9 Reasons Why You Can't Afford To Not Train Jiu-Jitsu As A High-Performing Executive In Lake Nona, Orlando, FL.
Jiu-jitsu Lake Nona
5 min read
BJJ is a time-efficient, scalable training method that reduces stress, sharpens decision-making under pressure, builds resilient teams, and improves mental and physical health—benefits that translate directly into better leadership, higher productivity, and stronger culture.
Below, you will discover nine foundational reasons why you, as an executive here in Lake Nona, should be training in Jiu-Jitsu and why, quite honestly, you can't afford not to.
1. Cognitive Upside: Better Decisions, Faster
- Jiu-Jitsu training naturally mimics high-intensity interval bouts, but unlike most
HIIT programs, BJJ literally engages your ENTIRE body… upper, lower, core, all
major and stabilizing muscle groups, as well as balance, flexibility, and timing.
BJJ (HIIT) training improves executive function, working memory, information
processing, and cognitive flexibility—the very skills leaders like you rely on when
the stakes are high 1.
- Jiu-Jitsu participation is linked to attention, self-control, and emotion
regulation—advantages for conflict management and strategic thinking 2 .
You get very comfortable in being in uncomfortable situations with our whole team
supporting you and sharpening you every step of the way.
You get very comfortable in being in uncomfortable situations with our whole team
supporting you and sharpening you every step of the way.
Clearer thinking under pressure; faster pattern recognition;
improved emotional control in boardroom and crisis
settings.
2. Community, Belonging & Culture
- Lone wolves aren't stronger; in reality, they are smaller, weaker, and often die by
winter. We were created to be in community, grow together, and help each other
succeed. Workplace physical-activity initiatives that are led by example from the
top that emphasize social support and access are associated with better health
and productivity outcomes across the board. A BJJ cohort with your executive
peers naturally creates accountability and peer coaching and a true sense of
belonging among each other, away from the pressures of work and in a healthy,
supportive setting with people who always have your back 3 .
Cross-functional bonds, psychological safety, and a high-
trust culture—on and off the mats.
3. Physical Health: Strength, Mobility, Metabolic Fitness
- BJJ blends strength, aerobic/anaerobic conditioning, and mobility in short
sessions that satisfy time-pressed calendars while meeting or exceeding
physical-activity guidance… your health span increases, quality of life, and your
ability to live life on your terms 4.
- Increased strength and stamina
- Slowing of the aging process
- No more hours on the treadmill, stressing out all the time, or lacking
confidence
- Improved blood circulation
- Increased energy
- With every class get closer and closer to achieving your life goals!
More energy across the workday; fewer sick days; better
long-term health metrics that lower employer healthcare
burden.
4. Mental Health & Stress Relief (fast ROI)
- Emerging work specific to BJJ links practice with meaningful improvements in
anxiety, depression and trauma-related symptoms. BJJ helps executives cope
with stress and excel under pressure above their untrained peers… opening up
new opportunities for better work outcomes as well as family life. Such as not
taking the stress of work back with you to your home 5 .
- Exercise is a proven treatment for depression and anxiety, with strength and
mixed-modality programs among the most effective formats—both core
elements of BJJ training 4 .
- Even modest activity levels (Under 45 minutes) cut depression risk as long as
the activity has intensity, meaning a busy executive such as yourself can benefit
without marathon workouts 6 .
- Martial arts programs improve resilience, confidence, and self-
esteem—psychological capacities that executive roles demand 7 .
Lower stress reactivity → better judgment, calmer
negotiations, and reduced burnout risk—key drivers of
performance and retention among your whole team.
5. Confidence, Discipline & Composure Under Pressure
- Progressive skill exposure (live problem-solving against resisting partners)
builds self-efficacy—confidence based on evidence, not slogans. Martial arts
training has proven positive effects on internalizing problems
(anxiety/depression) and gains in wellbeing, reinforcing steady, disciplined
behavior 8 .
- We always say the mats (What we train on) expose everything and help you get
rid of any negative emotions and replace them with positive focus, confidence,
and a hunger to always improve
- Also, HRV-focused work in combat sports suggests BJJ can train autonomic
control and recovery—physiological poise that supports calm leadership 9 .
Leaders who stay composed when literally "under
pressure" make better, more ethical decisions with long-
term gains.
