While going through some difficult times, Jordan Bowles — the owner of Drain Savers in Grand Forks, North Dakota — was searching for something that could restore some balance to his life. The young entrepreneur found just what he was looking for in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a form of martial arts designed to give smaller people a fighting chance.

The practice has been an asset for Bowles, who says he’s about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 155 pounds, as well as his small business. Embracing jiu-jitsu principles helps him compete without fear against larger companies and tackle tough jobs with confidence, he says.

“It’s definitely been instrumental to my success,” Bowles says. “I never thought it would be applicable to running a business, but it has become a huge part of me and how I handle my life, both personally and professionally.”

Jiu-jitsu taught Bowles valuable skills that serve him well every day, such as discipline, dedication, patience and staying calm, especially during high-stress situations.

“They call jiu-jitsu the gentle art,” he says. “It’s designed to give little guys a fighting chance. It’s not about brute force, it’s about technique and leverage — and developing a champion’s attitude. And if you develop a champion’s attitude, you can face any situation. Jiu-jitsu teaches you to handle stressful situations by breathing and relaxing, which allows you to think clearly. I frequently find myself in tough situations, but I just step back, take a deep breath and figure out my course of action.”

Bowles started studying Brazilian jiu-jitsu when he was 20 years old. He says he’d always been interested in trying martial arts. He first tried taekwondo, but didn’t like it. Then he switched to jiu-jitsu.

“I loved it more than I ever thought I would,” he says.

Unfortunately, Bowles says he hasn’t had time to practice much jiu-jitsu since he started his business in 2019.

“I haven’t had a day off in two years and I’m on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” he says. “So it’s hard to find mat time.”

Nonetheless, jiu-jitsu still informs much of what Bowles does every day, he says, especially in terms of attitude — maintaining a more philosophical and spiritual view of work and life. 

“My goal is to learn something new from every experience and get 1% better every day. Then after a year, you’re four times better,” he says. “We all should strive for that — just get a little better every day.”

Read more about Drain Savers in the February 2022 issue of Cleaner magazine.