Conversations with Erika Aeschliman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Aeschliman.

Hi Erika, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I didn’t grow up expecting to build a martial arts academy, but I’ve always been drawn to teaching and to helping people grow. My journey started in fitness when I was sixteen, assisting at a YMCA boot camp. That experience lit something in me, the belief that transformation happens when someone feels supported, challenged, and seen. Years later, when I found Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, everything I learned about coaching, discipline, and human connection came together. Jiu Jitsu became my anchor, my craft, and ultimately my calling.

As a woman in a male-dominated field, carving out my place wasn’t always easy. There were doubts, comments, expectations, and invisible ceilings, but there was also a fire in me to create something of my own. Something that reflects my values, my lineage, and my belief that fighting, in all its forms, is a work of art. We all fight for growth, for confidence, for peace, for identity. And that fight is something I carry deeply and try to express through the academy I’ve built.
That is the heart behind FightWorks. I am currently navigating a rebrand and to me it’s so much more than a new name, it’s a statement. It represents the belief that the fight itself is beautiful. The process is beautiful. And the people who step onto our mats are artists in their own way, shaping their character through every struggle, repetition, win, and setback.
There are many jiu jitsu academies out there. Some are skilled, but cold. Some focus only on medals or technique and forget that martial arts were never meant to disconnect us from our humanity. What matters most to me and what will always be our north star is how our students show up in the world.

Of course I want my students, adults and kids, to become incredible athletes. I want them to have high-level skill and confidence in their bodies. But what I care about even more is who they become in the process. I want adults to leave class feeling more capable as they navigate their lives outside the academy. And I want kids to grow up to be leaders, not just competitors with tunnel vision, but well-rounded humans with compassion, discipline, courage, and integrity.
One day these kids will have careers, families, challenges, and dreams of their own. My hope is that what they learn inside FightWorks becomes part of the foundation they stand on as adults. That the lessons of resilience, teamwork, humility, creativity, and perseverance stay with them long after they outgrow their gis.

That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’ve fought for this vision. And that’s why I’m so proud of what this community represents. We are building something bigger than a gym, we’re building a place where growth is expected, artistry is celebrated, and every person who walks through our doors learns to fight for the best version of themselves, on and off the mat.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. There are obstacles all the time, they don’t end. Nothing meaningful in my life has ever come from a smooth, predictable path. Building myself as an athlete coming up through the ranks, learning business, studying, starting an academy, leading a community, guiding a staff, communicating a vision, and making my mark in this field has required a tremendous amount of courage, self-belief, and resilience.
One of the biggest struggles has been learning to trust myself even when everything around me felt uncertain. There were so many late-night battles with imposter syndrome and doubt. When you step into entrepreneurship, there is no blueprint. I had to learn and I’m still learning every single part of the business: curriculum, operations, finances, marketing, sales, leadership, conflict management, team building, all of it. And there were days I questioned whether I was capable or strong enough to carry that weight.

Another challenge has been maintaining the heart and warmth of this academy while scaling it. There is so much noise in the martial arts industry, so many gyms chasing medals, numbers, or quick growth. I had to fight against the pressure to conform to what others were doing and stay committed to what I believe in: creating a space where people feel seen, supported, and pushed to grow not just as athletes, but as humans.
There were personal struggles too. Long nights where I felt overwhelmed. Times I poured into everyone else and forgot to take care of myself. Forgetting to eat, getting sick, burning out. Moments where I had to make hard decisions about partnerships, personal relationships, staffing, and the direction of the brand. Times where the imposter syndrome was louder than anything else.

There were times I had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, to earn respect, and to stand confidently in rooms where I was often the only woman. But I try to view every obstacle as a tool something that sharpens me. Every setback, every failure, as long as I keep working through it, becomes a lesson. Every doubt pushes me to prove to myself that I belong here.

The truth is, nothing about this road has been smooth. But every painful, messy, uncertain moment has become part of the foundation of FightWorks. Those struggles shaped our culture. They’re why our academy is warm, human, and focused on growth over ego.

I’m proud of the hard parts. They taught me to fight with intention, to lead with empathy, and to build something meaningful that will last and eventually scale into something unstoppable. I know challenges will surface again and again, but I’ve learned they’re all figure-out-able. They’re part of the process.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is rooted in people. On the surface, I run a martial arts academy, but what I really do is teach growth, leadership, confidence, and resilience through Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, and fitness. I specialize in creating structured, high-level programs for both kids and adults but more importantly, I build environments where people feel capable, supported, and pushed to become stronger versions of themselves.
I’m known for two things:

(1) My coaching style — high standards, hard coaching, delivered with a warm, human-centered approach.
(2) The culture we’ve built — a community that feels like family but trains like professionals.

What I’m most proud of is the environment inside my academy. FightWorks isn’t just a place to learn martial arts; it’s a place where people reconnect with themselves. Adults walk in carrying the pressure of work, parenting, stress, or life transitions… and they leave class standing taller. Kids come in shy, unsure, or lacking confidence… and they grow into leaders. Watching that transformation on and off the mat is the most fulfilling part of what I do.

What truly sets me apart is that I don’t chase medals or ego. I chase growth.
Yes, we have high-level curriculum, systems, and structure. Yes, we strive for technical excellence. But our core value is who our students become in the process. I want adults to feel more capable outside the academy more decisive, grounded, and confident in their everyday lives. And I want our kids to grow up not just as great athletes, but as great humans: empathetic, disciplined, resilient, courageous, open-minded, helpful, and kind.

Many academies train tough, but they forget about the human side of training. They lose touch with the emotional, artistic, expressive part of martial arts. I’ve worked with kids for 13 years, and I teach them to fight hard and focus on skill and have respect as a competitor but also to look for the “gift” every competition gives them. Every match offers something that will make them better. As long as they bring that gift back to the academy and face it, they will grow. The gold medals come, they perform beautifully but the lessons outside the medals are what I’m really looking for. Everything we do is an expression of that philosophy.

I’m also proud of the systems I’ve built. I write our curriculum, develop our kids’ leadership pathways, train our coaches to become leaders themselves, and design programs that will eventually scale into multiple locations. This is an academy where the professionalism of a big organization meets the warmth of a small family gym. That balance is rare and it’s intentional.

Ultimately, my work is about impact.
Impact on individuals, impact on families, and impact on the next generation. I’m building something that I hope will outlast me, a community that teaches people how to fight for themselves, their dreams, and their lives long after they leave the mat.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Simple. Never pursue money, pursue excellence and money will pursue you.

Pricing:

• Kids Jiu Jitsu $175/mo unlimited training
• Kids Muay Thai $150/mo unlimited training
• Adult Single Sport $190/mo unlimited training
• Dual Sport / fitness $265/mo unlimited training
• Family plan options starting at $300 a month

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fightworkshq.com/
• Instagram: fightworkshq_

Image Credits
All Photography is done by Arturo Morales. Instagram: @artvizualz.