed us her skills, but Saph was on fire. Saph went the full three rounds, throwing knees, elbows, punches and kicks in a tough battle. She emerged from the fight with another win under her belt - Saph has now had six fights with three wins and three losses.

Tairongo started the Scorpion Gym in 2019, fulfilling an intense desire to see others excel in martial arts.

“I’ve been sparring and training since I was a small child. I vividly remember the day my trainer told me I’d be a better coach than a fighter, and he was right. It’s what you’re called to be that counts.

“When we started, I didn't have a specific goal for the club, it was just something I knew I had to do. Around 2022-2023, our athletes started to gain traction and my vision for the future became clearer.

“Initially it was about establishing a solid entry-level club where people could get started in the sport, maybe have a fight or two and then move on to a bigger more advanced club. By the end of 2023, we were attracting fighters with more experience and began to compete all around the North Island.

“We were measuring ourselves against gyms we had thought were way out of our league and then having success against them. This pushed our goals higher. Now watch out; we’re looking for a national title.”

Aged about 10, Tairongio began learning klick boxing at KRMA Whakatane, then run by the late Shishan (head coach) Henare Kokiri. Kokiri was supported even then by respected martial artist Graham "Blood" Lyford, who now leads the club.

“A few years later my stepfather, Dwaine Tatapanui, decided to branch off and create his own club, which was known as Tumatauenga Waiotahe Kickboxing. This was where a few of us believe we really learned our craft, with hard sparring – carried over from KRMA - at the core of it all.

“I recall one session in which we did 10 rounds for 10 minutes-a-round. All hard sparring.  Sometimes we'd do nothing but condition because the aim was to attain a body of ‘hardened steel, unbreakable’. And though the club is long gone, some of us feel what it taught has not been equalled since.

“I teach the same principles I learned all those years ago, albeit adding my own perspective, because you never stop learning.

“When I study the greatest boxers in history, I see individuals who did the hard yards but who also had an X factor, call it the gift they were born with.

“I marvel at the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and Roy Jones when fighting at the top of their game. They were flashy, certainly. They had style, for sure. But there was a foundation of discipline in everything they did.

“Combining one’s God-given talent with the hard work required is the key, and that’s what I read in the Scriptures. David defeated Goliath with one stone. Our club is from a small town shunned by the media but still we prevail in tough situations. With God all things are possible.”