Leonardo Alcantara Vieira | Gold medalist of the World’s most prestigious Submission Grappling title, the ADCC - We're Kicking It | The Stories Behind the Legends and warriors of Martial arts greats

Episode Transcript
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Jose Flores (00:00):
All right. Hello, everyone. Welcome to the weird
kicking podcast where I get theprivilege to talk to the legends
and warriors or the martial artsworld. Today I am being joined
by the founder of checkmat. LeoViana and the finance director.
Yes, yes. All right. How are wehonest? I was, I was, I was
working all night. I'm like, howdo you pronounce his last name?

(00:21):
How do you pronounce

Leonardo Alcantara Vieira (00:23):
that?
That's it. It's Vieira. Yeah, Iguess it helps that I speak
Spanish in Portuguese andSpanish kind of go hand in hand.
So no, no accent? Are you good?
Good. Zealand Brazilian accent?

Thank you. It feels good to be here. They're born in
Rio de Janeiro. Correct? Yes.
Oh, yes. How was that for you?
How was life growing up in Riowas super nice because I grew up
about one block by the beach.
The beautiful huge I Nero inIpanema. So was a privilege and
a blessing to born and becreative and grow up over there

(00:57):
special with the wholetraditional, you know, from real
jujitsu as IE in surfing.
You just say my next you surf Inotice I know you started to get
to an early age but everyonethat I talked to that from
Brazil, they served so your useof your surf tune?

You know you need it. We need to
find surf. If you look at surfas you Geeta no I don't sir. But
But I can say that I have a lotof fun. Oh, and I and I think
the community it's a pretty issame you know, like everybody
you know, like the same way theyenjoy to be on the mat to enjoy
to be like they enjoy to be inthe water we enjoy to be on the

(01:41):
mat. So we will leave it forthis lifestyle so we will we pay
any price to live their dream.
So it's pretty similar. But alsoit's a very like
complete like a like it's it'sway that I this my hobby relax
and to go and then and whensometimes you have an

(02:02):
opportunity to travel the worldyou have affiliations in our
Why? and Australia in adifferent place that we can go
training and service. So youhave good mix. That's a good mix
right there. And again, youstarted to get to at an early
age age six if I'm if I'm notmistaken. Yeah. You know, like I
was, I don't know really whenreally start but I know my first

(02:26):
like God Murphy show. Like, Ilike Federation. It's 1985 I was
already yellow belt. So I likeI'm from 76 so it should be
like, you know, like 10 years orso I start for the yellow belt.
I should start at least like oneyear before. Oh, okay, so yeah,

(02:46):
and your first instructor wasremote Calvin Calvin Canty.
cavalcanteRichard, how was it? Like, how
was he like, you know, he waslike, one of my father was my
father you know, like, the wayhe was not like as a professor
the coach but he was a very,very nice guy always like taking
care with all kids, his studentslike very concerned about what

(03:10):
kind of example he's going tohave on the mat and how he
pushed and he guided us thosestudents to their life. So I was
blessed to be the first thatkids group you know, like he was
open I got invited for trainingor otherwise and Jiu Jitsu used
to be very expensive back in thetime I cannot afford and but

(03:31):
because my father was working inthe building and he knows rocket
air so I got a fight me to to goand it was opportunity that that
was fun for me you know, andthen change these lifestyle
jujitsu was changing doing itlike that same way that was

(03:52):
getting my Twitter like maturingmyself and grow up with the Jiu
Jitsu was getting differentperspective for me. Wow. So you
fell in love with the sportright away then yeah, as like as
a kid was so much fun you knownot that much because as a kid
you're gonna get beat up by thegal that a lot of ego as a kid
so but usually to a start missabout so much about my

(04:15):
limitation balance How was bymyself I was a kid I was very
like a shine in a heart to heartyou communicate. So jujitsu
became a way to communicatemyself with the world and they
became and deal with mylimitation deal with my, you
know, like, something that I waspersonnel

(04:40):
issues, and no and I was andthen be and then find myself I
have a good balance ofconfidence myself and then and
then help me to develop myselfas a grown man.

