Ngāi Tahu Family Business · East Tāmaki, Auckland

We Develop People
Through Combat Sport —
Not Damage Them.

Eagle DS Combat and Wellness is one connected ecosystem: a training academy, a national Combat Games Series uniting clubs across New Zealand, a clinical wellness practice, and community programmes for rangatahi who need them most.

Founded and run by Dafydd and Carrie Sanders. Grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā.

Visit the Academy Explore the Ecosystem
DS
5Tournaments Delivered
450+Matches Facilitated
50+Partner Clubs Nationwide
0Concussions on Record

The Ecosystem

One Mission.
Five Branches.

Most organisations offer one thing. Eagle DS connects five — each strengthening the others. We are not here to absorb the clubs and communities we work with. We are the shared infrastructure that lifts the whole sport: a place to train, a circuit to compete on, the clinical care that keeps it safe, and the programmes that bring it to those who need it.

01 The Facility Training Academy Our East Tāmaki home. Boxing, kickboxing, MMA, K1 and Taekwondo for all ages — Kids MMA, Women's classes, performance tracks, and a clear development pathway. Class schedule, memberships and the shop live here. Enter the Academy → 02 The Circuit Combat Games Series New Zealand's light-contact competition circuit — uniting 50+ clubs across six styles under one safe, development-first standard. Clubs keep their identity; we provide the platform, the officials and the stage. View the Series → 03 The Foundation Wellness Hub Health is not an add-on — it is the foundation. Clinical nutrition, mindfulness, breathwork, mobility and recovery, led by Carrie Sanders RN. The clinical rigour behind our zero-concussion record. Explore Wellness → 04 The Reach Community Programmes Eagle Tū Māia and our funded rangatahi programmes — delivered with youth services, schools and social organisations. Combat sport as the vehicle; identity, belonging and pathways as the destination. See the Programmes → 05 The Partners Partnership & Sponsors Partner with our national events circuit, our Auckland facility, or both. Genuine, measurable brand association with a movement that puts community and safety first. Partner With Us → + Get Involved Compete & Officiate Register for the next Combat Games Series event, or train as a certified Eagle DS referee or coach. The whole pathway — athlete, official, leader — runs through one system. Open Registration →

Our Cultural Foundation

Te Whare
Tapa Whā.

The four pillars of Māori health are not a branding choice — they are the architecture of everything we build. Eagle DS is a Ngāi Tahu family business. We are not applying a cultural framework to our work; we are living it.

Taha Tinana
Physical
Strong, capable bodies through structured training and clinical wellness support.
Taha Hinengaro
Mental
Confidence, clarity and emotional regulation — a new internal story about what is possible.
Taha Wairua
Spiritual
Resilience, identity, and a deepening sense of purpose and self.
Taha Whānau
Family
Connection and belonging. What happens on the mat extends into every relationship.

The Founders

Dafydd (David) Sanders

Founder · Head Coach · NZ Representative — Four Combat Disciplines

One of New Zealand's most broadly credentialled combat sports athletes. Dafydd represented NZ at the IMMAF World Championships 2019 in MMA, the WAKO World Championships in light contact kickboxing (2006) and K1 full contact (2017), and won the Karate All Japan Championship 2010. In taekwondo he peaked at World #10 and competed across two Olympic campaigns.

27 years teaching and coaching across the full spectrum. Dafydd has also spoken publicly about living through a near two-year mental health crisis — the lived foundation of everything Eagle DS teaches.

Carrie Sanders

Co-Founder · Registered Nurse · Clinical Nutritionist

A Registered Nurse with frontline clinical experience and a qualified Clinical Nutritionist. A New Zealand representative in gymnastics and trampolining, and a National Taekwondo Champion.

Carrie designs and leads every wellness programme Eagle DS delivers — and is the reason Eagle DS holds a zero concussion record across five national tournaments and 450+ matches.