Ace Mendes

Ace Mendes grew up inside AOJ in Costa Mesa, California. He started training at two and a half in the academy’s kids program, and today he is coached by Tainan Dalpra and the rest of the AOJ coaching staff. Tainan is also his Jiu-Jitsu idol.

His first tournament came at age 4, at the LA Open. He was so scared that he did not want to step on the mat. He went out anyway, had one match and won it with a takedown and an armlock.

Since then he has won the Pan Kids four times, from 2023 to 2026, and has 70 wins in 72 matches with recorded brackets, with 41 golds in 42 tournaments. At the 2026 edition he beat Hilarion Melevo IV in the Pee Wee 2 gray belt featherweight final, and on the podium, with the gold medal around his neck, he was promoted to gray and black belt.

He likes competing both gi and no-gi, but trains more in the gi. He does not have a favorite position: the people around him show him a little of everything so he can build a solid base. Off the mat he plays soccer, another sport he loves.