A Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner has come forward with allegations that paint an unsettling picture of how multiple prominent academies responded when she reported an incident at age 12, with her account naming the Mendes brothers, the Ruotolo family and others as having actively ostracized her rather than supporting her through the ordeal.
Alyssa Mia, now an adult, has detailed her experience training in the Southern California jiu-jitsu community as a child, alleging that when she was 12 years old, she was assaulted by a student from Atos Academy. After gathering the courage to tell her mother and seeking guidance from what she considered friends at Art of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ), Mia says the response was the opposite of what any child should expect.
“They all turned a cold shoulder on me and stood by the person that SA-ed me,”
Mia wrote in her account, which she made public in response to other women sharing their stories this week. According to Mia, she pursued legal action, and it was during this process that the situation escalated beyond mere indifference. She alleges that the mother of Kade Ruotolo and Tye Ruotolo who were training at AOJ at the time, wrote a four-page statement that Mia characterizes as deeply hurtful and blaming toward her.
“She rallied a whole group of parents from AOJ to make statements about me on why I deserved what happened to me and each and everyone of those parents stood behind that person to protect him and not protect me,”
She states that the day following this incident, the Mendes brothers had their front office staff contact Mia‘s mother to inform them that the 12-year-old girl was being removed from the academy and could not return to train.
“They never talked to me face to face about this situation to this day never came to me or my parents to talk to us and all those parents stayed. I felt hopeless and lost,”
Mia wrote.
The timing of these revelations is significant, as the jiu-jitsu community is currently dealing with allegations against Andre Galvao himself. Alexa Herse recently made detailed accusations against Galvao, prompting Atos headquarters to announce his separation from the organization. In response to that controversy, the Ruotolo brothers issued a statement on Instagram expressing support for those affected and emphasizing the importance of accountability.
“We are both super bummed about the situation at Atos. We take concerns involving misconduct seriously and expect our community to uphold a safe and respectful environment for everyone. We support those affected, and any inappropriate behavior should be addressed and held accountable,”
their statement read.
The Mendes brothers have not issued any public statement regarding the allegations that they removed Mia from their academy after she reported being assaulted. The long-term impact on Mia has been profound. In her 2021 post, she explained that at age 19, she no longer trains jiu-jitsu regularly and has lost much of her passion for the sport.
“I don’t have a love for it like I use to. I don’t look at it the same like I use to. People think I just quit,”
she wrote. She described struggling with severe anxiety as a result of her experiences. Her decision to speak publicly about her experiences, though difficult, was influenced by seeing other women in the jiu-jitsu community find the courage to share their stories.
“It has brought me some peace this week to see other girls and women be strong enough to say their story out loud they have helped me not be afraid to say my story and I hope I can do the same for someone else,”
Mia wrote.
Alyssa Mia‘s 2021 account: 
