Steve McGowan 🇳🇿
113 profile views · Last seen 5 day(s) ago
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About
- Training since first belt17 year(s) and 10 month(s)
- LocationAuckland, New Zealand
- AcademyCoast Academy BJJ Auckland Unclaimed
- AffiliationTukaha BJJ
Lineage
- Mitsuyo Maeda
- Carlos Gracie
- Helio Gracie
- Rickson Gracie
- Antonio Claudio “Tonicão” Collares
- Pedro Pacheco Fernandes
- Matt O’Dea
Bio
Steve first started Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 9 with South Pacific Ju Jitsu Society in Auckland under the late Laurie Oliver (7th Dan Black Belt). He returned at age 18 under the instruction of the late Jack Bailey (6th Dan) and Terry Evans (7th Dan).
Steve actively competed and won several Gold and Silver New Zealand titles. In 1988, Steve an Orange Belt at the time, fought against a Black Belt and won Gold in the Australia & New Zealand under 65kg New Zealand Ju Jitsu Association Title. He also competed in many other local tournaments winning Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Steve understood early on that you must train both grappling and stand up so he embarked on journey as a student of Jeet Kune Do and Wing Tsun Kung Fu under Sifu Peter Yu.
Steve then returned to the ‘Gentle Art’ and has been training with Matt O’Dea (1st Dan) since 2008. Juggling a young family and a business, Steve obtained his Blue Belt in 2013. Steve ran the kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class for 2 years at Oliver MMA North Shore before moving to Coast Academy BJJ with Matt.
In 2016, under Pedro Fernandes (4th Dan) from Tu Kaha Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Steve obtained his Purple Belt. Steve is heavily involved in Coast Academy and offers support and coaching, his sons and daughter also trained with him. In 2020, Steve earned his Brown Belt and in late 2022 was presented with his Black Belt.
Steve also is Level One Referee and regularly ref’s at Gi and NoGi competitions.
Achievements
5 of 18 unlockedName verified by credit card
Profile manually reviewed & certificate issued
Current rank verified by promoting instructor
Verifications received15 / 25
102550
Years trained17 / 20
5101520
Gold medals0 / 5
51025
Competition matches0 / 10
1050100
Forum posts1 / 500
5001,000
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Gallery
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Me with Head Instructor Prof. Matt O'Dea
Black Belt promotion from Professor Pedro Fernandes 4th Degree
Black Belt promotion from Professor Pedro Fernandes 4th Degree
Black Belt line up from Coast Academy BJJ
Black Black Meeting 26th February 2023
Promotion history
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- 3 years, 9 months, 28 days
Black belt Current belt
December 3, 2022Auckland, New Zealand Tukaha Jiu Jitsu
Promoted byPedro Pacheco Fernandes
2 years, 4 months, 22 daysBrown belt
July 11, 2020Auckland, New Zealand Tukaha Jiu Jitsu
Promoted byPedro Pacheco Fernandes- 3 years, 7 months, 14 days
Purple belt
November 27, 2016Auckland, New Zealand Tukaha Jiu Jitsu
Promoted byPedro Pacheco Fernandes - 3 years, 5 months, 16 days
Blue belt
June 11, 2013Auckland, New Zealand Oliver MMA
Promoted bySteve Oliver - 24 years, 9 months, 6 days
Green belt
September 5, 1988Auckland New Zealand The Eastern School of Jiu Jitsu
Promoted byJack BaileyMikinosuke Kawaishi Japanese Jiu Jitsu - Late Jack Bailey 6th Dan
- 1 year, 8 months, 30 days
Orange belt
December 6, 1986Auckland New Zealand The Eastern School of Jiu Jitsu
Promoted byJack BaileyMikinosuke Kawaishi Japanese Jiu Jitsu - Late Jack Bailey 6th Dan
- 7 months, 21 days
Yellow belt
April 15, 1986Auckland New Zealand The Eastern School of Jiu Jitsu
Promoted byJack BaileyMikinosuke Kawaishi Japanese Jiu Jitsu - Late Jack Bailey 6th Dan
- 22 years, 7 months, 1 day
White belt
November 16, 2008Auckland, New Zealand Oliver MMA
Votes received for current rank
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"Parceiros de treino atestam sua graduação, bem como possui fotos recebendo a faixa preta das mãos do seu professor. Sendo assim, apesar de não conhecê-lo pessoalmente, seu perfil parece legitimo para mim. Oss"
"A lot of the belts are not BJJ belts, so I must dispute. I suggest you take a screen shot and add to your photo gallery (clearly marked as non-BJJ promotions). For not just getting the dispute removed but also getting a verification, I would recommend adding more evidence, like obvious promotion pictures, social media screenshots and links to promotion posts etc. Preferably also for lower belts. Certificates are on the weaker end as evidence (there has even been a case of forgery on Beltchecker, although I don't suspect that is the case here)."
