MEET THE FOUNDERS

Founder/Instructor

Ron Mukai is a second degree Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu under William Tetsch (Leon Jiu Jitsu) and one of the Founders of Ethos Jiu Jitsu. In addition to teaching the kids and adults, Ron trains every day and still competes in several competitions each year.  He is dedicated to his team and his students and wants to see each of them progress in art of Jiu-Jitsu. More importantly, to use Jiu-Jitsu as a tool to build strong character and skills necessary to deal with life’s challenges .Ron also has a roll at East LA Jiu Jitsu, a non-profit jiu jitsu school he and his wife Wendy opened in April of 2021, he continues to teach the kids and the adult classes at both gyms. 

Ron’s path to Jiu-Jitsu happened later in life (He started training when he was 39 years old), and completely changed every aspect of his life, his health, and how he faced personal challenges.  This perspective allows him to teach smaller, weaker, slower individuals to overcome their physical shortcomings and use the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu to control much bigger, stronger and faster opponents.  

Ron is a Christian and sees many parallels between his faith and the principles of Jiu-Jitsu including, faith, humility, perseverance, courage and loyalty. Ron has been married to his beautiful wife, Wendy, for the last 23 years and they have 4 awesome kids: Diego (19 purple belt), Xanti (16 Blue belt), Mila (10 grey belt) and Eze (7 white belt). His entire family trains Jiu Jitsu together.

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Founder/Instructor

Jerardo Linares is a second degree Black Belt, one of the Founders of Ethos Jiu-Jitsu, and has been training Jiu-Jitsu for over 20 years. He first got introduced to jiu-jitsu while attending San Diego State University, and joined the local college jiu-jitsu club while studying Business Finance. Before starting jiu-jitsu, he played soccer for many years, and still enjoys kicking the ball around.

Jerardo is passionate about coaching his students to be better human beings through jiu-jitsu, and is an active competitor. When not teaching he works as a Real Estate Broker for Millenia Real Estate, a local Real Estate Company he founded. When not working he enjoys spending time with his Wife Kimberly and two dogs Dexter and Rio. They enjoy riding bikes along the LA River, camping and hiking.

MEET THE HEAD INSTRUCTOR

HEAD INSTRUCTOR

Rodnei (Roy) Barbosa is a 2rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has been training since 2004 and been a black belt since 2015. He was born in Brazil in a small city,  Formiga MG. He started training jiu jitsu in a social project with Professor Lourenço Nascimento, fell in love with the art, and started competing at 10 years old. He won many national and international tournaments such as the Brazilian Nationals , South American , European, World pro and World’s IBJJF NoGi.  In 2019 he moved to Doha, Qatar, where he worked as a Jiu Jitsu and self defense coach for the National Service in Qatar.  

Rodnei also has a lot of experience teaching Jiu Jitsu for kids and adults since 2013.  Rodnei moved to United States in March of 2023 with his wife, Karen, and is current teaching at Ethos Jiu Jitsu Fullerton and East LA Jiu Jitsu, a non-profit jiu jitsu school.  

MEET OUR OTHER INSTRUCTORS

Wendy Mukai, Ron Mukai’s wife, received her black belt on the podium of the IBJJF Master World’s tournament in the summer of 2023 after she decisively won her division as a brown belt. In addition to her coaching roll at Ethos Jiu Jitsu, she and her husband, Ron, are founders of a non-profit Jiu Jitsu school in Los Angeles, CA. East LA Jiu Jitsu was established in April of 2021. Wendy continues to train daily, as well as help teach the kids and the adult classes at both gyms. She also competes and has won Gold, as a blue belt and a brown belt, in the most prestigious tournament in the world for competitors over 30 years old, the IBJJF Master Worlds.

     Wendy’s path to jiu jitsu happened later in life along with her husband when they signed up their then 5 year old son in 2009, and the process of jiu jitsu completely changed every aspect of her life as she went along with her family. She spent 7 years off the mat, raising a family of fighters. One by one, all her children trained and began to give her a greater desire to one day practice the art herself. After her 4th and final child was born, she then was able to train along with her family. Jiu Jitsu has changed her perspective about being smaller, weaker, and a slower individual with health problems. She had to overcome her physical shortcomings and use the techniques of jiu jitsu to control much bigger, stronger and faster opponents. She sees jiu jitsu as a passion to express herself artistically, spiritually and relationally to other people. Jiu jitsu has allowed her to spend quality time with her husband and children and loves how the principles of jiu jitsu applies to their Christian faith and every day life.

     She has been married to her husband, Ron, for the last 23 years and they have 4 kids: Diego (19 purple belt), Xanti (16 Blue belt), Mila (11 grey belt) and Eze (7 white belt). Her entire family trains Jiu Jitsu together.

Lineage: Helio Gracie - Royler Gracie (Gracie Humaita) - Cleber Luciano (Cleber Jiu Jitsu) - William Tetsch (Leon Jiu Jitsu) - Ron Mukai and Jerardo Linares (Ethos Jiu Jitsu)

Filipe Pimentel is a second degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has been training since 2009, starting at the age 14 in a Social Project in a poor community in Brazil. He started his competitive career at 2011, winning at the State, National and International level. In 2013 he started his referee career and has been refereeing internationally in all of the biggest tournaments in the world such as the Worlds, Pans, European, South-American, Brazilian and American Nationals from IBJJF/CBJJ/USBJJ federation and World Pro, Grand Slams and Nationals from AJP/ADWPJJC federation, as well as many others federations. He has also been teaching since 2015 at regular academies and social projects. Besides jiu jitsu, Filipe has trained and has competed in other sports like American Football, Basketball, Judo, CrossFit, Tennis and Capoeira. He is also a Civil Engineer,  graduating from the University in 2018 and actively licensed in Brazil since 2020. He is current teaching at Ethos Jiu Jitsu Fullerton and East LA Jiu Jitsu, a non-profit jiu jitsu school.  

Gustavo Saraiva is a 5 degree Black Belt. He started training Jiu Jitsu in 1998 in Brazil.  He has been a black belt for 21 years and he is very accomplished in competitive jiu jitsu, including: 2x NoGi Worlds IBJJF, Master World IBJJF Champion, 4x Pan IBJJF Champion, 2x Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Champion, 2x South America IBJJF Champion, Brazilian National NoGi CBJJ Champion.

He is also a very high level coach and has produced: 3 Masters World IBJJF Champion Students. 1 Nogi World Champion Student, 4 Pan IBJJF Champion Students, and 1 Pan NoGi IBJJF Champion Student

Gustavo’s goal, as a coach, is to bring all the benefits that Jiu Jitsu has brought to his life to as many people as possible. He believes that the fighter and the person walk side by side. So by helping his students to become better fighters, he is also helping them to become better human beings. He is current teaching at Ethos Jiu Jitsu Fullerton and East LA Jiu Jitsu, a non-profit jiu jitsu school.  

Mukai Family