# AOJ Mission Viejo > Mission Viejo, United States ## Overview **Name:** AOJ Mission Viejo **Description:** Art of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ) Academy is one of the world's most recognized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training centers, founded in July 2012 as a collaborative effort between the legendary Mendes Brothers (Rafael & Guilherme) and RVCA founder PM Tenore. AOJ has set the standard for how a Jiu Jitsu academy should operate, known both locally and around the world for its success in competition and for transforming lives through the art of Jiu Jitsu. The Mission Viejo location features two large mat areas, premium locker rooms for both men and women, more than 100 parking spots, an indoor cafe with guest lounge, and a private outdoor patio. The academy is conveniently located near the 73 and 405 freeways in the heart of South Orange County. Members have unlimited access to both the Mission Viejo and Costa Mesa locations, providing flexibility and world-class training at two state-of-the-art facilities. AOJ Academy classes are led by world-renowned instructors including Rafael Mendes (6x World Champion, 2x ADCC Champion, IBJJF & ADCC Hall of Fame), Gui Mendes (4x World Champion, IBJJF Hall of Fame, Head Professor), Tainan Dalpra (3x World Champion), Jessa Khan (World Champion), Cole Abate (multiple-time World Champion, youngest ADCC Trials winner), Zach Kaina (2024 NoGi World Champion), and Pablo Lavaselli (2x World Pro Champion). The academy's method consists of three interconnected components: Martial Arts Philosophy, Technical Study, and Application & Competition, creating an environment where world champions come together to maximize each student's potential. **Status:** Active ## Contact Information **Address:** 26971 Crown Valley Parkway Mission Viejo, CA 92691, United States **Phone:** (949) 662-5438 **Email:** missionviejo@artofjiujitsu.com **Website:** https://artofjiujitsu.com **Social Media:** - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofjiujitsu/ ## Hours of Operation - Monday: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM - Tuesday: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM - Wednesday: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM - Thursday: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM - Friday: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM - Saturday: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Sunday: Closed ## Pricing ## Instructors ### Guilherme Mendes - Black **Role:** Head Instructor **Bio:** Guilherme Mendes was born in 1988 in the town of Rio Claro. Guilherme started training together with his younger brother Rafael in 2001 through their cousin who soon understood the brothers had potential and enrolled them on a neighboring kids jiu-jitsu academy. There, the brothers met coaches Ramon Lemos and Leonardo Santos , though, by the time the Mendes reached their yellow belts, coach Leonardo moved to Rio de Janeiro leaving the gym on Ramon Lemos’ capable hands. Lemos quickly became a big influence for both of Guilherme and Rafael as their parents separated and their father became absent, for the most part. With time and a proficient grappling record in the colored belt ranks, the Mendes brothers name started to be asserted by the BJJ Media in Brazil, as the future of the sport. The Mendes’ success across all belt levels led to their “crowning” as jiu-jitsu black belts, a promotion that took place in October 2008. As their mentor Ramon changed teams throughout the years (first Nova Uniao , then a brief period in Brasa and the later Atos ), so did the Mendes Brothers. In 2012 Guilherme and his brother Rafael moved to the United States of America, settling there and opening their own gym in California, a top of the range facility which the Mendes brothers opened with the support of important sponsors such as RVCA. On May 19, 2015, Guilherme Mendes announced that he would be retiring from competitive Brazilian jiu-jitsu to concentrate on helping his students and setting a family. Guilherme held the world jiu-jitsu title in his weight division at the time, he was 26 years old at the time. Guilherme Mendes Highlight Guilherme Mendes vs Baret Yoshida Guilherme Mendes vs Sebastian Lali Guilherme Mendes vs Raoni Barcelos ### Rafael Mendes - Black **Role:** Head Instructor **Bio:** Rafael was born on the 20th of June, 1989 in Rio Claro, a city in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Rafael and Guilherme Mendes , his brother, started their jiu-jitsu training through an older cousin named Thiago Mendes, who was a purple belt under Leonardo Santos . After only a few months of training, cousin Thiago recognized the potential both Mendes had and took them to train at the academy headquarters with his coach, Santos. The team was led by both Leonardo and Ramon Lemos – the man who would later become Atos’ team leader. Being just 13 years old, but already incredibly gifted Rafael and his brother picked up all the techniques with amazing ease and started dedicating themselves to BJJ almost full time, training at