Battle Ground resident Virginia Mendez Rodeman was a late bloomer to competing in the world of jiu-jitsu, and now at 55-years old, she has claimed another pair of world titles after winning her division and the open class championship at the 2025 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds from Dec. 11-13 in Las Vegas.
For Mendez Rodeman, adding more gold medals to her name makes not just herself proud, but her village of people she is surrounded by, she said. She began her journey in jiu-jitsu at 47-years old while her husband, Jeremiah Rodeman — owner of the Battle Ground Martial Arts Academy — was running a mixed martial arts gym in Tijuana, Mexico. After being convinced to learn the combat sport for self-defense, she won her first tournament in 2019.
“It brings out your toughness,” Mendez Rodeman said. “But it also brings out your community. So even though we are competitors, we hug at the end, we shake hands, we do all the things that make it a fun sport.”
Mendez Rodeman said a tournament atmosphere can be intimidating when she first enters, as it is a fast-paced environment. The intimidation factor is heightened when she sees competitors with a mean look and cauliflower ears, but she sets that aside and perfects her craft.
For Mendez Rodeman, the sport of jiu-jitsu is as much of a mental game as it is a physical affair.
“I’ve heard it be called human chess because you’re battling against someone else who’s trying to battle against you who thinks they have a move ahead of you, but you know, you need to find something to counter it with on the spot, on the fly, so you need to really have repetitive memory because it’s so fast paced,” she said.
After winning the title in her division, Mendez Rodeman opted for the open division, where she faced off against someone roughly 100 pounds larger than her, she said. She said the open division title match was that exact game of human chess, Mendez Rodeman countered moves she had anticipated en route to being atop the podium yet again.
To prepare for the world stage, Mendez Rodeman trains sometimes seven days a week, sometimes even twice a day, she said.
Next month, Mendez Rodeman will be leaving the states for jiu-jitsu for the very first time as she will compete in the European championships in Lisbon, Portugal, as she has her eyes set for a “grand slam” by winning all the major jiu-jitsu tournaments.
For those interested in learning jiu-jitsu and self-defense, Rodeman hosts classes at the Battle Ground Martial Arts Academy, located at 1320 SE 13th Street in the Battle Ground Village.
To learn more, visit bmarodefit.com.
