Grappling with your clients is not only allowed — it’s the point at this business

in-article-vertical-video float right padding-left px width px key media only screen and max-width px in-article-vertical-video float none padding-left px in-article-vertical-video connatix video caption width px fundamental tnvbNcaMHUrl margin-bottom px padding px px background D text-align center font-weight bold color fff border-radius px connatix video caption margin-bottom px margin-top font-size px color font-weight text-align left display none This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker new Image src https capi connatix com tr si token be c -c - acb-af - a ccca cid c ffed c- - c -b f- c d a cnx cmd push function cnx playerId bc b - b- e d-b b - e mediaId f -e c- - c - c f render bb ff f f c f bf b function renderError playerApi if renderError playerApi typeof playerApi getSize function var size playerApi getSize var captionElements document querySelectorAll connatix video caption var captionElementsArray captionElements captionElementsArray forEach el if el size el style width size width px el style display block Grappling with your clients is not only allowed it s the point at this business This story is part of WTOP s Small Business September coverage Each week WTOP will be highlighting small businesses across the D C region along with financial regime and other organizations that help our small business region thrive A day at the office for these folks means rolling around on the mat and even choking their coworkers and clients In this Small Business September installment presented by EagleBank WTOP s visited a martial arts school that also serves as a safe space for a more politically ongoing group Highstyle Jiu Jitsu is easy to find in an alley off Ninth Street in the Shaw neighborhood of D C with its colorful hyena mural surrounding the front door We just used to be cackling a lot we d have a lot of fun And so specific folks would just call us the hyena clan disclosed founder and instructor Benjamin Lagos Lagos reported the focus of his gym is a place where people can feel unintimidated and unharnessed when they practice martial arts He described the macho element in the jiu-jitsu tradition these days and declared the sport has been very male driven So numerous people I think are for whatever reason hesitant to jump in Lagos announced We like to be here to provide a space for folks who don t feel safe training in gyms They teach Muay Thai but specialize in Brazilian jiu-jitsu including all its techniques from arm bars to rear naked chokes Lagos compared starting Brazilian jiu-jitsu with learning a new language of body positions passes and guards Small Business September I make my move Kids learn enjoy chess after school We can go everywhere without going anywhere One Maryland production studio offers Hollywood magic This Nepalese restaurant in Arlington serves up yak and goat intestines to diners delight Eventually you find yourself you find your voice he noted And everybody s got their style and so it s really rewarding just kind of training with people over time and years and building that relationship Jiu-jitsu also provides plenty of wellbeing benefits both physical and mental as well as self-defense training It also builds plenty of other life skills outside the gym The confidence that you build You learn how to matter solve So these are lessons that apply off the mats as well Lagos described WTOP This is a combat sport so you re bound to run into conflict on the mat and working that conflict out talking it out coming to an agreement with people and respecting folks boundaries Lagos opened Highstyle Jiu Jitsu in before the pandemic and trained at various spots before they identified their final location I didn t want our space to kind of just go back to business as usual he communicated WTOP Because it wasn t just the pandemic it was also George Floyd There was a lot of stuff going on in the country that is still going on and so I think it s only picked up from there Just how much more political we ve gotten as a club Lagos disclosed they are dedicated to multiple political and social justice causes Earlier this year the business hosted a training seminar that raised money to send aid to Gaza I couldn t run a business that was apolitical Lagos reported Numerous of our members are involved in organizing throughout the city We made an effort to make sure that that s our focus Lagos also emphasized that they keep certain law enforcement off the mats that should be very welcoming for others They even host a queer fight club run by MMA fighter Sabrina Brown It s been a nice thing for everyone who enjoys it They get certain self-defense training specific socializing Brown narrated WTOP It acts as a nice escape to selected people It ll give you something else to focus on Source