least two times per day. It was also around this time that the Mendes’s parents split, leaving both brothers without a fatherly figure on a daily basis. Guilherme and Rafael have reported to the media on several occasions of how their coach Ramon Lemos filled most of that void, teaching them not only grappling but the moral values with which they built their characters. At the age of 17, having never competed in a no-gi (no-kimono) competition before, Ramon Lemos enrolled the purple belt Rafael in the ADCC Brazilian Trials, one of the hardest submission-wrestling events in the country. Rafael made it to the final of the trials losing in a hard match against Bruno Frazatto (who would later become his friend and teammate at Atos). Rafael was an amazing BJJ student winning all World Championships from blue belt all the way to brown in consecutive years, achieving the bronze medal in his first year as a black belt (2009) and winning his first world gold medal as a black belt in 2010. Ramon Lemos awarded Rafael his black belt in late 2008, the young Mendes did not shy away from the task at hand, and almost immediately started paving his road with success. Rafael won the Jiu-Jitsu World Pro Abu Dhabi Cup, one of the top competitions in the world, winning a gold medal also at the ADCC finals. After a truly remarkable career where he broke records and became widely recognized as the best grappler of his generation, Rafael Mendes chose to retire to focus on his family and his work as a coach at the Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Costa Mesa, California. Mendes was still in his mid-20s when he made that decision, having not reached his full physical maturity. The banner picture was taken by Ross Finlayson. Rafael Mendes vs Cobrinha Rafael Mendes vs Justin Rader Rafael Mendes vs Gustavo Falciroli Rafael Mendes Berimbolo Highlight by the Jiu Jitsu Lab Rafael Mendes Highlight ### Tainan Dalpra - Black **Role:** Head Instructor **Bio:** Tainan Dalpra was born on November 6, 2000, in Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Growing up, Tainan practiced a number of sports, from soccer to boxing, although the mats were his first and only true passion. Much of this love for sports came by way of his father, Deivid Soares, an avid sportsman who found an interest in jiu-jitsu when Dalpra was a toddler. Soares – who later became a black belt himself – would often bring Tainan to the dojo, to wait around while the adults practiced, and gradually introduced young Dalpra to the mats from the age of 5. From starting out at Everson Ávila’s academy, where he trained for 3 years with his father, Dalpra went on to represent the AS Academy under coach Carlos Dorado. As he started being successful in local tournaments, Dalpra’s competitive nature drove him to challenge those at the highest level of the sport, making his first big tournament-related trip to the United States in 2014 where he met Rafael and Guilherme Mendes of the AOJ academy. After training with the famous coaching duo and realizing the level of training available for him in California, the young Tainan Dalpra decided to move to Costa Mesa and train with the Mendes Brothers as a long-term arrangement. A decision that came to fruition in 2015. Tainan’s arrival to Costa Mesa matched the start of the Mendes Brothers, now famous, Believe And Achieve jiu-jitsu scholarship program, which focused on developing “diamonds in the rough” – young, highly talented athletes in need of a more structured development system. Dalpra was one of the first names out of the B&A workgroup to gain notoriety in jiu-jitsu’s international circuit. In October 2020, after an incredible colored belt career, Tainan Dalpra was promoted to black belt by his instructor, Guilherme Mendes, while standing on the podium of the IBJJF Pan American Championship. Tainan Dalpra vs Taylor Pearman 2020 ### Cole Abate - Black **Role:** Instructor **Bio:** Cole Abate was born on November 16, 2004, in Beaumont, Texas, USA, and grew up in San Antonio, TX. Drawn to athletic endeavors from a very young age, Abate started playing basketball and baseball at the age of 4. Already showing premature signs of competitiveness as a young child, Cole gradually became disheartened with team sports as his teammates did not share the same levels of focus and ambition for competition, displaying a more ludic approach towards these activities. At the age of 5, while exercising with his father, Jeremy, at a local fitness gym, the Abates were approached by another gymgoer who, after some small talk, spoke about jiu-jitsu. The gentleman was a purple belt at the time who trained at a local gym, and his enthusiasm for the sport drew Cole’s attention. After an invitation from this newfound friend, the young Texan decided to take a trial class. After his first jiu-jitsu class, Cole Abate was immediately drawn to the sport/martial art as was his father. The fact that it was challenging and he was not dependent on teammates to draw success from this activity was one of many favorable factors that led to his decision to leave basketball and baseball behind