A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt has publicly criticized Checkmat leadership for what she describes as years of institutional inaction following detailed allegations she brought directly to the organization’s attention.
Julia Angelica recently ended a decade of silence, sharing an account of what she characterizes as inappropriate conduct by Checkmat co-founder Leandro Alcantara Vieira that allegedly began when she was a minor competing at her first Pan American championship.
According to Angelica, Vieira was someone she had known since childhood and considered like a second father figure during a rough time in her life.
In correspondence Angelica shared publicly, which she says was sent to Checkmat leadership more than two years ago, she detailed how the relationship allegedly began inappropriately during that tournament trip.
According to the account, unwelcome advances continued the following night, beginning what she describes as a coercive relationship that persisted into adulthood.
The letter describes how the inappropriate relationship finally ended years into adulthood, before she relocated to Southern California to continue training. When she later returned to the Bay Area seeking support, Vieira reportedly offered her teaching and training opportunities before removing her from his facility, citing how past circumstances were affecting his current relationship.
“I remember feeling sick, confused, and broken all over again,” she stated.
“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,” she wrote. “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.”
Angelica also challenged the organization’s integrity directly in her letter.
“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,” the correspondence states. “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 Angelica, 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 extended 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,” Angelica commented.
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,” she wrote.
Vieira has coached some of mixed martial arts’ most prominent athletes during his tenure at American Kickboxing Academy, including Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. He also worked with Luke Rockhold and Cain Velasquez before later coaching Marlon Chito Vera.
Following the public allegations, Checkmat headquarters released a statement indicating the leadership board had reconvened to review a matter previously brought before the organization. According to the statement, when allegations were first made, the board removed Vieira from any leadership role while allowing limited affiliation pending resolution of an ongoing legal proceeding.
The statement announced the leadership board voted to suspend Vieira from all Checkmat affiliation until the matter is resolved, describing it as an administrative governance decision made to uphold organizational standards and responsibilities.
Leo Vieira, Leandro’s brother and fellow Checkmat co-founder, also released a statement confirming the suspension.
“Discipline is rarely easy. Many times it hurts, challenges emotions, and tests relationships. But I believe that the pain of acting with honesty and fairness is smaller than the cost of ignoring my values,” Leo Vieira wrote. “With respect to our history, our relationships, and the presumption of innocence, I want to share that my brother, Professor Leandro, remains suspended from team activities while awaiting the judicial decision of the ongoing case.”
Angelica responded forcefully to both statements on social media, questioning why action was taken only after her account became public.
“I was going to leave this alone after saying what I needed but sincerely, I’m tired. If you don’t like what I have to say, block me. Because until I feel liberated, I’m going to call it like it is,” she wrote.
“Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching, no one would know, and there’s no immediate reward or recognition.”
“Moral code and discipline only seem to exist for this team when everyone is watching.”
“The email wasn’t enough to warrant moral code and discipline 2.5 years ago? No, because you thought no one else would read it but you. And the legal process wasn’t enough to warrant moral code and discipline when it started 1 year ago? No, because no one was paying attention.”
“You only act with discipline and moral code when everyone is watching. So now everyone is watching, and I’m probably not the only one still waiting.”
Full statement from Angelica:
“I was going to leave this alone after saying what I needed but sincerely, I’m tired. If you don’t like what I have to say, block me. Because until I feel liberated, I’m going to call it like it is.
Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching, no one would know, and there’s no immediate reward or recognition.
Moral code and discipline only seem to exist for this team when everyone is watching.
The email wasn’t enough to warrant moral code and discipline 2.5 years ago? No — because you thought no one else would read it but you.
And the legal process wasn’t enough to warrant moral code and discipline when it started 1 year ago? No — because no one was paying attention.
Or should we go back 5 years ago?? Because I still haven’t forgotten about Alyssa. And I don’t believe you have either.
You only act with discipline and moral code when everyone is watching. So now everyone is watching — and I’m probably not the only one still waiting.”
Full Statment from Leo Vieira:
“Discipline is rarely easy. Many times it hurts, challenges emotions, and tests relationships. But I believe that the pain of acting with honesty and fairness is smaller than the cost of ignoring my values.”
“With respect to our history, our relationships, and the presumption of innocence, I want to share that my brother, Professor Leandro, remains suspended from team activities while awaiting the judicial decision of the ongoing case.”
