Following serious allegations toward Andre Galvao, a formar student called for accountability in another major BJJ affiliation – Checkmat.
Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt Julia Angelica recently broke a decade of silence, sharing her experience with what she describes as unwanted advances from a trusted authority figure when she was still a minor. In a detailed public statement, Angelica recounted traveling to her first Pan American championship as a juvenile competitor when her professor Leandro Alcantara Vieira, someone she had known since childhood and considered “like a second father figure during a rough time in my life,” allegedly initiated inappropriate contact.
“It was confusing and overwhelming and I didn’t feel safe telling anyone. I was ashamed, scared, and afraid of losing the one thing I knew I wanted to build my future around. So I stayed quiet and tried to normalize what I didn’t have the tools to understand yet. Looking back now, I see the dynamic clearly.”
According to Angelica, the behavior continued for years. She described how she eventually moved to Long Beach to continue training, where she witnessed additional concerning behavior directed at women in the sport but had become “accustomed to how the culture was there.”
When she later returned to the Bay Area seeking support, the same professor offered her teaching and training opportunities, only to remove her from his gym shortly afterward, citing how past circumstances were affecting his current relationship.
“I remember feeling sick, confused, and broken all over again.”
In screenshots shared publicly, detailed correspondence sent to checkmat leadership more than two years ago outlined a relationship that allegedly began inappropriately during the athlete’s first Pan American tournament while traveling with Leandro Vieira and other teammates.
Leandro Vieira has worked closely with some of MMA’s biggest stars. During his time at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), he coached and trained elite UFC talent including Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. He was also involved with coacing other AKA talent, including Luke Rockhold and Cain Velasquez. After leaving AKA, Vieira continued coaching top-level athletes, such as Marlon Chito Vera.
The correspondence describes how Vieira allegedly made unwelcome advances on the first night of the trip.
“I mustered the courage to reject his advances, and to my relief, he appeared to accept my refusal. Overwhelmed by fear of losing the opportunities before me and the presence of someone I had come to regard as an immensely positive influence in my life, I chose to remain silent about the incident the following day.”
According to the account, the inappropriate advances continued the following night. The letter describes years of what the writer characterizes as a coercive relationship that persisted into adulthood, normalizing what should have been recognized as an abuse of power and trust.
“It was years into adulthood, some time before I moved to southern California, that this inappropriate relationship finally came to a close, and the dynamic reverted to what it should have been from the start.”
The letter sent to checkmat leadership expressed profound disappointment with how the situation was handled after she was removed from the academy.
“Upon being forced to depart from the only place and people I had come to regard as home and family, Leandro callously proclaimed that we were facing the repercussions of ‘our’ mistakes. The stark reality that I confront today is that I continue to endure the ramifications of a situation over which I had no control, while he hypocritically and falsely shields himself behind moral superiority and religious conviction.”
The correspondence also challenged the organization’s values directly.
“Despite the team’s claims of being founded upon virtuous morals and values, my personal experiences and interactions have revealed a stark misalignment with virtuous conduct. I find it difficult to believe that as leaders, you remain unaware of the wrongdoings committed by your peers and athletes, unless they are publicly exposed or directly impact the team’s financial interests.”
According to what she shared, the response from checkmat leadership proved minimal. She received a brief message thanking her for feedback, followed by another where Vieira reportedly admitted he had not read the entire email because he was traveling, and extending an invitation for an in-person conversation to “clear any misunderstandings.”
“Not much to clear after I already sent you a detailed 4 page letter. Nothing more came of this.”
She went further, stating she had observed the organization handle other allegations with similar inaction.
“This makes THREE CHECKMAT BLACK BELTS that I know have been made aware of inappropriate conduct that STILL remain part of the team.”
The current scrutiny echoes concerns raised over a decade ago by high-level competitor Ryan Hall, who left Lloyd Irvin’s team in 2013 following serious allegations and penned an extensive open letter about toxic culture in Brazilian jiu jitsu.
“What I came to realize is that we, as students of the martial arts, as people really, become deeply emotionally attached to the idea of a superhuman individual or group of individuals who, in our minds, must possess privileged knowledge.”
His letter identified a pattern that remains relevant today.
“Making matters worse, some who would consider themselves good people are remaining silent, either unable or unwilling to put integrity over solidarity and financial interest. This culture of silence allows predatory behavior to continue unchecked.”
For Angelica, speaking out now represents an attempt to finally release what she carried alone for so long.
“Over the years, this experience led me to isolate myself more than I should have. It changed how I trust people and who I trust. It created anxiety around training spaces and competitions, and it made returning to the sport, even in small ways, emotionally difficult.”
Her statement concludes with encouragement for others who may have similar experiences.
“If anyone is or has gone through similar experiences, know it’s ok to speak your truth, speak up and prioritize yourself and your healing.
It’s unclear how the sport can move forward if the heads of major affiliatons don’t clean up their act.
Angelica’s full statement:
The excerpt from an email she sent to checkmat at the time:
