About Professor Ruff

Arthur Ruff, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been training in the martial arts since he was five years old, starting with the art of Judo. He trained in Judo for more than ten years, winning numerous competitions and receiving a black belt.

At the age of 13, he was introduced to the art of Jiu Jitsu and started training under Jiu Jitsu legend Luiz Carlos “Manimal” Mateus Dias. Manimal, a black belt under another legend of the sport, Carlson Gracie Sr., acquired his nickname because of his aggressive style, which helped him beat competitors much larger than himself. Arthur’s competitive nature and similar aggressive style helped him win numerous competitions while on the Carlson Gracie team.

In 1997, Arthur moved to San Diego, California, and continued training under another Carlson Gracie black belt, Rodrigo Medeiros, founder of the BJJ Revolution Team. Rodrigo helped Arthur polish his style and bring his Jiu Jitsu game to a higher level. In 2003, Arthur received his black belt from Rodrigo.

Professor Arthur founded Ruffhouse Jiu Jitsu in 1999 in San Diego, California. Three years later, he took Ruffhouse Jiu Jitsu to Tempe, Arizona to spread the seeds of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and strengthen the power of the BJJ Revolution Team at the Ruffhouse Training Center. Arthur became a member of the American National Team, and won multiple championships including the American National Championship, European Championship, and Pan American Championship, and placed at the World Championships.

Ruffhouse Jiu Jitsu has expanded across the United States, with locations in Columbus, Ohio, San Francisco, California, and multiple locations in the Seattle area.