At the 2026 Women in Aviation International (WAI) conference in Dallas, nearly 5,500 people attended, including representatives from 28 countries. My attendance at the conference taught me that although I was different, I found people who understood me, and I discovered that I belong. I learned that my differences are useful. I felt that I can be myself here, I can contribute, I can disagree, I can learn, and I will still be regarded as one of us. Female aviation professionals join WAI for a mix...
Jiu-Jitsu may offer some unusually good lessons for private and business aviation, because both involve performance under pressure, discipline, preparation, humility, and making good decisions when circumstances do not go according to plan.In Jiu-Jitsu, technique beats brute force. In business aviation, discipline beats extravagance. Strength is useful. Discipline is better. Technique is best. Jiu-Jitsu teaches a deceptively simple lesson: you do not win by being the strongest person in the room...
Aarti Baran is a former Japanese Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, international elite athlete and self-defense instructor with more than 20 years of teaching experience. She combines lessons from high-level sport with her professional experience in law and governance. She believes the principles learned on the mat—discipline, preparation, positioning, resilience and control under pressure—have applications far beyond sport.
