Featured affiliated academy: Rino Academy, BJJ Mexico
Where is the gym located?
Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. We are located in the northern part of Mexico, a 2.5 hour drive from Texas.
How many people train there?
Around 40 – 55 (40 regulars).
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes! Seven years ago we opened the first location, and since then we now have 4 locations. Each academy has a different number of new students. For instance, our first place has more new students. It’s been hard since the other 3 locations opened during the Covid pandemic.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We currently have around 50 students. The highest ranked are 2 brown belts, and there are 7 consistent purple belts that keep a good training level at the academy. Mostly blue belts (15) and white belts (29) make up the team.
When did Rino Academy, BJJ Mexico open?
It started in August 2015, founded by our lead coach Aaron Fernández when he was a purple belt. Aaron is now currently a brown belt 4 degrees, under the guidance of Professor Bruno Mendes.
Some facts about you:
Name: Aaron Fernandez
Age: 31 years old
Belt: brown belt 4 stripes
Profession: Chemical Engineer
Years in BJJ: 15 years
Other martial arts: Muay Thai
Currently living in: Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Originally from: Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
Rino Academy was founded by Aaron Fernandez due to the necessity of integrating a competitive team downtown in Monterrey, Nuevo León. The main objective of founding the team was to win state local tournaments, prestigious tournaments in the country, and worldwide.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
It’s a random mix of personalities from teens to people in their 40s, everyone united by Jiu Jitsu. We have two types of classes: for newcomers and for advanced. Newcomers classes range from learning to fall, to specific movements. The advanced class ranges from competition-specific exercises with some conditioning and sparring.
Why do they train in Rino Academy, BJJ Mexico?
To learn self defence and conditioning, and the sense of belonging.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
In Mexico specifically, people are not very conscious of a combat sport culture based on ground fighting. Grappling involves too much body contact and people tend to think of it as something sexual. The greatest challenge is explaining and convincing folks that Jiu Jitsu has nothing sexual about it. The UFC and MMA in general have helped change this perception.
Another challenge we faced in the past was not having matching ideas or values. In 2019 we joined the Soul Fighters Association and we were a perfect match.
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
The BJJ and grappling community is growing. In 2015 the first Rino Academy was founded; today there are 4 training facilities in different parts of the city. The future plan is to expand in all towns in the state, and we would love to have an academy in every state in Mexico, with the sole purpose of teaching Jiu Jitsu everywhere in the country.
What’s the best thing about Rino Academy, BJJ Mexico?
Brotherhood. From the moment you step on the mat you can notice that there is a brotherhood in the team. We always seek to integrate and incorporate all our colleagues to create a good experience for them.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Monterrey is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains which make for exceptional natural sightseeing adventures and easy day trips. There are also plenty of museums and delicious restaurants to enjoy. Come and roll with us, we would love to show you around!
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