Bjørn Aris QUOTES

Bjørn Aris, born in 1965 in the Netherlands, is a distinguished instructor of Iaido—the art of Japanese Samurai swordsmanship—and has dedicated over 35 years to the study of Eastern martial arts and Zen philosophy. He began his martial arts journey at the age of 16 with Jiu Jitsu and later excelled in Iaido, ranking among the top three in Europe in his class.

Prior to fully immersing himself in Eastern practices, Aris spent 12 years in the finance sector as an investment banker and achieved success as an entrepreneur. In 2000, he transitioned to focus on integrating Eastern wisdom with Western business practices. This led to the development of the "Mental Bridging©" training program in 2004, designed to enhance learning effectiveness and facilitate behavioral change by connecting theory with physical movement. This method has been scientifically validated through studies in 2007 and 2012, receiving an innovation award from the Royal Dutch Military Police.

As a trainer and coach, Aris has inspired over ten thousand leaders and employees across more than 60 countries. His approach combines Eastern philosophies with Western science to improve workplace efficiency and personal well-being, fostering stress-free and positive work environments.

Aris is also an author, having published "De Zon komt op in het Oosten" in 2011 and "The Cutting Edge - The Martial Art of Business" in 2012. These works explore the application of Eastern philosophies and martial arts principles to achieve success in the modern business world.

In 2015, he shared his insights on the power of the sword and living in the present moment during a TEDx talk.