So I mean, and I don't know this could be for any
martial arts, but it's sort oflike a triangle. It's at the
bottom It's bigger, and then itgets smaller in the top, the you
grew up with any of your friendsor anything practicing jujitsu,
and are they now?

Like on top of that triangle like
with you as a black belt? Or doyou see a lot of a lot of
friends just fall off and nottrain anymore. You know, I grew
up with a different like awards,because I was the poor kid
living the nice neighborhood,and nice street because my
father was working for them. SoI was a kid walking with the

(05:31):
kids that live, like someprivileged kids, they're living
in apartments, niceneighborhood, you know, with
different opportunities. Thesame time I was going to school
with my, or their friends and Imake a lot of friends from the,
from the my public school, fromthe favelas, people with less

(05:54):
privilege, you know, and thenthose two words, like I was, I
was, like, with a two, I wastrying to get myself with those
two groups. And, and then I see,like, a lot of good things and
bad things happen in both forsome like what for those kids,
they taking, they, they make agood choice their life, and they

(06:16):
get a reward after and also Isaw kids like making bad choice
and get it, you know, like, bad,bad consequence in both things.
So and also the funny thing wasa Jiu Jitsu, make those two
words collapse, bring ittogether. So I grew up with a
friend. And we, we was like me,we I was, you know, trying to

(06:39):
make as much right things on mylife. And that's why I get a lot
of concept, positiveconsequence. But, you know,
like, grow up with them, like,make me be get a lot of friends.
Even right now we have a Hadoopcompany, though. It's a my
childhood friends, Franciscomanager, so all of them they

(07:01):
trainee lever jujitsu the sametime. So I saw like, in the
finance area was one of the keythere was another generation,
but it was like, was a we had aalways was like a pretty close
to us, or we didn't see like Igrew up in Panama. And even when
I was a two different wordsdifferent by society, economic

(07:22):
society, but it was verycollapsing together the same
time with jujitsu, whether wedon't see color scheme,
religion, money, or how muchmoney you have in your pocket,
it just wants to get on the mattrainee help each other. And you
build a lot of friendship onthat. And we was pushing self
push each other to help togethermake good decisions in their

(07:44):
life, you know, and we see likehow discipline, more discipline
you can put in a live is morereserved as a concept. Good,
good, positive consequences. Sohe was friendly, helping
friends. So it was super nice.

Oh, man, that's awesome. Yeah. And then, like
you said, two worlds comingtogether and just in jujitsu, it
just becomes one. That isawesome. So
you're, how long were youtraining in Brazil before you
came to the US?

You know, Jiu Jitsu had a different
perspective. For me, like Isaid, As a kid, I was training
at panorama, and it was justfun. You know, for my parents,
maybe it was a part of help toeducate myself to my behave. You
know, for me, it was just goodto have fun on the mat and, you
know, meet with all the otherkids. later on.

(08:39):
When I was teenager, jujitsubecame my hobby, I want to do
surfing and I do soccer on aprofessional soccer. I didn't
like to go to school, but I wantto be a professional sport, but
not as wishy washy. It was justhobby to was something fun that
I do. You know, someday thatwill not gonna stop. Because

(09:01):
helping to keep to stand up formyself. I was always a small kid
for my group, give me a lot ofconfidence. It's something that
I want to stop. But I wants tobe professional soccer. Later,
when I became like a youngadult, so I saw the opportunity
to change. So I realized thatJiu Jitsu, there are a lot of

(09:21):
opportunities for me to workpart of my time, and then I
start to make a little money.
And then that was the first timethat I saw Oh, you know, it's a
nice lifestyle. So I don't havebecause I was already playing
soccer too. And then it's somuch a job that you're running
and drills and clubs and, anddeal with a lot of politics. And