“I will continue moving forward with a strong team, united and committed to principles, responsibility, and integrity — on and off the mats.”
“Values are not just words. They are decisions, especially when those decisions are difficult.”
Full Statement from Checkmat:
“Checkmat is governed by a collective leadership structure, and matters of this nature are addressed through established internal processes. The leadership board has reconvened to review a matter previously brought before the organization involving a former member of the leadership board.”
“When allegations were first made, the board removed the individual from any leadership role while allowing limited affiliation pending resolution of an ongoing civil proceeding, which remains unresolved.”
“As part of the board’s ongoing responsibility to reassess unresolved matters that affect organizational standards, the leadership board has voted to suspend the individual from all Checkmat affiliation until the civil action is resolved. This is an administrative governance decision made to uphold organizational standards and responsibilities. It is not a finding of fact and not a response to public commentary.”
“Checkmat remains committed to maintaining a safe, professional, and respectful training environment across all affiliated academies. No further public comment will be made while the matter is pending.”
Many of you may remember when UFC champion visited ATOS BJJ to receive his Purple Belt.
Adesanya, who has trained under the Atos affiliation (including at Atos Auckland in New Zealand), spent about 5 weeks at Atos HQ to intensively improve his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) skills. He trained with high-level black belts there, including rolling (sparring) with Galvao himself—a multiple-time world champion and one of the top BJJ coaches/instructors in the world.
During or at the end of this training stint (around December 8, 2020), Galvao personally promoted Adesanya to purple belt in BJJ. This was an emotional moment for Adesanya—he got visibly moved/teary during the belt ceremony, showing his respect and passion for the art. Galvao had previously promoted him to blue belt back in 2017.The promotion highlighted Adesanya’s dedication to grappling despite being primarily known as a striker. He even posted about it on social media, joking that he’d “smoked with Snoop Dogg, surfed with Kelly Slater,” and now rolled with Galvao as highlights of his life—and vowed to start submitting (tapping out) opponents more in MMA.
This visit wasn’t just for the promotion—it was a focused training camp to level up his ground game, which paid off in his overall development as a fighter. Adesanya has since referenced it as a key part of his journey in BJJ.
Andre Galvao, the renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, multiple-time world champion, and founder/leader of Atos Jiu-Jitsu, has recently faced serious public allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment, and inappropriate behavior toward students.
These allegations surfaced publicly in late January / early February 2026 and have caused significant fallout in the BJJ community.
Key Details of the Allegations
- The primary accuser is Alexa Herse, a former longtime Atos student and competitor who trained at the gym since she was a juvenile/younger age.
- In her public statement (shared on Instagram around early February 2026), Herse described a pattern of behavior over the past six months (while she was 18), including:
- Inappropriate touching during training sessions.
- Repeated comments on her body and appearance.
- Making sexual moans in her ear while in dominant positions during rolls.
- Licking her ear on at least one occasion.
- She stated that she filed a report with law enforcement and urged other potential victims to come forward.
- Some reports and discussions have referenced concerns about grooming or misconduct potentially involving younger/juvenile students earlier in her time at Atos, though the detailed public account from Herse focuses on incidents after she turned 18.
- Additional women have reportedly come forward with similar claims of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct by Galvao.
These are allegations at this stage—no criminal charges have been publicly confirmed, and no court verdict or conviction has occurred.
Galvao’s Response:
- Galvao released a statement (around February 1, 2026, on Instagram) strongly denying all allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse.
- He described the accusations as false and suggested they may stem from “financial changes” or other motives.
- He stated his intent to defend himself fully.
Consequences and Community Reaction
- The allegations triggered a rapid and widespread response in the BJJ world:
- Many prominent athletes, instructors, and affiliates publicly severed ties with Atos (e.g., leaving the team, ending affiliations, or speaking out in support of victims).
- Atos Jiu-Jitsu HQ issued a statement separating Andre Galvao and his wife Angelica Galvao from all leadership and operational roles within the organization (indefinite removal).
- Other major organizations (like Checkmat) took similar actions regarding their own leadership amid related or parallel allegations.
- The IBJJF and others in the community issued statements emphasizing support for victims and zero tolerance for abuse.