6. Real-World Problem-Solving: A Live Case Method
BJJ is "strategy in motion." Every round teaches and helps grow your:
- Situational awareness (information scanning)
- Prioritization (protect, escape, advance)
- Iterative problem-solving (hypothesize, test, adapt)
- Ego management (learn from losing "Not failing", not titles)
In Jiu-Jitsu, there is a saying: "You are either the hammer or the nail." Some days you
are the hammer and winning, other days you are the nail and it feels like nothing is
working… sound familiar? It should, as this is a reflection of how life often works, and in
business, too. We are human and make mistakes, but we can decide to either learn from
them and upgrade our skills and mindset, or keep repeating the same mistakes. And
oftentimes as uncomfortable as it by be, we actually learn the most when we lose, mess
up, or blow it.
What makes the difference in these micro-defining moments is that you learn from their
mistakes and keep going, and always show up the next day… period!... This is "deciding",
not "choosing," to reach your full potential and get better at every area of your life. And
Jiu-Jitsu sharpens this decision in all 4 areas mentioned above, each time you step onto
the mats.
Training Jiu-Jitsu is not about fighting or beating someone up… It's a decision to elevate
your life to new heights in all areas and especially in business, so you can be the person
you were made to be for yourself, your family, and your community.
These are the same meta-skills behind innovation,
negotiations, and crisis leadership.
7. How often should I train?
We always recommend that our students start with 2-3 days a week, spaced throughout
the week, and build from that foundation. You see real progress with this program
structure, and since we are open 6 days from 6:00 am. – 9:30 pm. with class times throughout the day, you can pick the days/times that work best for you individual
schedule.
8. What Success Looks Like (1–12 months)
- After the first month, you will begin to grasp the general structure of the
martial art, experience stress relief, and gain better mental clarity.
- Within 3 months of consistent training, you will know more self-defense
than 97% of the U.S. population
- After 6 months, you have earned your first stripes on your belt, see your
confidence growing significantly, and your fitness and stamina are at an
entirely different level.
- At the 9-month mark, you are thinking multiple moves ahead, your
decision-making speed has greatly increased under pressure, and your
stress levels are at the lowest they have been as far back as you can
remember.
- Once you've completed your first year of Jiu-Jitsu, you are in the top 1% of
the world in self-defense, have significantly improved your health span,
and gained a sizable advantage over your corporate peers in mental
clarity, focus, and iterative problem-solving.
Whatever your specific goal is for training Jiu-Jitsu (Optimized health, Self-defense, De-
Stress from work, etc.), we help you set the goal, make the plan, and help you every step
of the way, one class at a time.
9. Why BJJ (vs. other options)?
- Jiu-Jitsu combines Strength + HIIT + aerobic/anaerobic conditioning, and
mobility mindfulness under pressure in one session (very time-efficient with
maximized results) 10 .
- Problem-solving against resistance/pressure — rare in fitness, common in
leadership.
- No more boring hours upon hours on a treadmill or doing the same repetitive
movements with no real practical application.
- Keeps you far more focused and mentally sharper than traditional workout
programs and sports.
- You can learn something from every sport, but nothing builds confidence like
being able to walk into a boardroom knowing you are the fittest, most prepared
person in the room that could take on anyone there and win... can't put a price on
that.
- Built-in community that sustains participation (the #1 predictor of long-term
adherence/success) 11 .
If this optimized life looks appealing to you and you would like to come experience a
one-on-one intro class, click below on the "Book Now" link below and we'll see you on
the mats shortly
Howard Graham III
References
- Systematic reviews/RCTs: HIIT → executive function; acute & chronic
gains.
- Martial Arts as a Tool for Enhancing Attention and Executive Function:
Implications for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – A Literature Review.
- Workplace activity & productivity/wellbeing (program design guidance).
- BMJ 2024 systematic review: exercise effective for depression (strong
evidence).
- BJJ & mental health (scoping/academic updates): meaningful improvements
reported; field growing.
- Association Between Physical Activity and Risk of Depression: A Systematic
Review and Meta-analysis.
- Well-being warriors: A randomized controlled trial examining the effects of
martial arts training on secondary students' resilience.
- The effects of martial arts participation on mental and psychosocial health
outcomes.
- Heart Rate Variability as a Neuroautonomic Marker to Assess the Impact of
Karate Training – An Observational Pediatric Study.
- Systematic review of the acute and chronic effects of high-intensity interval
training on executive function across the lifespan.
- Effectiveness of worksite wellness programs based on physical activity to
improve workers' health and productivity: a systematic review.
Howard Graham
Graham Started Jiu-Jitsu in college with the very first class at UCF under Professor Ricardo Liborio. He progressed through the UCF program helping to build it to the largest sports club on campus. While doing this, Liborio offered the position of TA and Graham began teaching the new students that walked through the classroom door. He currently holds the rank of Purple Belt under Professor Ricardo Liborio. Being the program director at the GYM Graham answers all of the questions people have and ones they don't yet. He also helps teach classes as an assistant instructor.
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