Leaders on the mats. Anchors in the village.
The coaching team at NorthSouth brings more than technique. They bring presence, passion, and purpose.
From black belts, to emerging leaders, our team carries deep experience in all styles of grappling.
Whether you’re starting from zero or sharpening your edge, you’ll be guided by people who live what they teach.
Just coaches who care.
Head Coach & Co-Owner
About Ben
Ben Russ is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, head coach, and co-owner of NorthSouth Jiu Jitsu. A dedicated martial artist, father, and competitor, Ben brings experience, clarity, and presence to every session on the mat.
His coaching style is built around clean technique, strong fundamentals, and pressure-based grappling. Ben teaches using a mix of constraints led and technical instruction. He focuses on live scenarios and purposeful movement to develop timing, awareness, and decision-making.
Ben is a avid student of the game. He keeps pace with the evolving game and brings fresh, practical insight into every class. His sessions are structured, challenging, and grounded in the belief that growth comes through effort and shared accountability.
Ben is not just a coach. He is a teacher, on and off the mats. At NorthSouth, he sets the tone with the kind of leadership that helps people build something real.
Coach & Co-Owner
About Zach
Zach Alderson is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt, coach, father, and business owner. As co-owner of NorthSouth JiuJitsu, he brings intensity, clarity, and structure to the mat with a teaching style that is sharp, honest, and straight to the point.
Zach is an active competitor and a key driver behind the culture of the gym. He is not just part of the team. He is the heart of the village. From coaching and mentoring to welcoming new members and leading by example, Zach helps set the standard both on and off the mats.
With a background in strength training, he expects focus, rewards effort, and backs anyone willing to do the work.
Zach does more than run classes. He helps define what NorthSouth stands for. Discipline. Accountability. Community. Growth.
Coach
About Elias
Elias Tyro is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu purple belt at NorthSouth. Known on the mats as “The Prophet,” Elias brings a unique blend of calm intensity, creativity, and cultural depth to the room. He is a warrior, teacher, artist, and father. A diverse creative in motion.
Elias trains and teaches through a holistic lens, drawing on the pillars of Māoritanga: whanaungatanga (connection), manaakitanga (care and respect), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), and mana (inner strength). His presence is grounded, and his approach reminds us that growth on the mat is inseparable from growth as a person.
He brings patience and clarity to every round, helping others build confidence while continuing to evolve his own practice. Elias leads through quiet strength, deep attention, and a commitment to learning that goes beyond technique.
Off the mats, he is a father, an artist, and a storyteller. He helps carry the cultural heartbeat of the gym, bridging movement and meaning, tradition and evolution.
Elias is a pillar of the NorthSouth village. Steady. Sharp. Deeply rooted.
Wrestling Coach
About Joel
Joel “The Scientist” is a long-standing member of Christchurch’s martial arts community, with a background in MMA, kickboxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and personal training.
As NorthSouth’s wrestling coach, Joel draws on that experience to help members build confidence on their feet, develop effective takedowns, and connect wrestling with their wider grappling game.
He brings years of practical knowledge to the NorthSouth mats, helping members sharpen their skills and grow their understanding of the game.
Coach
About Mat
Mat is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, father, and one of the most consistent forces on the mats at NorthSouth. Known as “The Mat Enforcer,” he brings physical presence, quiet accountability, and relentless pressure to every session.
His game is built on control, patience, and calculated pressure. Nothing wasted. Just clean, effective jiu jitsu that holds up under pressure.
Mat leads by example on and off the mats.
Coach
About Luna
Luna is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, coach, and mother. Her approach reflects her philosophy of Fifty2percent, showing up with what you have, building resilience through steady effort, and finding strength in the balance between discipline and ease.
Luna embodies the belief that growth is not about perfection, but about consistent practice and self-responsibility. She creates an environment where people can learn, rise, and reclaim confidence in themselves.
