# Rafael Mendes ("Rafa") > Black Belt 4 Stripes | Brazil ## Overview **Name:** Rafael Mendes **Nickname:** Rafa **Belt Rank:** Black Belt 4 Stripes **Nationality:** Brazil **Gender:** Male **Weight:** 66 kg ## 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 ## Gym Affiliations - **AOJ Mission Viejo** (Mission Viejo, United States) — Head Instructor ## Specialties - leg-drag guard pass ## Achievements - 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016) - 1st Place ADCC World Championship (2009 / 2011) - 1st Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2012 / 2011) - 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2014 / 2010 / 2009) - 1st Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2010 / 2009) - 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2010) - 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2013) - 2nd Place ADCC World Championship (2013) - 2nd Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2011) - 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2006*** blue, 2007*** purple, 2008*** brown) - 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2006*** blue, 2007*** purple) ## Lineage - Ramon Lemos --- **Last Updated:** September 08, 2026 **Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/rafael-mendes)