to focus on grappling. Under the guidance of coach Rodrigo Pinheiro , Cole quickly climbed through the belt ranks while competing regularly and winning some of the most important medals in the Teen, Junior, and Juvenile Divisions. Cole’s talent shone through to eventually calling for the attention of promoter Jeferson Maycá of the Copa Podio jiu-jitsu show. Maycá was developing an event (Orange League) destined to find the top junior talent in the world, gathering athletes from across the globe. At the time (2019), Abate revealed himself to a wider audience, particularly in Brazil, where the event took place (Manaus). These travels abroad also propelled Abate to learn Portuguese, a language he speaks fluently. At the age of 14, already seen by many as one of the hottest prospects in the junior jiu-jitsu world, Cole’s father asked him, “ If you could train anywhere in the world, where would it be? “* The young athlete replied “ with coaches Guilherme and Rafael Mendes “* at the Art Of Jiu-Jitsu academy. After the reply, Jeremy (father) and Chimele (mother) took Cole to AOJ in California as a present; the two loved the environment there and believed it to be a perfect fit for Cole to develop. By a stroke of luck, Abate senior had a work opportunity around this time that supported a move to Costa Mesa, so Cole’s dream came true in 2019. After years of repeated success in the colored belt divisions, on July 10, 2023, Cole Abate was promoted to the black belt rank by his instructor, Guilherme Mendes . * Taken from an interview with Jeremy Abate in August 2022. Cole Abate arrived at AOJ as a green belt, receiving his following promotions from Gui Mendes . COLE ABATE’S BJJ RANK PROMOTIONS: – November 11, 2019 (BLUE, 15YO) – December 2, 2021 (PURPLE, 17YO) – January 25, 2023 (BROWN, 18YO) – July 10, 2023 (BLACK, 18YO) NOTE REGARDING COLE ABATE’S RECORD Traditionally, BJJ Heroes has only accounted for black belt records as they signify an athlete’s entry into our sport’s elite ranks. Abate, however, is a special case as he had been competing in the pro-grappling circuit since his teenage years as a lower-ranked athlete. This has left BJJ Heroes with a delicate predicament of defining when to start accounting for the young prodigy’s match records. Considering the real challenge Cole offers to any big event he competes in, we have decided to add Abate’s matches at a pro level before him being ranked as a black belt, for historical purposes. Our readers should keep in mind that Cole was competing as an underage athlete up until July 2023. His black belt debut took place in Australia, at the Tough Roll event. ### Jessa Khan - Black **Role:** Instructor **Bio:** Jessa Khan was born on October 8, 2001, in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States of America. Although born in Texas, Khan’s childhood was spent in a variety of places due to her father’s profession as a Navy officer. With a strong connection to sports from an early age, Jessamine played an array of activities prior to her jiu-jitsu career, ranging from ballet to soccer, karate, and tee-ball – being particularly competitive in soccer. Karate was Khan’s first martial arts experience, one she started at the age of 6. Unfortunately, as Jessa’s family moved to Hawaii, she no longer had access to the Japanese striking art. To make up for that void, the young Texan joined a jiu-jitsu club. An experience that started in January 2010, with the Onzuka Brothers and Shane Agena at O2 Martial Arts. The love for grappling was instant, and soon Jessa added judo and wrestling to her range of grappling training as a way to improve her jiu-jitsu skills. Khan earned her yellow belt from the Onzuka brothers / Shane Agena, but as her family continued to be relocated to different navy sites in the US, so did the young grappler’s progression, who, by the time she was 12, already envisioned pursuing BJJ professionally. Continuing her development in various gyms, Jessa earned her orange rank from Kevin Watson at KWBJJ in New Hampshire and her green belt from Gustavo Machado in Virginia. Jessa first came to the AOJ academy, in Costa Mesa, California, as an orange belt, where she later settled and where her talent truly transpired to a wider audience. Khan’s aggressive style quickly adapted to her new coach’s methodology, which, in return, earned her the reputation of a top-tier prospect. Jessa Khan earned her blue, purple, brown, and black belts from Guilherme Mendes , the latter in a ceremony that took place on October 6, 2020, two days before her 19th birthday. ### Pablo Lavaselli - Black **Role:** Instructor **Bio:** Pablo Lavaselli was born on May 31, 1995, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he grew up. As a child, Lavaselli was adept at physical activities, with tennis being one of his passions and a sport he played extensively up until his teens. As he started reaching adulthood, however, Pablo lost his interest for the courts and understood he was training out of habit and for the many friendships he had in the game. Once he realized that sentiment, he decided to quit and turned