AHPfffff sort yourself out pal. Steve's legit. I train with him, we graded on the same day. The issue I have with this evidence based voting system is that I spend my time DOING jits, not posing for photos or making crappy social videos. There are guys in New Zealand who have voted for Steve, who know him and train with him. Lastly, back in the day, going back fifteen years there weren't any certificates or grading "exams" that came in later when people started monetizing the sport. So people who've been at it a while may struggle to provide evidence of early belts. Instead of disputing his profile, ask for more evidence in a dm. Nuff said.
3 year(s) ago
JAndy, read my comment again. The yellow to green belts are quite clearly not BJJ belts and risk messing up automated statistics now or in the future. Removing the non BJJ-belts would reset my negative vote, which is only for adding incentive to remove the non BJJ-belts. We get this site for free, without even adds, so I think the least we can do is help keeping records and statistics clean. And then go do some more jits :-)
3 year(s) ago
SMJohan - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was not in New Zealand in the ’80’s. I trained Japanese Ju Jitsu as a 19 year old and obtained Green Belt (grading system W,Y,O,G,B,B,B - we had to a full demo to obtain belt) under the late Jack Bailey 6th Dan who was trained by Hans Van Ess 8th Dan who introduced Mikinosuke Kawaishi system of Judo and Ju-Jitsu to New Zealand in 1962 and was Awarded Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Ju-Jitsu in 2022. I’m not sure why you think these promotions are not warranted on Belt Checker, however I have posted the Certificates and made notes. I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2008 as a white belt and have been training BJJ for 15 years to obtain my Black Belt.
3 year(s) ago
JI see your perspective too, but this is Beltchecker for BJJ belts and the yellow to green belts also have the black sleeve that show it's BJJ belts. Still not many vote points in, so it is very easy to change this early in the verification process. But it is your decision and I can't do more than express my opinion on the matter and cast my negative vote points as I do dispute your promotion history (in BJJ), even if it's the earlier parts of it I dispute.
3 year(s) ago
JB@ Steve this guy is trolling people, just downvote him and get your friends to downvote, im doing the same. This will remove all his downvotes as invalid
2 year(s) ago
JJochem, what's your problem? Steve confirmed himself that three of the belts in his promotion history weren't even BJJ belts and that there wasn't even BJJ in NZ in the 80:s. Do you see the above as a correct BJJ promotion history yourself or do you just want to let off some steam?
2 year(s) ago
"Legit profile"
"I’ve known for many years & he's OG "
"legit BB-profile! Here You go verified and a warm welcome!"
"The council of Stevens approves. Cool to see those early belt promotion certificates! "
"This gentleman look like he put in the hard work and time into Bjj training and never quit. He did explain his former grappling knowledge and experience as background when he started Bjj. Some IBJJF rules stipulates u shouldnt compete as white belt if u have prior grappling art achievements. So in the same vein, he started as a blue belt in Bjj and went on up the ranks to black belt earned with his professor s recognition of skill and tough time put into training. That is legit to me. Has my vote."
"Black belt training partners vouched for him."
"Legit as was there when he got his belt "
"Legit"
