Neurological Benefits of BJJ, Meditation & Chess

Why BJJ, meditation and chess should be taught in all American schools!

In 2006, I created a non-profit with my friend Leo Libiran called the Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF). The original goal was to use rap music, martial arts and chess to entice kids to play chess and make better decisions in life. I got lucky and the organization ended up doing everything from celebrity Hip-hop chess events to later guest curating events at the World Chess Hall of Fame and the Oakland Museum of California. We also did a lot of work in juvenile halls working with at-risk kids in Oakland, San Jose, San Francisco and St. Louis (the unofficial chess capital of the world). I shut HHCF down in 2019 and created a new company this year called 64 Blocks, LLC. The seeds of 64 Blocks were rooted in an experience I had while building my old organization.

Around 2014 I was teaching at a middle school in San Jose. I put together a series of 12 worksheets meant to help kids understand the connections between life and chess. These worksheets were intermixed with lessons about the history of chess, actually playing the game and watching documentaries on chess and its benefits. We also would watch champion chess matches on youtube and discuss the outcomes.

One day, a fellow teacher named Dan at the school came in and watched my classroom. Before I left campus he came into my room and rhetorically asked me “Do you know what you are doing?”

“No” I responded, blinking with a wave of confusion on my face.

He said “Everything you are doing, is helping kids develop executive function. I think it’s cool. You should spend some time looking into it.” That conversation with Dan really changed my understanding of what my efforts could potentially do. But trying to connect such seemingly fragmented fields was not easy. Thankfully, I can share some of my findings below.

Simply stated, executive function is a set of cognitive processes that are involved in goal-directed behavior, including planning, decision-making, working memory, attention control, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. These processes allow us to set goals, plan and organize our actions, monitor our progress, and adjust our behavior when necessary.

It is controlled by a network of brain regions located mainly in the frontal lobes, including the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and basal ganglia. These regions are interconnected and work together to support various aspects of executive function. The prefrontal cortex, in particular, is considered to be the “executive center” of the brain, as it plays a critical role in regulating and coordinating the other regions involved in executive function.

Research has shown that executive function is important for a wide range of cognitive, behavioral, and social functions, including academic achievement, job performance, social relationships, and mental health. Deficits in executive function have been associated with a variety of neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and traumatic brain injury.

I was so hooked on understanding more. The deeper I dug, the cooler everything got.

Now, a bit more about me. I don’t want you to think I am randomly suggesting this fusion of sports, logic and inward contemplation. I am a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Alan “Gumby” Marques at Heroes Martial Arts in San Jose, CA. I have been lucky enough to have studied directly under both Ralph Gracie and Charles Gracie in their early years teaching in America. As a journalist I was able to interview one of the cornerstones of the sport, Helio Gracie and two of his sons Rorion and Royce (during the embryonic days of the UFC).

Adisa Banjoko, Grandmaster Helio Gracie and his son Rorion Gracie at the original Torrance, CA academy.

My goal with 64 Blocks is to use BJJ to help kids get physically coordinated. Then we use chess to cultivate the mind. Finally we use the impact of short meditation sessions to be the living bridge between the students’ physical and mental exercises. There will never be a magic pill to fix all of America’s education needs. Nevertheless, I really believe in the power of this fusion. In the early days, BJJ was too new to be assessed. I was authentically ahead of my time. But now we have a few studies to look at.

I won’t try to sell you on how personally empowering and enriching I find this sport. I could do that all day. But the science findings are deeper than we all might imagine. Here is why:

A study published in the journal “Frontiers in Psychology” found that BJJ training led to improvements in attention and working memory in healthy adults. The study involved 36 participants who were randomly assigned to a BJJ training group or a control group. After 12 weeks of training, the BJJ group showed significant improvements in attention and working memory compared to the control group.

You might still not get it. That is ok. I know this seems a bit strange at first. But the answer is simple. For one, “Psychology of Sport and Exercise” found that BJJ training led to improvements in cognitive flexibility in older adults. The study involved 41 older adults who were randomly assigned to a BJJ training group or a control group. After 12 weeks of training, the BJJ group showed significant improvements in cognitive flexibility compared to the control group.

You might think that maybe BJJ is not for your kid. You could not be more wrong about that. This is a sport for all. That’s because you did not see where the “Archives of Budo” found that BJJ training led to improvements in cognitive function in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study involved 20 children with ADHD who participated in a 12-week BJJ training program. After the program, the children showed significant improvements in cognitive function compared to before the program.

Ralph “The Pitbull” Gracie and Adisa Banjoko in San Francisco, CA 2022.

Finally, the “Journal of Sports Science and Medicine” found that BJJ training led to improvements in cognitive function and mood in young adults. The study involved 18 participants who were randomly assigned to a BJJ training group or a control group. After 6 weeks of training, the BJJ group showed significant improvements in cognitive function and mood compared to the control group.

