Lessons From The Mat
The 12 Martial Arts Principles That Will Help You Succeed in Business and in Life
Drawing on nearly 40 years of experience both on the mat and in the boardroom, serial entrepreneur and martial artist Benjamin Chen reveals how timeless martial arts wisdom can provide a powerful guide for achieving personal and professional success.
In LESSONS FROM THE MAT, Chen breaks down the 12 core principles that will help you focus your efforts, seize the moment, adapt to challenges, and more effectively build the career—and the life—you want.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, an executive, a small business owner, or a freelancer—whether you’re navigating boardroom negotiations, launching a new venture, or working to turn your passion into a profitable business—these time-tested principles will help you navigate the challenges you face while maximizing your impact.
Step onto the mat. The fight for your success starts now.
Benjamin Chen & Scott Burr
Together, they blend decades of experience on the mat and in the real world - distilling martial arts wisdom into tools for life, leadership, and resilience.
BENJAMIN CHEN is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and martial artist. He has built and led high-performance teams across a number of industries, raised over $500M in venture capital, and managed due diligence for more than 30 acquisitions. As a CEO, CIO, CTO, and SVP, he has driven innovation in consumer tech, cloud computing, enterprise software, and beyond. A lifelong martial artist who holds black belts in BJJ, Hapkido, and Tae Kwon Do, he has trained extensively with a number of world-class instructors, including Master Rickson Gracie. He now lives on a small plumeria farm in San Diego, California, with his family.
SCOTT BURR is bestselling author and co-author of several books, including Bummed Out City, Worth Defending, Blood in the Water, and Confessions of a Hollywood Trainer. A longtime martial artist, he holds black belt rank in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Kodokan Judo, and Kuk Sul Do. He was the first person promoted to the rank of BJJ black belt by Steve Maxwell, and has trained extensively with Master Rickson Gracie, who awarded him his third black belt degree in 2023. He currently runs Enclave Jiu-Jitsu, a private training facility located in Northeast Ohio, and travels regularly to teach classes and seminars across the US.