A list of the main figures in one of the most respected teams in Jiu Jitsu, with details about the fighters background and rise to BJJ fame and also the teams developments in the sports landscape. The leaders of this team are Leo and Ricardo Vieira, two well respected former world champions in Jiu Jitsu.
Valmyr Neto is one of the top BJJ black belts competing and coaching in the United Kingdom. Originally from Belém do Pará (the birthplace of Jiu Jitsu in Brazil), Neto travelled to England after he earned his black belt from Walter “Broca”, where he established his team in the region of Gravesend.
Marina Ribeiro is a top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor from the Checkmat Team out ofRio de Janeiro,Brazil. A proof of just how talentedMarinais was her meteoric rise to black belt, which took her only 4 years, training under the legendary and former BJJ World Champion, Ricardo Vieira.
Leandro Martins, mostly known as “Leu” is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and one of the most highly regarded super featherweights in the sport having defeated big names such as UFC champion Jose Aldo. A former member of the famed “TT” team, Martins is also recognized as the cousin of the legendary Fernando “Terere”, the man who awarded him his black belt.
A fantastic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner from Danmark, Alexander Trans had a rampant career as a purple and brown belt, winning every major tournament in the world before earning his black belt from Leonardo Vieira late in 2011. Alexander is a Checkmat representative in Copenhagen, training alongside Ida Hansson, Shimon Mochizuki and many others.
The first Swedish female black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Ida Hansson is also one of the top competitors of her generation, having fought throughout the world, medalling in some of the world’s most important grappling tournaments. Hansson fights out of the Checkmat team in Denmark (Arte Suave) one of the top high level BJJ academies in Europe.
Nivaldo Oliveira a world Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion and a black belt under the legendary Leo Vieira. Nivaldo has become one of the strongest fighters from the Checkmat team, having defeated several important figures in tournaments all over the world.
Rafael Heck is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the legendary coach and competitor Leonardo Vieira. This BJJ practitioner made a name for himself fighting in the State of Sao Paulo, where he achieved numerous podium spots in important competitions such as the World Cup, the Sao Paulo State Championships and many others.
Rodrigo Ranieri is a World Jiu Jitsu Cup gold medallist (2006) and a top super featherweight grappler. A BJJ black belt under master Paulo Cesar Rezende, Ranieri (also known as “Mike” or “Mike Tyson”) moved to the United States where he has competed extensively in his weight class and open weight classes all around the country.
Andre Quiles is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the Leozinho Vieira with strong ties to the MMA team Chute Boxe, for whom he fought many. Quiles has won several important titles in Jiu Jitsu, such as Sao Paulo State Champions (7 times) and South American Championchip.
A BJJ and Judo black belt, Louzado has medalled in most important BJJ tournaments around the world with or without the kimono (Nogi). A black belt from the Checkmat team, Marcel has established himself in the US from where he runs one of the main Checkmat branches in the country.
Paulo Tarcisio Jardim is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Leonardo Vieira, having fought for important teams such as Nine Nine and Checkmat …
Antonio Carlos Junior, also known as “Cara de Sapato” (shoe face) is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Helder “Bob Esponja” Medeiros from the Checkmat Team in Paraíba. Cara de Sapato has since moved to a career in Mixed Martial Arts, where he earned his spot at the The Ultimate Fighter House in the TUF Brazil heavyweights season (Wanderlei Silva x Chael Sonnen).
Reinaldo Ribeiro is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Leonardo Castello Branco who is widely recognized as one of the top competitors of …
Marcos Escobar is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Leonardo Castello Branco, having competed and medalled in several important tournaments such as the Pan American, the Brazilian National Teams championship and the Brazilian Cup. He has also been one of the propellers of BJJ in the Asian Continent since 2005.
Chico Mendes is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the legendary Leo Vieira and a representative of the Checkmat Academy in the United Kingdom. Mendes has …
Keith McKenzie is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Marco Canha from Checkmat. Mckenzie is one of the very first Scottish Nationals to …
Marcus Almeida “Buchecha” is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Cavaca who is one of the stars in the super-heavyweight division of the sport. Before completing his twentieth birthday he was already being pointed out as the “next big thing” in BJJ, a claim he has confirmed with successive podium achievements in the black belt divisions.
Carlos Vieira Holanda, also known as “Esquisito” is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Faustino Neto, and another important fighter to come out of the BJJ hive that is Manaus in Brazil, the birth place of several important fighters such as Ronaldo Souza, Ary Farias, Saulo Ribeiro and many others. In 2010 “Esquisito” (who fights for the Checkmat Academy) was crowned Pan American champion, defeating Caio Terra to reach his gold medal.
Another success story from the famous “Projeto do Cantagalo” this Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Ricardo Vieira is teaching in Singapore after a successful career as both a competitor and a coach in Rio de Janeiro
Lucas Leite is a highly decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt from the Checkmat Team. A World and Pan American Champion, this Leonardo Vieira black belt has been a regular presence in BJJ and Submission Grappling podiums around the world competing mainly has a middleweight. He has been living in the United States since 2007.