[Interview] Benjamin Chen On How To Apply Martial Arts Principles To Business And  Life   – Young Upstarts

Benjamin Chen’s fascinating book, “Lessons From The Mat: The 12 Martial Arts Principles That Will Help You Succeed in Business and in Life“, shares the wisdom the author learned — as a highly successful entrepreneur, investor, and business leader, and as a dedicated martial artist with black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Hapkido, and Tae Kwon Do. Written with coauthor Scott Burr, the book distills Ben’s 40-plus years of experience into 12 proven principles that help leaders and entrepreneurs perform under pressure, adapt quickly, and build a balanced, purposeful, and successful life and career.

We chatted with Ben to understand more about his book and learn how these ancient principles can give anyone the edge in modern business, and in life.

How would readers benefit from looking at business and life from a martial arts perspective?

Martial arts trains you to operate effectively under pressure. That’s the core benefit.

On the mat, you’re constantly dealing with resistance — physical, emotional, mental. If you panic, you lose. If your ego takes over, you lose. The training conditions you to slow your breathing, observe clearly, and respond rather than react.

Business and life work the same way. Markets resist. People disagree. Plans fail. If you view that resistance as information instead of threat, you make better decisions.

Martial arts also builds discipline and timing. You learn that not every opportunity is worth chasing — but when the right opening appears, you commit fully.

So the perspective shift is this: adversity isn’t interruption — it’s part of the match. And once you accept that, you operate with far more clarity and resilience.

Is there a basic principle business leaders can follow to aim for success?

Yes — what I call Ready Stance.

In martial arts, before any technique works, your base must be solid. Your feet are grounded, your posture aligned, and your target clear. Without that, even the best technique fails.

In business, Ready Stance means strong fundamentals: clear strategy, financial discipline, the right people in the right roles, and a defined market position.

A lot of leaders chase advanced tactics — growth hacks, scaling strategies, innovation — but their foundation is unstable. They’re out of alignment.

Ready Stance is about preparation before aggression. It’s about positioning yourself so that when you move, your movement has power.

Success isn’t just about effort. It’s about alignment.

What strategies in martial arts help move the needle in business?

Three strategies are especially powerful.

First, Connect. In martial arts, you constantly read your opponent’s balance and intent. In business, that means accurately reading customers, competitors, and market signals in real time. Most mistakes come from misreading reality.

Second, Consider Fully, Act Decisively. Martial artists train extensively, but when it’s time to move, they commit without hesitation. In business, over-analysis kills momentum, but reckless action kills companies. The skill is knowing when preparation is sufficient — then acting boldly.

Third, Ippon — the decisive move. Instead of scattering effort across dozens of small wins, you identify one strategic move that changes the match — a partnership, a product pivot, a hiring decision.

It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the move that matters most.

During negotiation or conflict, do you consciously draw on martial arts training?

Early on, it was very conscious. I would literally remind myself to slow my breathing or check my posture. Now it’s largely instinctive — but the principles are always active.

In negotiation, the first battle is internal. If you’re emotionally triggered, you’ve already given up leverage. Martial arts teaches you to regulate your nervous system under pressure.

You also learn not to meet force with force. If someone escalates emotionally, instead of escalating back, you redirect. You ask questions. You change the angle. That’s classic martial arts strategy — use energy intelligently rather than collide head-on.

I also focus on what I call Your Circle — staying centered on what I can control. That keeps conversations productive and prevents ego from driving decisions.

Can you share an example of helping an entrepreneur using martial arts principles?

I worked with an entrepreneur who was highly capable but constantly pivoting. Every new opportunity pulled him off course. Revenue was stagnant because focus was fragmented.

We applied Your Circle — identifying what was actually within his influence and aligned with his core strength. That eliminated distractions.

Then we applied Keep Showing Up — committing to one channel and one strategy for 90 days without deviation. No shiny object shifts.

The change wasn’t dramatic overnight success. It was steady traction. And traction compounds.

Martial arts teaches that mastery comes from the repetition of fundamentals, not constant novelty. Once this entrepreneur stabilized his base and stayed consistent, growth followed naturally. 

Is there an instructor whose teachings inspire you as a businessman?

Yes — and what stands out isn’t flashy technique, it’s discipline and humility.

The best instructors I trained under emphasized fundamentals relentlessly. They would say, “Advanced technique is just refined basics.” That principle applies directly to business.

They also embodied what I call the white belt mindset — even at the highest level, they stayed curious, always refining, never assuming mastery.

As a businessman, that’s critical. Markets evolve. Technology changes. The moment you think you’ve figured it all out, you become vulnerable.

The masters taught me that preparation, humility, and constant refinement win over ego and theatrics. That mindset carries directly into leadership.

Can you share one piece of advice for entrepreneurs in today’s intense climate?

Train for discomfort voluntarily.

Most people only deal with discomfort when the market forces it on them — downturns, competition, disruption. Martial artists step into discomfort deliberately. That builds adaptability.

In volatile markets, adaptability is survival. If you regularly challenge yourself — make difficult calls, enter hard conversations, test bold ideas — uncertainty becomes familiar terrain.

When others freeze, you move.

The entrepreneurs who prevail aren’t necessarily the most aggressive. They’re the most composed under pressure and the most willing to lean into growth before it’s comfortable.

Discomfort isn’t the enemy. It’s preparation.

To learn more, visit Benjamin Chen’s website, Fromthemat.academy.

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