Escape Jiu Jitsu Claims Three National Titles

Escape Jiu Jitsu showing off the hardware. Photo supplied: Danny Johns.

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Whitsundays-based Escape Jiu Jitsu returned from Melbourne with three Australian National Champions following a huge three days of competition at the 2026 Australian National Championships.

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More than 3,000 entries made it the biggest tournament in Australian Jiu Jitsu history, with Escape taking a squad of 20 competitors more than 2,000 kilometres to compete.

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Adult competitor Shay got the team off to a flying start on Day 1, claiming gold and the Australian National title in Adults No Gi before backing it up with silver in Gi the following day.

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The junior team kept the pressure on Sunday, with Summer and Paityn both crowned Australian National Champions. Summer achieved the feat just seven months after starting Jiu Jitsu, while Paityn is also still in her first year of training.

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Coach Bec Johns added silver after stepping down an age bracket and entering the Open Weight division, while Coach Zane Johns collected silver and bronze.

The Escapes Women’s talent stuck out amongst the heat of the competition, finishing 11th in the No Gi team standings, while the academy placed 29th overall among 94 teams to reach the podium on the final day.

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“For most of our team, this was their first major tournament,” Head Coach Danny Johns said.

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“The courage it takes just to step onto those mats is huge, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way every one of them represented Escape Jiu Jitsu and the Whitsundays.”

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Contributed with thanks to Coach Danny Johns.