NZ Fight & Fitness Academy — known to its members as FightAndFitness24 — is a Dunedin martial arts facility and 24/7 gym that has been operating for over 17 years. It is home to Gracie Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) under the Gracie Humaita banner, alongside boxing, grappling, MMA, self defence, strength & conditioning, women's only and youth training, all based on Stafford Street in central Dunedin. The academy's motto is simple: get fit while learning a skill at the same time.
Classes run six days a week and are suited to all levels of fitness and skills, from youth to adults and women to men. Members can choose from a variety of group training sessions or work with the academy's coaches through one-on-one programs, all in a fun and friendly environment.
The facility is manned in the afternoons — Monday to Thursday from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, Friday from 3:00pm to 6:30pm, and Saturday mornings from 8:15am to 10:30am — while members on Unlimited 24/7 Gym Memberships enjoy full access to the facility all year round. Newcomers can start with a free 3 day gym pass, and the academy keeps everyone updated on closures, seminars and fight-team news through its Instagram and Facebook pages.
On Stafford Street in central Dunedin, NZ Fight & Fitness Academy — known to its members as FightAndFitness24 — has been teaching locals to fight their way to fitness for more than 17 years. It is two things at once: a full martial arts academy and a 24/7 gym. In the afternoons the mats fill with jiu jitsu drills and boxing rounds; the rest of the day belongs to Unlimited 24/7 members, who can train on the gym floor at any hour, all year round.
The academy's own pitch is simple: get fit while learning a skill. Instead of grinding away on a treadmill, members build their conditioning through the sports themselves — pad work, drill repetitions, grappling rounds and strength sessions. Classes run six days a week and the timetable is built for everyone, from youth to adults and women to men, and from complete beginners to experienced competitors.
The headline art here is Gracie Jiu Jitsu — Brazilian Jiu Jitsu taught under the Gracie Humaita banner and framed by the academy as the ultimate form of self defence. Around it sits a full combat program: boxing classes split into Basics/Skills and Fitness/Fight Training, grappling on the mats, MMA for those who want to blend it all, and practical self defence. Strength & Conditioning underpins everything, giving members the engine their techniques run on.
Coaching covers mixed, women's only and youth training, so households can train side by side or in their own spaces. The variety of group sessions is matched by one-on-one programs and coaches for anyone wanting personal attention on a specific goal — a first competition, a fitness milestone or simply confidence on the mats.
The academy hangs its philosophy on a Ralph Waldo Emerson line that appears on its homepage: 'Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.' The tone on the floor is meant to match — a fun and friendly environment where the drive to get fit is celebrated rather than intimidating. Beginners are explicitly welcome; the classes are described as suited to all levels of fitness and skills.
Membership matters too. Alongside class-based training, the gym floor is a genuine 24/7 offering for Unlimited members, and the academy runs Gym Specials advertised on its website for those weighing up joining. The Saturday morning block is the one weekend window when the facility is manned, while weekday evenings from 3pm belong to the after-work crowd.
Practically speaking, the facility is manned in the afternoons: Monday to Thursday from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, Friday from 3:00pm to 6:30pm, and Saturday mornings from 8:15am to 10:30am, when classes run but no reception is available. Reception hours mirror that, with no reception on Saturday or Sunday, and the gym is closed on Sundays. Beyond those windows, members on the Unlimited 24/7 Gym Membership have full access to the facility all year round. One caveat worth knowing: the gym closes for all public holidays, with only Unlimited 24/7 members able to enter.
Newcomers can start with a free 3 day gym pass, requested through the website, and an online application form handles the join-up. Questions are best sent by email to [email protected] or by text to Ryan on 027 237 4684 or Cherine on 027 353 0546 — the team politely asks that you don't ring or leave voice messages. If you're driving, street parking is available around Stafford Street.
Finally, the academy keeps members in the loop through its Instagram and Facebook pages, posting closures and cancellations, seminars and events, and news whenever the fight team travels to a tournament or coaches head overseas. Follow along and you'll know everything that's happening on the mats — from the afternoon youth classes to whatever the coaches are planning next.