What if Jiu-Jitsu was about more than winning medals?

In Episode 20 of the Twinjitsu Podcast, Justin and Chris sit down with Carson Quinene, better known as Carsahh, a rising BJJ content creator who's using Jiu-Jitsu to travel the world, build friendships, and experience life outside the competition scene.

Carson shares how he went from making videos as a white belt to pursuing YouTube full-time, his unforgettable experience rolling with the legendary Marcelo Garcia in Hawaii, and his travels through Peru, Iceland, Sweden, and beyond.

We also dive into some bigger questions about modern Jiu-Jitsu. Has the competition scene become too aggressive? Is chasing a world championship worth the sacrifices? And can the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) really change how we learn and teach?

In this episode:

• How Carsahh started creating Jiu-Jitsu content
• Training with Marcelo Garcia in Hawaii
• His experiences teaching kids with Guardian in Peru
• Why he prioritizes content creation over world titles
• The changing culture of competitive BJJ
• CLA, traditional instruction, and improving faster
• The Icelandic knee cut that changed his game
• Using Jiu-Jitsu to connect with people around the world
• His upcoming plans to travel across Asia

Whether you're a competitor, coach, content creator, or someone who just loves training, this conversation is a reminder that Jiu-Jitsu can open doors far beyond the mats.

Follow Carsahh: @carsaah

Support Guardian: Learn more about their mission to bring Jiu-Jitsu opportunities to kids around the world.

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#Twinjitsu #Carsahh #BJJ #JiuJitsu #MarceloGarcia

Comedian and longtime Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Drew Illa joins us for easily one of the funniest episodes of Twinjitsu yet.

Drew started training Jiu-Jitsu years before getting into stand-up comedy, and it turns out the two worlds have a lot more in common than you'd think.

We talk about why Jiu-Jitsu takes itself so seriously, the weird hierarchy of BJJ culture, Gi vs. No-Gi, competition anxiety, comedy clubs vs. tournaments, Drew's decision to stop at brown belt, the personalities (or lack thereof) in modern Jiu-Jitsu, and why sometimes you just need to beat up the white belts.

Drew also breaks down how Jiu-Jitsu prepared him for stand-up comedy, why bombing on stage doesn't compare to losing a tournament, and why being entertaining might matter more than being the toughest guy in the room.

This one goes off the rails quickly.

Follow Drew on Instagram: @drew_illa

🥋 Two twin black belts talking Jiu-Jitsu, culture, competition, coaching, and everything surrounding the sport.

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TJ Weninger joins us for Episode 18 of the Twinjitsu Podcast to talk about the art of coaching kids Jiu-Jitsu. TJ started grappling as a kid, wrestled through high school, began Jiu-Jitsu at 12, and recently earned his black belt.

Today, much of his work is focused on building better kids programs and finding smarter ways to help young athletes actually enjoy learning Jiu-Jitsu. We get into game-based training, the ecological approach, constraints-led games, traditional drilling, coaching different age groups, competition, burnout, keeping kids motivated, and why coaches shouldn't be afraid to experiment.

TJ also explains why he believes coaches should praise effort and consistency instead of talent and medals, how kids can help create the language used in class, and why sometimes the best thing a coach can do is simply make kids love being on the mats. We also talk about TJ's own competitive journey, earning his black belt, balancing coaching with training, creating Jiu-Jitsu content, and the lessons he's learned after years of working with young athletes.

Country artist Jade Eagleson joins Justin and Chris for Episode 17 of Twinjitsu. Jade has performed on some of country music’s biggest stages, won major awards in Canada, and built a career doing what he loves. But when he walks into the Jiu-Jitsu gym, none of that matters — he’s just another white belt trying not to get choked.

We talk about Jade’s journey from growing up on a cattle farm in Canada to pursuing country music in Nashville, performing at the Grand Ole Opry, and discovering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Jade opens up about the surprising similarities between stepping onto a stage and stepping onto the competition mat, why losing his first Jiu-Jitsu tournament actually motivated him, and how being surrounded by people better than him — in both Nashville and Jiu-Jitsu — changed the way he thinks about success.

