SINGAPORE — Renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legends Rafael and Guilherme Mendes are scheduled to conduct an intensive five-day training camp at Evolve MMA in Singapore from September 16 to September 20, 2019. Billed as the Mendes Bros 2019 World Super Camp, the five-day seminar series will deliver 20 hours of high-level instruction led directly by the multi-time world champions, offering regional and international practitioners an immersive look into modern grappling systems.
Hosted under the auspices of the Evolve Vacation program at the EVOLVE Far East Square facility, the super camp marks a significant gathering for the martial arts community in Asia. The program brings together two of the most celebrated figures in modern grappling history to showcase the training philosophies, strategic innovations, and technical details that have redefined the landscape of competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu over the past decade.
Unprecedented Championship Pedigree
The Mendes brothers, Rafael and Guilherme, have long occupied a rarefied space in the annals of combat sports. Before stepping away from competitive competition to dedicate their careers entirely to coaching, both brothers assembled resumes that firmly place them among the most accomplished athletes to ever step onto a grappling mat.
Rafael Mendes established an era of near-unbroken dominance in the featherweight division. A six-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Champion in the black belt division, Rafael also captured two prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Championship titles, cementing his mastery in both gi and no-gi arenas. When he officially retired from active competition in 2017 at just 27 years old, he had already built a legacy as one of the sport’s greatest tacticians.
Guilherme "Gui" Mendes carved out an equally formidable record on the international circuit. Competing across the highest tiers of the sport, Gui captured four IBJJF World Championship gold medals as a black belt. Renowned for his tactical discipline, positional control, and suffocating pressure, Gui established standards of technical efficiency that carried him to the pinnacle of multiple world tournaments.
Together, the brothers amassed ten IBJJF black belt world titles, demonstrating an unprecedented level of family dominance at the highest echelons of the martial art. Their competitive track record provides the bedrock for their instructional curriculum, validating concepts that have withstood the pressures of elite championship finals.
Navigating the Technical Evolution of Modern Jiu-Jitsu
The sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has undergone dramatic evolution, moving rapidly from traditional defensive paradigms toward faster, highly dynamic, and interconnected movement patterns. As the game continues to progress, modern practitioners face the challenge of updating their technical repertoires to remain effective against increasingly sophisticated guard systems and passing strategies.
The Mendes brothers have consistently operated as primary drivers of this technical transformation. Rather than relying solely on brute force or isolated maneuvers, their methodology treats the grappling exchange as a continuous, flowing chain of movement. Their innovations, particularly concerning open guard retention, back-taking sequences, and inverted movements, helped shape the current era of competitive Jiu-Jitsu.
For athletes and recreational practitioners seeking to stay abreast of modern developments, the upcoming Singapore camp serves as an analysis of these changing dynamics. The scheduled 20 hours of mat time are designed to deconstruct the mechanics behind modern techniques, demonstrating how fluid movement and strategic positioning can overcome static defensive frameworks.
A Proven Pedagogical Methodology Through Art of Jiu Jitsu
Beyond their personal competitive accomplishments, Rafael and Gui Mendes have earned widespread acclaim as elite coaches in modern martial arts. Following their competitive careers, the brothers founded the Art of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ) academy in California, which quickly evolved into an incubator for elite talent.
The success of their instructional system is evident in the accomplishments of their students, who regularly capture podium spots at major international tournaments. Emerging competitors such as Johnathan Alves, Jessa Khan, and Matheus Rodrigues, among others developed under the Mendes brothers’ tutelage, have risen to prominence across diverse belt ranks and weight classes.
The upcoming Super Camp at Evolve MMA intends to translate these coaching methodologies to attendees. Rather than presenting isolated techniques in a vacuum, the curriculum reflects the structured, detail-oriented approach cultivated at AOJ, emphasizing the concepts, drilling frameworks, and tactical adjustments necessary to elevate an athlete’s overall game.
Technical Systems Adaptable to All Body Types
A central tenet of the Mendes brothers’ philosophy is the universal applicability of high-level technique. Despite their own lightweight frames, the systems developed by Rafael and Gui are designed to function effectively regardless of an individual’s size, stature, or athletic attributes.
For larger and heavier practitioners who rely on positional control and top pressure, Gui Mendes’ signature pressure-passing systems offer an adaptable blueprint. His approach prioritizes structured weight distribution, precise grip fighting, and the systematic dismantling of dynamic guards without requiring excessive speed or explosive power.
Conversely, smaller or more agile grapplers can benefit from Rafael Mendes’ mastery of open guard recovery, inversion mechanics, and dynamic transitions. The curriculum covers the mechanics of modern positions like the berimbolo, offering deep technical insight into how to initiate the sweep, counter defensive reactions, take the back, or defend against the technique when facing aggressive guard players. By exploring both offensive and defensive dimensions of these modern positions, the camp aims to equip practitioners with answers to technical problems on both sides of the exchange.
Fostering Strategic Vision on the Mat
While physical execution and technical familiarity are foundational, elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu increasingly demands strategic clarity. In modern competitive settings, victory frequently hinges on micro-adjustments, rapid anticipation, and the ability to stay several moves ahead of an opponent.
Match analysis of both Rafael and Gui Mendes demonstrates an emphasis on strategic control. Throughout their storied careers, the brothers dictated the terms of engagement through proactive grips, spatial awareness, and decisive transitions toward high-percentage submissions.
The camp curriculum in Singapore emphasizes this cognitive aspect of grappling. Participants will be guided through positional troubleshooting, learning to recognize systemic openings and apply calculated pressure under varying competitive scenarios. By dissecting transitions and high-level submissions, the instructors aim to reshape how practitioners conceptualize movement, timing, and positional hierarchy on the mats.
Registration Details and the Evolve Vacation Program
The Mendes Bros 2019 World Super Camp will run from Monday, September 16 through Friday, September 20, 2019, hosted centrally at the EVOLVE Far East Square facility in Singapore.
Investment for the complete 20-hour intensive program is structured at US$899 for existing EVOLVE members and US$999 for non-members. Registration provides access to all scheduled instruction blocks led by both Rafael and Gui Mendes across the five-day period.
The camp forms part of the broader Evolve Vacation training initiative, an ongoing program that pairs combat sports education with international travel. Organized by Evolve MMA, the program enables martial arts practitioners from around the world to travel to Singapore, explore the cultural and urban landscape of the city, and train alongside decorated world champions from the Evolve Fight Team and the organization’s permanent instructional roster.
With limited mat space available to ensure an optimal student-to-instructor ratio, organizers advise prospective participants to secure registration in advance through official Evolve Vacation channels ahead of the September start date.
