Lawrence Jones III

Lawrence Jones III grew up in Garland, Texas, where an active lifestyle shaped his early years. Basketball served as his primary sport, instilling the physical discipline and competitive drive that would define his approach to training long after youth. Alongside basketball, Jones was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a child — an early encounter with grappling that planted a seed he would eventually return to with full commitment as an adult.

Jones built a prominent career in broadcast journalism as a co-host on Fox & Friends. At 30, he became the youngest Black co-host in cable news history, placing him among the most visible media personalities in the United States. The discipline forged through years of athletic pursuit carried forward into his professional identity, even as the demands of a high-profile media career temporarily pulled him away from structured physical training.

The years Jones spent working in Washington, DC marked a period of gradual drift rather than growth. The professional rhythms of the capital — frequent happy hours, back-to-back meetings, and an unrelenting pace — steadily eroded the work-life balance he had once maintained. Over a two- to three-year span, his metabolism slowed and he gained approximately 70 lbs (31.75 kg), a shift he has acknowledged openly as the consequence of a lifestyle that moved away from structured physical activity.

The reset came with his relocation to New York. Around the age of 25 or 26, Jones overhauled his approach to health through deliberate, systematic habits. Every Sunday became a meal prep session. His mornings began at 4:35 a.m. for gym work — a commitment made more striking given that his Fox News workday was already underway around 3:30 a.m. as of early 2026. Through consistent meal preparation and daily early-morning training, Jones shed the 70 lbs in 10 weeks. The physical transformation was not an end in itself but a foundation — one that made his full return to Brazilian jiu-jitsu possible.

Jones's return to Brazilian jiu-jitsu as an adult took shape within a deliberate and structured environment at SD Jiu-Jitsu NYC. There, he trains under Silvio Duran, an IBJJF competitor and 2025 World Master Champion. He also receives guidance from Vedha Toscano, Duran's wife and a former world champion, whose technical expertise adds another layer to his development on the mat.

When Jones resumed training, his instructors made a significant pedagogical decision: rather than building on his childhood BJJ exposure, they had him start entirely from scratch. Every movement pattern and foundational concept was relearned from the ground up, with earlier training set aside rather than incorporated. Jones has credited this approach as one of the most beneficial aspects of his development, allowing him to build clean technical habits free from the interference of partially formed patterns absorbed in youth.

As of March 2026, Jones trains four times per week, splitting sessions between private lessons and group classes. Private training delivers targeted technical correction, while group classes provide the live sparring essential to genuine competitive growth. In late November 2025, Jones received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt — a formal recognition of the commitment and consistent progress he has invested since returning to the art.

The Mat as a Great Equalizer

For Jones, Brazilian jiu-jitsu represents far more than a fitness pursuit. He views it as the optimal outlet for his energy — a practice that holds both a combative dimension and a deep respect for body mechanics and training partners. He has described BJJ plainly as "the best thing I ever did," a statement that reflects not just physical benefit but a broader shift in how he structures his time and priorities.

Jones is equally vocal about the social and mental environment the mat creates. Professional titles and political identities are left at the door when training begins. People from widely different backgrounds step onto the mat and engage on equal terms, making the gym what he calls a "great equalizer." This dimension of jiu-jitsu — its capacity to dissolve social hierarchies through shared physical challenge — carries particular meaning given the high-profile public world he otherwise inhabits.

Recovery and Physical Maintenance

Recovery forms an intentional part of Jones's training regimen. He alternates cold plunges with heat-based modalities such as saunas and steam rooms, treating physical maintenance as an integral complement to the demands he places on his body. His advocacy for a holistic approach to care mirrors the same discipline he applies to early-morning training sessions and weekly meal preparation.

Working Dogs and the Discipline of Training

Outside the gym, Jones channels a similar commitment to structured activity through the training of working dogs. He works with Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds, and Dutch Shepherds — breeds renowned for their intelligence, drive, and the rigorous conditioning they demand. He owns a Belgian Malinois, a breed that reflects his affinity for high-performance animals. The parallel between working-dog training and jiu-jitsu is not incidental: both demand patience, consistency, and a clear understanding of how physical and mental conditioning interact to produce results.