The perfect team — we provide personalized instruction dedicated to authentic Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and Yoga.
Carlos Mendez, Owner & Head Instructor
Professor Carlos is the owner and founder of One Academy. He began his Martial Arts training at an early age in his home country of Venezuela. After training for several years in stand up traditional Martial Arts, he made the switch to Japanese JuJitsu and achieved a brown belt before moving to the United States.
Once in The U.S., Carlos attended the Police Academy and began a career in Law Enforcement while enrolled at the Relson Gracie school in Columbus, Ohio. There he quickly realized how efficient Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is.
Carlos moved to the Athens area in 2010 and a year later began teaching Jiu-Jitsu to a few people. This small pastime, and dream eventually became the first authentic Gracie Jiu-Jitsu school in Southeast Ohio.
Rebekah Mendez, Instructor & Business Manager
Rebekah is Carlos' wife, co-owner, and manager of the Academy. She began training Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in 2012, mastering our Women's Self Defense program. She now instructs several adult and children’s classes per week.
She has a huge part in reaching out to the Athens community and brings a unique perspective to the mat.
Kacie Mendez
Kacie is Carlos' daughter and has been around the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle since before she could walk.
She is the lead instructor for our... Ok maybe she just talked her dad into letting her be on the website. lol
On a serious note, Kacie has become a phenomenal role model for the younger kids. Carlos has nothing to worry about when it comes to bullies or anyone messing with her as she grows older.
Class Instructors
After years of training, personal growth and dedication to Jiu-Jitsu, our Class Instructors were individually chosen to teach their own classes at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy here in Athens. While each of our Instructors teach the same system of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, they each have their own tips and tricks on how to make Jiu-Jitsu work for YOU! We are very lucky to have such a diverse staff.
Robert Rittenhouse
Joe Brehm
Justin Kendrick
Sean Parsons
Jacob Carpenter
Kristen Keen - Yoga
Kristen is a certified Yoga Instructor who has been actively teaching since the completion of her 200 hours ashtanga yoga training in 2012. Additional certifications include over 80 hours in power yoga, wall yoga, and various aerial arts. Her classes are designed for athletic recovery, building stability and range of motion in the joints, and promoting relaxation for students of all levels.
Assistant Instructors
Our assistant instructors play a huge roll in our Academy and are why our classes run so smooth. They were each chosen for their knowledge, dedication, unique personality and ability to handle stressful situations with ease.