Wahib Hosam Salha

Wahib Salha is the founder and head professor of WĀHIBJJ in Feilding, which he established in 2019 to bring Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the Manawatū region. Originally from Natal in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, he holds a third-degree black belt. His instructor was Professor Itácio Lisboa, a student of Master Banni Cavalcanti, one of the pioneers who developed jiu-jitsu in Natal, and the academy presents this as a direct lineage back to the roots of the art in Northeast Brazil. The academy combines traditional martial arts values with modern coaching methods, with a focus on safety, structured learning and long-term development for children, teens and adults. Salha leads a coaching team that includes black belts Matt Ball, Nathan Wansbrough, Tamati Anaru and Sean Hume.