Body battered but champ happy
Hone Milnes-Win won the champion’s title, but his body took a battering at the Māori Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Whātōtō Nationals in New Plymouth.
He said it was ‘‘amazing’’ to win the top title in his old hometown last week.
‘‘It was quite cool . . . my dad’s from Taranaki, and I was born there.’’
However, victory didn’t come easy, he said.
The 26-year-old left the event with a badly bruised foot and being unable to lift an arm above his shoulder.
‘‘I was screwed.’’
His training for the event had to be changed to not aggravate a hand he broke six months earlier in a competition. He suffered the injury when punching an opponent.
Milnes-Win won another medal on Saturday for finishing third in the Absolute Advance Open Division. About 100 competitors accepted invitations to compete at the event and Milnes-Win was the only Southlander.
He returned to Invercargill on Tuesday to resume work as owneroperator of the Universal Vale Tudo Invercargill. He teaches jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, boxing and kickboxing.
Milnes-Win is undefeated in five professional cage fights, with his next one possibly in September or October
‘‘I don’t have a nine to five job . . . I just fight and run my gym.’’
His interest in grappling sports started as a child when his father, Brent Win, was a successful kickboxer. Milnes-Win used to train with him.
Milnes-Win moved from Christchurch to Invercargill in December. He is coaching 15 people at his gym and hopes interest in grappling sports increases in the south.