towards mixed martial arts (MMA), a sport he had grown fond of. At the age of 17, Pablo Lavaselli joined an MMA gym where a friend of his already trained. Although with the intention of testing his skills inside the fighting cage at some point, the young Argentinian soon realized he had much more fun in the grappling classes than he did in the striking ones. For that reason, he chose to leave the MMA academy and join a jiu-jitsu one. With vast experience as a tennis player, Pablo had the work ethic as well as a strong idea of how his training should be structured. He built a mini gym, with mats at his residence and invited friends and others to come. There was no shortage of training partners for Lavaselli, as such his career, although very much under a “ronin” style training regime, did not stagnate. During this process of training at his residence with friends and people of different gyms, Pablo connected with Eduardo Duarte and Miguel Alderete of Nova União. Although not part of these two black belts’ academies, they took charge of Lavaselli’s promotions, Duarte being the one who graded Pablo with his black belt on August 3, 2019. Early in 2020, Lavaselli was invited by Andre Porfirio to come to Orlando, and train with Porfiro for a while, a move also supported by a BJJ project named “Agora”, led by Patrick Cooligan, which helps talented young athletes with their first steps in the sport. There Pablo had access to the best grappling circuit in the world, the USA, earning high praise when competing on the IBJJF circuit. ### Zach Kaina - Black **Role:** Instructor **Bio:** Zach Kaina was born on May 23, 2002, in Oahu, Hawaii, USA, where he spent his early childhood, prior to his move to California at the age of 10. The introduction to martial arts came by way of karate at the age of 5, a short-lived experience as Kaina did not find the striking-based combat style appealing. Being from Hawaii, Zach’s family was well aware of BJ Penn – a famous Hawaiian, former two-weight class champion of the UFC, and the first American athlete to win an IBJJF World title in the adult black belt division. So, when little Kaina fell out of interest in karate, his mom was quick to add him to a local jiu-jitsu school. As a 6-year-old, Zach Kaina began his grappling tuition under the guidance of Mike and Chris Onzuka of team O2 (and later adding Kyle Nitahara), receiving all belts up to orange in Hawaii. Already fully embedded in jiu-jitsu culture, by the age of 10, Zach moved to Costa Mesa, California (along with his family) to train at the Art Of Jiu-Jitsu Academy (AOJ) under the Believe & Achieve kids program, one of the sport’s most accomplished curriculums. Zach Kaina arrived at AOJ as an orange belt, quickly becoming one of coach Guilherme Mendes’ top performers. Kaina went from the orange belt all the way to a professional level with AOJ, receiving his black belt on December 09, 2023, from the hands of Guilherme Mendes. ## Programs ### Basics **Skill Level:** Beginner **Age Group:** adults **Gi Requirement:** Gi required **Description:** Entry-level program focusing on fundamental techniques and positions. Perfect for white belts and beginners. **Classes:** ### Fundamentals **Skill Level:** All Levels **Age Group:** adults **Gi Requirement:** Gi required **Description:** Core program for building strong BJJ foundations with systematic curriculum covering all essential positions and techniques. **Classes:** ### Competition Training **Skill Level:** Advanced **Age Group:** adults **Gi Requirement:** Gi required **Description:** Advanced training focused on competition preparation, sparring, and high-level technique refinement. Includes Q&A sessions with world champion instructors. **Classes:** ### NoGi **Skill Level:** All Levels **Age Group:** adults **Gi Requirement:** No-Gi **Description:** Grappling without the gi, focusing on wrestling-based techniques and positions commonly found in no-gi and MMA competition. **Classes:** ### NoGi Basics **Skill Level:** Beginner **Age Group:** adults **Gi Requirement:** No-Gi **Description:** Introduction to no-gi grappling for beginners, covering fundamental positions and techniques without the gi. **Classes:** ### Kids 3-5 **Skill Level:** All Levels **Age Group:** kids **Gi Requirement:** Gi required **Description:** Fun and educational BJJ program for young children aged 3-5, building confidence, self-discipline, and respect through martial arts. **Classes:** ### Kids 6-8 **Skill Level:** All Levels **Age Group:** kids **Gi Requirement:** Gi required **Description:** BJJ program for children aged 6-8, instilling core values like confidence, self-discipline, and respect while learning fundamental techniques. **Classes:** ### Kids 9-13 **Skill Level:** All Levels **Age Group:** kids **Gi Requirement:** Gi required **Description:** Advanced kids program for ages 9-13, developing technical skills and competitive mindset while building the next generation of champions. **Classes:** --- **Last Updated:** March 01, 2026 **Data Source:** BJJ.Space (https://bjj.space/gyms/united-states/california/mission-viejo/aoj-mission-viejo)