SINGAPORE — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and combat sports enthusiasts from around the globe are preparing to gather in Singapore this September as Evolve MMA hosts two of the most influential figures in modern grappling history. Multi-time world champions Rafael and Guilherme Mendes are scheduled to lead the Mendes Bros 2019 World Super Camp, an intensive five-day seminar program running from September 16 to September 20.
The arrival of the Mendes brothers represents a major milestone for martial arts tourism and elite athletic development in Asia. Organized through the Evolve Vacation training initiative, the upcoming super camp offers students and competitors a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the proprietary techniques, tactical philosophy, and training systems that have fundamentally reshaped modern competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu over the past decade.
For anyone who has followed international grappling tournaments or studied instructional material online, the Mendes brothers require little introduction. Widely celebrated as two of the most accomplished and decorated athletes the discipline has ever seen, Rafael and Guilherme Mendes quickly established their reputations by dominating elite international circuits throughout the lower belt ranks. Their unprecedented momentum carried over seamlessly into the black belt division, where both athletes solidified their status among the sport’s greatest legends by capturing multiple International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Championships.
Beyond their individual athletic achievements, the brothers have become iconic figures due to their innovative approach to submission grappling. Traditionally, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the highest levels leaned heavily on brute force, grinding top pressure, and slow positional attrition. By contrast, the Mendes brothers pioneered a dynamic, flowing, and hyper-technical style centered on agility, precision movement, and relentless positional transitions. Through this evolving approach, they dismantled world-class opposition, claimed titles across major arenas, and permanently altered the strategic landscape of the sport.
With registrations open for the five-day intensive camp, organizers and martial arts analysts highlight several core reasons why this seminar stands out as an essential destination for grappling practitioners of all levels.
An Unrivaled Opportunity to Learn from Historic Competitors
Foremost among the camp’s appeals is direct access to two of the most successful competitors to ever step onto a mat. Both Rafa and Gui Mendes hold records that remain benchmarks in IBJJF competition history.
Rafael Mendes is universally recognized as the most decorated featherweight athlete the sport has produced, boasting an extraordinary record of six IBJJF World Championship gold medals in the adult black belt division. His brother, Guilherme Mendes, stands alongside him as a four-time IBJJF black belt World Champion, securing his historic titles across the 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014 world tournaments.
Remarkably, both brothers achieved these historic milestones after earning their black belts in less than a decade of dedicated training—a meteoric rise propelled by continuous gold-medal campaigns across the juvenile and adult colored belt ranks. For active competitors looking to refine their tournament readiness, address strategic deficits, or understand the psychological composure needed on the international stage, learning directly from athletes who have repeatedly achieved world dominance offers unparalleled insight.
A Universal System Adaptable to Any Body Type
One of the defining strengths of the system developed by the Mendes brothers is its versatility. Rather than forcing students into a rigid, one-size-fits-all mold, their technical curriculum can be tailored effectively across diverse physical profiles, weight categories, and athletic strengths.
For heavier or stronger practitioners who naturally rely on physical control, Guilherme Mendes’ world-renowned top game offers a masterclass in modern pressure passing. Gui’s methodical ability to pin, fold, and dismantle modern guards without relying solely on reckless energy has provided grapplers with the precise mechanics needed to shut down nimble guard players.
Conversely, smaller or more flexible athletes can study the expansive open-guard concepts perfected by Rafael Mendes. Renowned for his fluidity, guard retention, and rapid transitions, Rafa redefined the use of the De La Riva guard, showing how technical leverage and framing can easily nullify substantial size and strength advantages. Rafa’s systematic mastery of off-balancing sequences ensures that practitioners of lighter builds have the tools needed to control and sweep significantly larger opponents. By bringing these distinct yet complementary methodologies together, the super camp ensures every participant can find and refine the technical tools best suited to their individual physical attributes.
Mastering the Modern Sport’s Most Dynamic Guard Mechanics
Spectators watching footage of the Mendes brothers in competition are frequently astounded by the speed, elegance, and surgical precision with which they break down world-class opponents. A primary contributor to this dominance has been their mastery and refinement of the open guard.
Rafael Mendes, in particular, completely elevated modern sport Jiu-Jitsu through his execution of the De La Riva guard and the development of the berimbolo. While inversions existed in various forms, Rafa turned the berimbolo into an unstoppable offensive engine, using rotational mechanics to take an opponent’s back or initiate fight-ending sweeps directly from the bottom position.
At the September camp, attendees will have the opportunity to deconstruct these sequences step-by-step. Understanding the subtle grips, angles, and timing necessary to initiate and defend these intricate maneuvers allows participants to navigate the modern open guard with authority rather than hesitation.
Breaking Plateaus and Elevating Overall Technical Vision
Many dedicated practitioners inevitably reach plateaus in their martial arts journey, repeatedly falling back into predictable passing habits, stagnant positions, and repetitive offensive sequences. The Mendes brothers’ analytical approach to grappling serves as an effective antidote to competitive stagnation.
From their nuanced passing combinations to their deceptive guard recoveries, the brothers have continually pushed the envelope of martial arts evolution. Their methodologies eliminate wasted movement, teaching students to think several steps ahead of their opponents while linking passes, sweeps, and submissions into continuous, flowing chains. The system has proven so fundamentally sound that it not only elevates seasoned competitors, but consistently transforms practitioners who began at very young ages into world-class champions on international stages.
Direct Guidance from Elite Modern Instructors
In combat sports, world-class athletic prowess does not always translate into exceptional coaching ability. The Mendes brothers, however, have distinguished themselves as world-class instructors. Following their respective competitive retirements, Gui and Rafa founded the Art of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ) academy in Costa Mesa, California. The academy swiftly emerged as one of the premier competitive powerhouses in international grappling, producing world champions across every belt level, from rising youth divisions to elite adult ranks.
This coaching success stems from the brothers’ deep understanding of modern strategic dynamics. In sport BJJ, where competitive rule sets are stringent and technical evolutions occur at a blistering pace, physical conditioning alone is insufficient. Strategic positioning, meticulous preparation, point management, and mental focus are paramount. Having navigated and dominated that exact environment, the Mendes brothers provide instruction that bridges high-level theory with practical tournament execution.
A Convergence of Elite Martial Arts and Cultural Travel
The five-day camp is part of the Evolve Vacation initiative organized by Evolve MMA, a premier training destination housing one of the largest concentrations of world champion martial artists in Asia. The initiative is structured to offer global travelers a fully integrated experience, allowing international visitors to train alongside elite competitors and the decorated Evolve fight and instructor teams, while also exploring the vibrant culture, sights, and coastal attractions of Singapore.
With the event set to run from September 16 through September 20, the Mendes Bros 2019 World Super Camp is positioned as one of the premier martial arts training events of the calendar year. As the dates draw near, practitioners intending to secure their spots on the mats are finalizing their travel arrangements for an intensive week of learning from two of the sport’s most celebrated innovators.
