Twin brother Kade and Tye Ruotolo represent a new generation of BJJ players. They are 12 years old and have been training since the age of 3 and accumulate over 200 gold medals in competitions. They have sponsorships from major brands and are students of the Mendes brothers.

Brazilian website BJJforum.com.br interviewed the Ruotolo Twins:

1 – When was the first time you heard about Jiu Jitsu? How did you start training?

Tye – When we were babies our father rolled with us teaching us basic positions
2 – Who was your first coach?

Tye – Our first trainers were very good. Our father (he’s a brown belt Mendes Bros) was one of our instructors as well. He was always there making sure that we trained rthe right way.

3 – What are your main titles?

Kade & Tye- We won the Worlds every year (8x) and No Gi worlds(7x) in our own divisions. We won all Pans Kids where we competed (5x & 4x) except the first year when we were in the same division. We won several other tournaments as well. We have together 192 gold medals, 8 silver and 8 bronze.

4 – Do your parents support your dream of making of making you professional Jiu Jitsu players?

Kade- Our parents are our greatest supporters. They support us 150% of the time!

5 – How do you manage your time to study in school and to train in the gym?

Tye- It’s easy. We usually study in the morning and then train at night in the children’s competition class. We also like to train on weekends at home or at the gym.

6 – How did you start training with the Mendes Bros?

Tye- Wer always followed the Mendes Bros. We watched since they were purple belt in the championships. When they opened their school in Costa Mesa, we were very excited. We want to be the best, so we have to train with the best.

7 – In addition to Mendes Bros of course, who are your idols in BJJ?

This Kade & Tye- It is a difficult question to answer because there are so many people to admire. Our teachers for sure, but some others are Buchecha, JT Torres, Andre Galvao, Miyaos, Keenan, Viera Bros, Rafael Domingo, Jackson Souza, Durinho, Michael Liera Jr, Aj, Magid, alligator, Lucas Leite, Kron, Rodolfo Viera, Leandro Lo, Rommolo Barral and Marcelo Garcia.
Kade- We really love to watch all the upper belt fights . It is always fun to watch the adult AOJ compete well.
8 – How is it to train with two legends in the sport such as the Mendes Bros?

Kade & Tye- Training with Mendes Bros in The Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy was a dream come true. We never imagined that we would have this opportunity. It’s like moving to Brazil or something. We have never had this level of training before. They are very smart and talented and really look at various aspects. They are super nice and make it fun to learn, too.

9 – What are the favorite techniques of Jiu-Jitsu?

Tye-  Armbar combinations, flying submissions, triangles and bow and arrow chokes are just some examples. We really like to pass the guard also.
Kade- We love everything about Jiu Jitsu, in fact, except to give the 3 taps:-)

10 – I know it’s too early to talk about it, but do you have plans to fight MMA someday?

Kade- We have no plans at the moment, but we like to do Muay Tai from time to time. We want to learn all kinds of fight styles, eventually, in case of changing our minds to MMA. Jiu Jitsu is our ultimate goal and passion for now.

11 – What is your biggest dream?

Tye & Kade- Our biggest dream is to travel the world, competing and teaching Jiu Jitsu. We want to be black belt world champions. We want to have our own school one day perhaps in Hawaii or Costa Rica or somewhere nice, where there are good waves too.