We also get into life on the road, staying sober while touring, training Jiu-Jitsu while traveling, learning patience, the realities of running a music career like a business, and sharing Jiu-Jitsu with his son Levi. Plus: Canadian jokes, maple syrup, Gordon Ryan, Shania Twain, George Strait, Zack Top, guitar-playing injuries, starched jeans, and the important question nobody else is asking touring musicians: Who handles the dry cleaning? 🥋 Two heads. One grip.

Episode 16 of the Twinjitsu Podcast features Elle Beckman of The Arte of Coaching — a Jiu-Jitsu coach, academy owner, former early childhood educator, and one of our favorite voices in the kids Jiu-Jitsu coaching space.

Elle joins Justin and Chris from Australia to talk about why she moved away from traditional step-by-step instruction and embraced the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) for teaching Jiu-Jitsu.

We get into what CLA actually looks like in a kids class, why play and problem-solving can develop skills better than memorizing techniques, coaching kids for competition, communicating with parents, building a coaching staff, and one of the least-discussed parts of running a Jiu-Jitsu academy: burnout.

Elle also gets incredibly honest about losing students, trying to please everyone as an academy owner, and how turning something you love into your job can change your relationship with Jiu-Jitsu.

This is one of our favorite conversations we've had on the podcast so far — especially for coaches, academy owners, parents, or anyone interested in how people actually learn Jiu-Jitsu.

Follow Elle and The Arte of Coaching on Instagram for more kids coaching resources, CLA games, and coaching education.

Twinjitsu Episode 15 features longtime training partner and Jiu-Jitsu brown belt David Pitt.

David's Jiu-Jitsu journey started nearly 20 years ago through the Modern Army Combatives Program while stationed in Anchorage, Alaska. What followed wasn't a straight line to brown belt—years away from consistent training, different gyms, military life, returning to the mats, becoming a coach, and eventually sharing Jiu-Jitsu with his daughter.

In this episode, we get into what David has learned after two decades around grappling and why the longer you train, the more important the fundamentals become.

We talk about:

• Starting Jiu-Jitsu through Army Combatives
• Training every day while stationed in Alaska
• Returning to consistent Jiu-Jitsu after years away
• White belt vs. blue belt vs. purple belt vs. brown belt
• Why purple belt might be the most fun belt
• The fundamentals people overlook
• Closed guard, mount, posture, and off-balancing
• How teaching Jiu-Jitsu improves your own game
• Training Jiu-Jitsu with your kids
• Why parents shouldn't coach from the sidelines
• Keeping a "white belt mindset" as an upper belt
• What separates a brown belt from a black belt
• Learning Jiu-Jitsu through instructionals
• Static drilling vs. live resistance vs. constraint-led training
• Why mat time still matters
• Training around injuries and back problems
• The body awareness Jiu-Jitsu develops

Plus, Chris officially calls out Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson... in the gi, of course.

Two brothers. Two black belts. A lot of opinions.

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Episode 10 of the TwinJitsu Podcast is here. This episode kicks off with a recap of a wild competition weekend — from IBJJF Pans to one of the most frustrating tournament experiences we’ve had in years. We talk about: Why we’re officially done competing at certain tournaments What makes a competition safe (and what doesn’t) Our plan to start running in-house tournaments The growing steroid problem in jiu-jitsu Why lineage isn’t as important as people think How hobbies outside jiu-jitsu saved our sanity And how changing our kids class structure is producing huge results We also break down: Lessons learned coaching at Pans How one small mistake can cost a match Our new approach to kids competition prep Why specific training disguised as games is working so well If you train, coach, or compete — this episode has a lot to chew on. Drop a comment: What’s your favorite tournament organization to compete in?

Justin Claphan’s Jiu-Jitsu Journey — Music, Coaching, Lightning Strike Survival & Writing a Memoir

Justin shares his incredible journey from starting Jiu-Jitsu in 2014 to coaching kids, overcoming injuries, surviving being struck by lightning, and writing his first memoir. We also dive into the connection between music and Jiu-Jitsu, the realities of coaching, and why having fun on the mats matters more than winning medals.

This episode has everything — wild stories, real lessons, and plenty of laughs.

⚡ Topics Covered:

• Getting struck by lightning and surviving
• How Jiu-Jitsu helped recovery
• Coaching kids and overcoming challenges
• Music and Jiu-Jitsu flow states
• Writing a memoir after trauma
• The importance of fun in training

If you train Jiu-Jitsu, coach kids, or love insane real-life stories — this episode is for you.