A Day in the Life of a Female Black Belt and Co-Owner of Leverage Jiu Jitsu Colorado: Fabiana Jorge
The Slow Morning
The day starts with making the bed while my dog, Belle, continues to hit the snooze button.
I open the curtains and get ready to take her on a “sniffari.” Belle gets her sniffs in, and I get some steps in while I slow my thoughts down before the day really begins.
When we get back, Belle puts her toys from the day before back into her toy basket. Yes, she actually does this. Yes, it’s adorable.
After she gets her breakfast, I get mine. And of course, my cappuccino awaits. I have a little coffee station at home, and playing barista has become one of those small parts of my day that helps me stay present.
The Home Office
My office is full of plants. Like, a lot of plants. It’s my favorite place to be in the morning: breakfast and coffee on a tray, quiet, green, cozy. This is where I handle the business side of the gym, study jiu jitsu, and write out lesson plans.
On the Mats
Then it’s time to teach, train, eat, and lift — usually in some combination of all four, depending on the day.
Teaching is the part I was built for. There’s something about watching someone understand a concept for the first time, or finally hit a technique they’ve been drilling for weeks, that never gets old.
Lifting: The Thing That Keeps Me Together
Lifting is non-negotiable for me at this point — not just for the physical side, but for everything else it does.
It’s helped keep my body healthy in a sport that can be hard on it. I’ve dealt with hip injuries in both hips for a long time, and I’m trying to delay surgery for as long as I can.
Years of jiu jitsu can catch up with you, especially as a smaller grappler, so I’ve had to be intentional about protecting my body.
A good massage therapist helps too. So does getting better at knowing when to rest. That one took me a long time to fully accept. Some days, I still feel pressured to train when I know my hips, or whatever nagging injury is speaking up that day, are begging for rest.
I want to keep doing this for as long as I can, so I’ve had to get better at taking care of myself.
If there’s time after lifting, I’ll sneak in a sauna session before heading back in to teach again. My body thanks me for it.
But the mental health piece is just as important.
Lifting gets me out of my head. Even when I’m rolling, my brain is sometimes still running — thinking about what I should have done, what’s coming next, what my students need, or whether someone is watching. Lifting forces me to be present. Otherwise, I may just end up tweaking my back trying to do split squats. It’s happened. Not a proud moment.
My slow mornings are part of that too. Between the sniffari, the coffee, and the plants, I’ve built a morning that protects my mental space before the day takes over.
Then it’s one more walk with Belle and back on the mats for evening class. In case you’re wondering, Belle comes to the gym on front desk duty.
This is the life I’ve built around jiu jitsu.
And I wouldn’t be here today without the support of my partner and co-owner, our students, and our coaches.
If you enjoyed this little glimpse into who’s behind the gym, come find us.
Fabiana Jorge is a female black belt and co-owner of Leverage Jiu Jitsu Colorado, located in Louisville, CO, serving students from Boulder, Lafayette, Superior, and the surrounding area.
