Meet Leslie Gardineer | Jiu Jitsu Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leslie Gardineer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leslie, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind the success of De Boa Jiu Jitsu is our focus on people, not just technique. From the beginning, our goal has been to help people build better lives—on and off the mats. Jiu Jitsu teaches discipline, humility, respect, and perseverance, and those qualities carry over into everyday life. When you help someone grow into a more confident, resilient, and kind human being, the success of the brand naturally follows. De Boa has always been about community, growth, and helping each other become better humans.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is Jiu Jitsu!
Jiu Jitsu is exciting because it challenges you mentally and physically every day. It’s like solving problems in real time, and there’s always something new to learn, which keeps people motivated and engaged.

One of the things I love most is it is life-changing! It teaches beyond the mats—discipline, confidence, humility, and resilience. You learn how to stay calm under pressure, work through frustration, and keep showing up even when things are hard. Those lessons carry into everyday life.

We were very blessed to achieve success in running a Jiu Jitsu academy pretty quickly. We were packed the moment we opened the door and have had to expand 3 times since opening just over 10 years ago.

Over time, we’ve realized that what we truly want out of Jiu Jitsu isn’t gold medals. Of course, winning is great, but what brings us the most satisfaction is seeing what Jiu Jitsu does in people’s lives.

We do believe competition is an important part of the process. We train hard, we have competition classes, and our students perform well. But the real change—and the real reward—comes from the journey: the preparation, pushing past limits, changing habits, and the personal growth that happens along the way.

Our brand is about changing lives, finding escape from daily stresses, being your best self and having a sense of belonging.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The city of Surprise is growing quickly. The new Prasada area is great. Great shops, restaurants, coffee. Everything you need for a nice dinner or a chill shopping day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think our shoutout needs to go to our students!
A huge part of the credit for De Boa’s success goes to our students. They aren’t just students—they’re friends, and they’re the ones who create the incredible vibe inside the academy and carry it outside into the community. Most of our growth has come through word of mouth, and that only happens because of the people who train here and believe in what we’re building. The welcoming environment and the great feeling you get the moment you walk through the door doesn’t come from a logo or a business plan—it comes from them.

Website: https://Www.deboabjj.com

Instagram: @deboabjj

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