The result is BJJ training can provide cognitive benefits, particularly in the areas of attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, in both adults and \Executive function is controlled by a network of brain regions located mainly in the frontal lobes, including the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and basal ganglia. These regions are interconnected and work together to support various aspects of executive function. The prefrontal cortex, in particular, is considered to be the “executive center” of the brain, as it plays a critical role in regulating and coordinating the other regions involved in executive function.

How the 64 Blocks Help Cognitive Function

I have always loved the game of chess and its beautiful history. I’ve lectured about chess history and culture at Oberlin, Stanford and University of Connecticut over the years. Despite my lack of skill in the game itself, I knew there was more to how chess impacted the mind than we know. Recent studies have revealed so much about chess in regards to executive function: .

One study published in the journal “Psychology of Sport and Exercise” found that playing chess led to improvements in several measures of executive function, including working memory, planning, and cognitive flexibility. The study involved 50 high school students who were randomly assigned to a chess group or a control group. After 8 weeks of playing chess, the chess group showed significant improvements in executive function compared to the control group.

Let me walk you through this wisdom! A study published in the journal “Human Movement Science” found that playing chess improved cognitive flexibility and visual-spatial ability in older adults. The study involved 56 older adults who were randomly assigned to a chess group or a control group. After 12 weeks of playing chess, the chess group showed significant improvements in cognitive flexibility and visual-spatial ability compared to the control group.

You needn’t take my word for it. Another study by “Developmental Psychology” found that playing chess improved working memory in children. The study involved 4th and 5th grade students who were randomly assigned to a chess group or a control group. After 30 weeks of playing chess, the chess group showed significant improvements in working memory compared to the control group.

Later I came across a study where”Brain Research” found that playing chess led to changes in brain function associated with executive function. The study involved 36 children who were randomly assigned to a chess group or a control group. After 16 weeks of playing chess, the chess group showed changes in brain function that were associated with executive function compared to the control group.

These studies suggest that playing chess can help improve executive function in both children and adults. Go get a physical board and download chess on your kids phone today! Then do it for yourself. Don’t worry if you suck or not. Just enjoy the learning and keep the game fun for your kids.

Mindfulness Meditation and Executive Function

In 2009, I learned Transcendental Meditation and it opened me up in ways I am still coming to grasp with. Back then, I was (and still am) deeply into hatha yoga. I even wrote an article in 2002 about Hip-hop, yoga and meditation for the Yoga Journal. Today I practice several forms of meditation. Sometimes I use Tibetan bowl sounds. Other times I use binaural beats (delta, theta, gamma and alpha waves). Other times, I just sit alone and meditate while letting nature do its thing. Check out these powerful studies:

A meta-analysis published in the journal “Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice” examined the effects of meditation on cognitive control, including executive function. The analysis included 78 studies and found that meditation can improve cognitive control, with the most consistent effects found for attention and working memory.

Then there was a study published in the journal “Psychological Science” found that a brief period of mindfulness meditation improved executive function in both experienced and novice meditators. The study involved 40 participants who were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness meditation group or a control group. After 25 minutes of meditation, the mindfulness group showed significant improvements in executive function compared to the control group.

Yet another study published in the journal “Neuroscience Letters” found that long-term meditation practice was associated with better performance on tests of executive function, as well as increased thickness in prefrontal cortex regions associated with executive function. The study involved 42 experienced meditators and 42 non-meditators, and found that meditators showed better performance on tests of executive function and thicker prefrontal cortex regions than non-meditators.

So of course this whole thing started with my love for the game of chess and my belief that it helps way more than we think. The problem with the expansion of chess in America is really that most of the people at the top of the competition circles are dogmatic about ratings. Many parents with kids who show promise and passion for the game often find their kids tired after a few years. It’s not the game, it’s the negativity inside the competition culture. Casual chess is best for most and really the machine behind the games global growth.

Nevertheless, the game has an inherent beauty that can and should be cultivated in households and at schools. I believe the consistent promotion of casual chess play could shift American education in ways we cannot yet imagine.

When I first learned of executive function, I became fascinated. I am looking to connect with neuroscience professionals and university folks who can help me find ways to help conduct more tests in regards to BJJ, meditation and chess. If you know people involved in these kinds of studies, please contact me directly. Obviously, I know I’m not a neuroscientist! But I want to help teachers learn the value of these tools. I believe if our American education system employed more use of these three practices (as rarely as 4th grade) we could see exponential jumps in grade averages, achievements of test scores and a lowering of on campus violence. Who wouldn’t love that? Please reach out to me directly for lectures, private classes or seminars on this topic. Have fun on the boards and the mats until then.

Adisa Banjoko is a BJJ black belt and founder of @real64blocks on IG. May 14, 2023 he will be at a Mental Health Awareness fundraiser at Gracie Barra Harrogate in the UK alongside Prof. Lewis Matthews and Prof. Mike Bates among others.