Eddie Ricardo

Eddie never began Jiu-Jitsu thinking he would teach hundreds of people or change lives through martial arts.

But over time, teaching became a natural extension of the journey.

What started as learning a craft became a way to serve others. Through Jiu-Jitsu, Eddie has helped kids, adults, competitors, beginners, families, and future leaders grow in confidence, discipline, and character.

Some of his students became world champions. Some became black belts. Some opened their own Cobra schools. Others went on to become doctors, engineers, college athletes, Ivy League students, husbands, wives, parents, and leaders in their communities.

Eddie has written college recommendation letters for students, wrestlers, future doctors, and young people trying to take the next step in life. In many cases, Jiu-Jitsu was not just something they did — it became part of the confidence, discipline, and identity that helped them move forward.

For Eddie, that is the deeper purpose of coaching.

Before Eddie ever became an IBJJF World Champion, he had already spent years competing, learning, and winning through every stage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

His competitive journey began long before black belt. Eddie competed and won at white belt, blue belt, purple belt, brown belt, and black belt. He tested himself in local, national, and international tournaments — building his skill through years of pressure, sacrifice, and experience.

But in 2013, everything almost changed.

During a tournament, Eddie suffered a devastating knee injury. He destroyed multiple ligaments and suffered nerve damage that caused foot drop. The injury was so severe that he had to wear an AFO brace just to walk and spent months on crutches.

For Eddie, it felt like the thing he had built his life around was being taken away. Jiu-Jitsu was not just a sport to him — it was part of who he was, how he grew, how he served, and how he connected with others.

During that season, Eddie prayed for God to give him a second chance.

And when that chance came, he did not take it lightly.

Eddie returned to training with faith, discipline, patience, and diligence. He had to rebuild his body, rebuild his confidence, and trust the process one step at a time.

The comeback became one of the strongest chapters of his career.

After being told he would never do Jiu-Jitsu again, Eddie returned to the black belt division and earned some of the biggest accomplishments of his life — including his 2015 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship and many other major medals across World's, Pan's, American National's, and International tournaments.

When Eddie asks a student to believe in the process, he is not repeating a motivational phrase. He has lived it.

For Eddie, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the tool, but the mission is much bigger than medals. It is about helping people believe they can grow, rebuild, and become stronger through faith, discipline, and consistent work.

For 17 years, Cobra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been more than a gym. It has been a team, a family, and a place where people learn how to become stronger through hard work.

Under Eddie's leadership, Cobra has produced world champions, world medalists, black belts, instructors, competitors, and leaders. Cobra students have won and medaled at major tournaments for many years — including World Championship events.

In one standout year, Cobra brought a large team to the World Championships and returned with an exceptional medal count — showing that the academy's success was not based on one athlete or one moment. It was the result of a culture, a system, and years of consistent work.

Eddie's wife, Monique Ricardo, is a 10-time World Champion, including 8 world titles at black belt. But Cobra's legacy extends far beyond one person. Many students, black belts, and competitors have contributed to the academy's success and helped prove the strength of the team.

Cobra's influence has also grown beyond Plano, Texas, with Cobra locations opened by students and black belts — including Cobra Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Cobra Chelsea, Alabama, and Cobra Mansfield, Texas.

Eddie believes great coaching is not only about teaching talented competitors.

A true coach must also know how to help the beginner, the nervous student, the child who lacks confidence, the adult who is out of shape, the student who struggles to show up, and the person who does not yet believe in themselves.

Eddie's coaching is built on technical excellence, honesty, accountability, and care. He is direct, but he cares deeply. He challenges students, but he also understands that every person is on a different journey.

As a Christian, Eddie sees coaching as a form of service. He does not see himself as perfect. He believes he is still learning, still growing, and still being shaped by the responsibility of leading others.

That humility is part of what guides him as a coach.