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.

Justin and Chris are back for another episode of TwinJitsu — the podcast where two identical twins who happen to be Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts talk about training, running gyms, and whatever nonsense comes to mind.

In this episode we cover everything from our food & fitness challenge, to whether golf counts as a workout, to some controversial hot takes about Jiu-Jitsu culture.

We also talk about burnout as full-time instructors, bad medical advice in the Jiu-Jitsu world, and why the phrase “no excuses but…” shows up on every competition post.

Plus Justin debuts what might be the worst Jiu-Jitsu country song ever written.

If you train, coach, or just love the chaos of gym life, this one’s for you.

In Episode 7 of the TwinJitsu, Justin and Chris kick things off with a highly requested cold open that immediately derails into freestyle rap arguments, listener comments, and being publicly called “sissies.”

That comment sparks a deeper conversation about discipline, habits, and why they’ve both let fitness and routines slide while juggling business, jiu-jitsu, and life. The twins break down their modified version of 75 Hard—what they’re keeping, what they’re cutting, and why strict challenges don’t always align with real goals.

Along the way, they cover calorie counting vs. diets, reading habits, recovery workouts, protein macaroni business ideas, soda addictions, underwear problems in jiu-jitsu, and why not wearing underwear under nogi shorts is a terrible idea. Things wrap up with hockey talk, goalie anxiety, questionable hygiene confessions, and a call for the audience to choose a realistic punishment if one of them fails the challenge.

If you like discipline talk mixed with brother arguments, self-awareness, and just enough chaos to keep it honest—this one’s for you.

Two twins. One guest. And way too many hot takes.

In Episode 6 of the TwinJitsu Podcast, Justin and Chris sit down with Kevin Johnson — brown belt, gym owner, and self-proclaimed “Brad Pitt of Jiu-Jitsu” — to talk about what it’s really like to open a school, build a brand, and eventually break away to do your own thing.

Kevin shares the full story of starting a gym while still a purple belt, the fear + impostor syndrome that comes with being “the guy” in the room, and why authenticity matters more than trying to copy someone else’s coaching style (or accent 😅).

We also get into:

• The truth about gym ownership (spoiler: not overnight success)
• Leaving an affiliation and what changes after the name comes off the building
• Curriculum vs “reading the room” as a coach
• Why Kevin shifted hard into game-based training (and how it actually works)
• Teaching kids submissions safely with games
• Building a social media presence without turning into a fake version of yourself
• Parents, politics, boundaries, and why jiu-jitsu coaches aren’t therapists

Follow Kevin: 📲 Instagram: @kevinjiujitsu 🏫 Ivy Jiu-Jitsu: @ivyjiujitsu

Welcome back to Twin Jitsu — the #1 jiu-jitsu podcast where we barely talk about jiu-jitsu… except this week we actually do.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever taught a class, assisted a kids program, or wondered:

• Can a blue belt teach?
• Why do some world-class competitors struggle to explain what they do?
• How do you keep a room engaged when you’re teaching back-to-back-to-back?
• Why “less is more” might be the best coaching upgrade you can make this year.

We get into the real stuff: teaching as a performance, energy management, game-based learning, building a kids comp team from 2 kids to 30+, and what to do when a student asks a question you don’t have the answer to.

Next week we’ve got a special guest… aka the Brad Pitt of jiu-jitsu (he’s blonde). 😤

Drop a comment: What’s the hardest part about teaching — adults, kids, or your own brain?

👍 Like / Subscribe for more Twin Jitsu 📲 Follow us: (add IG links) 🏫 Train with us: Gracie Barra Franklin / Bellevue

TwinJitsu Episode 4: Bad Kids, Big Hearts ft. David Spielberg

In this episode, we sit down with David Spielberg to talk about starting jiu-jitsu overweight, navigating the first year on the mats, and how training became a catalyst for real change.

We get into: 🥋 Beginning BJJ out of shape and pushing through the hardest year 📉 Weight loss, consistency, and learning to trust the process 🔥 Being “bad kids” and the long road to personal growth 🏕️ Getting sent to an outdoor behavior program and what It taught him. How discipline, struggle, and jiu-jitsu shape better humans

This episode is honest, funny, and real — about messing up, learning lessons the hard way, and finding something that helps you grow when you least expect it.

If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t belong in jiu-jitsu… this one’s for you.

Subscribe for weekly TwinJitsu episodes. Two black belt twins. One table. A lot of stories.

Injuries

-what injuries are we currently dealing with

-what injuries have we had

-What’s the dumbest way you’ve ever been injured on the mats?

-how can you prevent injuries in jiu jitsu

-what would you have done differently with previous injuries

-What does being injured do to your confidence/mental health?

-how can you game improve while being injured

Coaches Corner

Questions:

• How should students communicate injuries?
• Roles of coaches in protecting students
• How to keep people training while hurt (modifications)
• How long should someone rest before coming back? (Your policy)
• What we wish every student understood about being injured

Would you rather?

-would you rather be a man sized bean or a bean sized man

-jiu jitsu match between the beans

A single dry red kidney bean weighs roughly 0.65 grams. A 200 lb (90,718 gram) male would weigh as much as roughly 139,500 individual dry kidney beans.

How many kids to defeat a black belt?

Twinjitsu Episode 2: “Body Canvas” ft. Evan Muncey

In this episode we sit down with artist, jiu-jitsu practitioner, and all-around creative human Evan Muncey. We dive into his art journey, how creativity overlaps with martial arts, and what it’s like now working inside the jiu-jitsu world while still trying to grow as an artist.

We talk about: 🎨 Evan’s path as an artist 🥋 How art and jiu-jitsu mirror each other ⚖️ Balancing passion, work, and training 🦈 Jiu-Jitsu Shark Tank (fake inventions… very real laughter) 🗣️ The great debate: Guard Pulling vs. Takedowns

If you train, create, or love watching people argue about jiu-jitsu, you’ll vibe with this episode.

Subscribe for more TwinJitsu episodes every week. Two black belt twins. One podcast. Unlimited chaos.

🔥 Episode Overview

In the first episode of Twinjitsu, we set the tone for the podcast—why it exists, what we believe, where it was and where it’s headed. This is our manifesto.

🥋 Podcast Goals

• Why we started Twinjitsu
• What we want this podcast to become

⏳ Then vs Now (6–7 Year Recap)

• Where we were when we first launched the podcast
• How our mindset, careers, and Jiu-Jitsu have evolved
• Lessons learned along the way

📆 Important Dates & Milestones

• Quitting alcohol
• Celebrating our 14-year Jiu-Jitsu anniversary
• Why these moments matter more than medals

👘 Gi Season Explained

• What “Gi Season” actually means
• Gi vs No-Gi: differences in pace, strategy, and mindset
• Why switching between both matters

🤔 Would You Rather

• Teach kids class forever or only coach adults?
• Get submitted once by a lower belt in training or lose every roll by one advantage?

😂 Story Time

• Funny training stories getting hurt having fun

🐍 Closing Thoughts