 | |
| Also known as | AOJ |
|---|---|
| Date founded | 2012 [1] |
| Country of origin | US |
| Founder | Rafael and Guilherme Mendes |
| Arts taught | Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
| Practitioners | |
| Official website | artofjiujitsu |
Art of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy and team started in 2012 by black belt world champion brothers Rafael and Guilherme Mendes together with RVCA founder PM Tenore. [1]
The Art Of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ) academy was established in 2012 by Rafael and Guilherme Mendes, in collaboration with RVCA founder PM Tenore, originally as an affiliate of Atos Jiu-Jitsu. The academy is located in Costa Mesa, California. [2]
In 2015, the Mendes brothers started a training scholarship to provide select juvenile athletes full room and board, assistance with event registration and travel, and the opportunity to train with one of the world's top competitive teams. [3] The first two athletes to be recruited were Caio Antonini and Johnatha Alves, chosen out of 1,000 applicants. Recipients of the scholarship later included Tainan Dalpra. [4]
In 2015 and 2016 the Mendes brothers retired from their competitive careers, after winning 10 world titles between them, to focus on their academy. [5]
The academy became known for its strong children's program, among their first students were twin brothers Tye and Kade Ruotolo who trained at AOJ between the age of 10 and 14, before transferring to Atos’ adult program in 2017. [6]
During the 2020 IBJJF European Championship taking place in January, AOJ athletes started competing under "Art of Jiu Jitsu", instead of Atos; [7] the following month, AOJ officially split from Atos becoming its own affiliation. [8] The same year, the brothers promoted the first black belts from the kid's program, Jessa Khan and Tainan Dalpra who started at AOJ through the Believe & Achieve program. [9]
As a black belt, Dalpra won the 2021 IBJJF World Championship. [10] The following year, Dalpra and Thalison Soares won the 2022 World Championship representing AOJ. [11] The AOJ men's team came fourth at the 2022 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. [12]
In April 2023, the Mendes brothers announced that they would be opening a second Art of Jiu Jitsu location. [13] AOJ Mission Viejo, the brand's second location opened its doors on March 11, 2024.
At the 2023 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship AOJ had six black belt finalists, four of whom won gold, all of them issued of a single academy. [14] AOJ won 'Gym of the Year' at the JitsMagazine BJJ Awards in 2023 [15]
A list of current and former members: [16]
Rafael Mendes Godoy is a six-time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) world champion at the black belt level. Rafael, along with his brother Guilherme, are 3rd degree black belts under Ramon Lemos and founders of the academy Art of Jiu-Jitsu.
Guilherme Mendes Godoy is a four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) world champion at the black belt level. Guilherme along with his brother Rafael Mendes are 3rd degree black belts under Ramon Lemos, and competitors for the Art of Jiu Jitsu team.
Nicholas Meregali is a Brazilian submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor. A multiple time world, Pan, European and Brazilian champion at colored belts, Meregali is a 3x IBJJF black belt World Champion and a 2x ADCC World medallist.
Jessamine Jada Khan, often shortened as Jessa Khan, is an American-born Cambodian jiu-jitsu athlete. She is the 2023 IBJJF World Champion.
Michael Musumeci Jr. is an American submission grappler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor.
Ffion Davies is a Welsh submission grappler, mixed martial artist and a world-champion Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) competitor. She is a multiple winner of the IBJJF World Championship, including the no-gi championship in 2023 in both the 61 kg and absolute divisions.
Margot Ciccarelli is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor and coach.
Bianca Barbosa Basílio also known as Bia Basílio is a submission grappler, mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) black belt athlete.
The 2021 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship or World 2021 IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship was an international jiu-jitsu event organised by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJFF) and held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, from 9-12 December 2021. This 25th edition of the most prestigious Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament was the first one to take place following the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 season, it saw the emergence of a brand new generation of world champions.
Tainan Dalpra Costa is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt competitor. A winner of every major tournaments as a colored belt, Dalpra is a two-time World, Pan American, and European champion. Dalpra is ranked No. 1 in the middleweight 2022-2023 IBJJF Gi Ranking.
Micael Ferreira Galvão, commonly known as Mica Galvão, is a submission grappler, Luta Livre and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor from the Brazilian state of Amazonas. A highly decorated athlete competing since childhood, Galvão was promoted to black belt in 2021, at the age of 17, less than three years after reaching blue belt. In 2022 Galvão won the 2022 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship before testing positive for a banned substance, was stripped of said title and received a one-year suspension ban.
Tammi Musumeci is an American submission grappler and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor. A multiple times world champion in colored belts, Musumeci is a black belt world champion, a five-time No-Gi world champion and a two-time Pan American champion.
Kade Ruotolo is an American submission grappler and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete. A competitor with his twin brother Tye since the age of 3, Ruotolo is a IBJJF World champion, Pan Am and European Open champion at every coloured belt level. Promoted to black belt in December 2021, Ruotolo won the 2022 ADCC World Championship in the 77 kg division, becoming at age 19 the youngest-ever ADCC Submission Fighting World champion. Ruotolo is signed to ONE Championship where he is the current lightweight submission grappling champion.
Amy Campo is an American submission grappler, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt athlete.
Osamah Ali Almarwai is a Yemeni submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt competitor.
Atos Jiu-Jitsu is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy and competition team started in 2008 by Ramon Lemos and Andre Galvão and headquartered in San Diego, California since 2010.
Tye Ruotolo is an American submission grappler and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete. A competitor with his twin brother Kade since the age of 3, Ruotolo is currently the youngest IBJJF World champion at black belt level in the history of the sport. At the 2019 ADCC World Championship, Ruotolo as a 16-year-old was the youngest competitor to participate in the competition and also to reach the semi-finals where he eventually came fourth place. Following promotion to black belt in December 2021, Ruotolo became a two division Who's Number One (WNO) champion, world champion at the 2022 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and a bronze medalist at the 2022 ADCC World Championship.
Roberto Jimenez is an American-born Ecuadorian grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor.
Cole Abate is an American submission grappler, and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) athlete. A competitor since early child years with multiple juvenile titles, Abate won, as a 16-year-old blue belt, the 2021 ADCC East Coast Trials.
Jansen Gomes is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt athlete. Gomes is an IBJJF World Champion at every colored belt level and the middleweight black belt 2023 World Champion.
