The Story of Coach Ricardo

The Story of Coach Ricardo:     

 

Forged in Fire, Built on Truth​

 

When you walk into ABERIK MMA today, you see a professional facility and a head coach wearing a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, but you don't see the two decades of "unseen currency" it took to earn it.  Behind that belt are the literal scars, broken bones, and the psychological warfare Ricardo Ruiz had to survive to stand here.

 

While many discuss only their victories, Coach Ricardo knows you don’t build a sanctuary without walking through hell first.   ABERIK MMA wasn’t just a business plan; it was a refusal to exist within the toxic, predatory culture of the martial arts world. Lost Paths and New Identity Long before he was a coach, Ricardo was a kid searching for a way to survive. Brutal bullying in school left him lost and desperate for identity. To shield himself from the hurt, he cycled through different masks, trying to fit in with crowds that didn't care for his soul. Then, he found the mat.

 

Martial arts became his unfiltered mirror—a place where he could channel pain into power, strip away the fake personas, and build an unbreakable foundation. On the mats, he finally found his true self.    The physical toll Ricardo didn't just train; he stepped into the fire. He tested himself across disciplines, winning a boxing match and competing in three amateur MMA fights with a 2-1 record. But the price of admission was paid in blood. Over twenty years, his body endured significant trauma:

• Facial stitches from brutal exchanges.

• A perforated eardrum from grueling sparring.

• A fractured orbital bone and a severe concussion sustained during a relentless camp.Physical injuries, however, were nothing compared to the malice of the person supposed to protect him.  

 

Betrayal and the breaking point during a fight camp, Ricardo suffered a fractured skull and a concussion. He desperately needed medical attention, yet his instructor denied his request to go to the hospital three separate times, prioritizing an agenda over Ricardo's life. The neglect turned into financial exploitation. Despite teaching classes for years, Ricardo was never paid a dime. Instead, the owner claimed Ricardo owed eight thousand dollars in "tuition" and forced him to clean the facility to work off the fake debt. 

 

The environment became so toxic that the final straw was a literal physical attack: during training, his instructor intentionally put Ricardo in a wrist lock with a clear attempt to break his limb. Ricardo walked out and never looked back.   

 

The turning point completely disgusted, Ricardo stopped training for a year. He felt isolated and low until a respected Black Belt Professor from Philadelphia reached out with a shocking revelation: that same instructor had inflicted severe financial damage on him through a fraudulent deal.  Realizing the scale of this corruption, Ricardo decided he couldn't let bad people dictate his love for the sport. He had to build a place where things were done right.   

 

 Why ABERIK MMA exists alongside his partner Abraham Hamad, Ricardo built ABERIK MMA in total defiance of industry nonsense. No politics, no scammers, and no predators. "I don’t care where you come from. When you step onto my mats, the politics stop. We don’t play favorites. We don't exploit people. We are all equal." — Coach Ricardo Because of the scars Ricardo carries, we do things differently:   

• Zero Industry Politics: No inner circles or backstabbing. If you work hard, you are respected.       

 

• Elite Safety Standards: Because Ricardo was once denied medical help, your safety is his law. We maintain industrial-grade hygiene and strictly controlled training.     

 

• A Genuine Community: Supported by trusted coaches like Coach Rose Ann, Coach Ellen, Coach John, and Coach Kevin, our mission is to build each other up and achieve success together.  

 

Screw the politics. LET'S TRAIN. Your journey won't be easy, but you will never walk it alone. Come to ABERIK MMA, meet Coach Ricardo, and leave the fake world behind. Let’s build a real community and succeed on our own terms.