(09:42):
then Jiu Jitsu say, you know,like, it's a fun, and I look at
my file, that's what the firsttime that I looked at, and I
said, Oh my god, his lifestyleis pretty good. He lived, he
lived one block to the beach.
He'd ride his bike. He goes tothe Academy to jujitsu training.
He left is like a noWalk in one single day. And that
says, You know, I think that'sgoing to start to do this more

(10:04):
often. And then I started partof my job then became a not a
hobby anymore, but became morecompetitions, get out of the
hobby Get out, get became youngnow, like a performance
performers. Yes. And then laterwhen these then I got invited to
go to San Paolo, I was 21 yearsold black belt, I want to move

(10:26):
to San Paolo, also in Brazil, towork with fiberglass shell, I
was already black belt, and Iwent there to get more
opportunities a job, there was afull time work. That's when I
realized, okay, now is a fulltime job now that I don't go to
know where I'm going to be aprofessor, I'm going to be a
jujitsu outlet, and I'm going tobe a professor when I run my own

(10:46):
school later. And then I decidedto live this lifestyle. And then
I was in San Paolo from 2021years old. Until, like
1312 2013. Like, yeah, so that'swhen I decided to come here was
a, you know, seven or eightyears ago. And then before this

(11:10):
I was to use to use to competeso much United States traveling
with athletes to go to compete.
I was competing science 2000.
You know, United States superfights competition in, in and
out like, but not really likeworking or not doing anything
with Jiu Jitsu. And then andthen I decided to move because

(11:34):
the whole jujitsu communitymoved to California, the words
competition, my position, theteam was recording was required
that I need somebody over herelocally, that can run the team,
but also can open upopportunities that are those
similar photos that changed mylife, I want to became I want to

(11:54):
make the team became thisplatform that can change
people's life, you know, thesame change that I was in my
life and change, not just me, myall my family life. So I want us
to others have the same thing.
And I knew that I moved toUnited States is going to help
more people to do this act thesame thing?

Oh, yeah. And I mean, it's, I mean, just looking
at your manual, I could tell youhelped a lot of people. There's
quite a few people here. Andnow, if I could backtrack a bit,
you started you say you startedhelping out in becoming an
instructor, what rank that youstarted

Leonardo Alcantara Viei (12:30):
helping now, you know, my professor is
super nice. I don't know, hewants to motivate me. He was
like, if you want see, he waslooking for opportunities. But
the first time he asked me tohelp, I was like orange belt, I
was a kid, he was a he had to behelped me, like, helping with
the kids class. I don't know ifit was because he think that I

(12:52):
know something was my talent orwas just because, you know,
like, Man, you need to behave,you know, like, I do the same
thing. Some kids are not behaveas a, hey, you have to be my
helper, you have to be a codebecause if you if you do
something, the other kids gonnado something. But you cannot
tell this to them, they justbring this guy as a professor to
help assist. Okay, so help methe class and then you give this

(13:14):
status. Now you have thatsiliceous be good behave, and
then everybody follows him. So Idon't know if he's really wants
to be a coach or he wants to youknow, just like be make sure
that I behave a good behave inthat class. But I started when I
was at Orange belt, and then asa bluebell, and like, and I was

(13:37):
always just getting moreopportunities and more
responsibilities. And I wastaking a very serious all like
this styles that I was getting.
Now you're the head coach. Nowthis coach now he does kids
code. So I was really thinkingserious making like follow the
program, giving my best to them.
And I fall in love to beteaching and to be in this

(14:00):
environment.

That's awesome. I mean, I don't know if it was the
same for you. However, when Ifirst my first class that I
taught i was i was a blue beltbut I was nervous. And for me
when I get nervous, I startgetting sweaty. And when I get
sweaty on my solar plexus, thecenter of my chest does the
first thing that gets full ofsweat. So I remember my first
class and it was with foreignfive year old so I was like Oh

(14:24):
man, I fell in love with it. Sothe I mean my question is did
you have Were you nervous? Thethe you remember the first class
that you taught? Were younervous? Are you calm?

Or I don't exactly remember my first
class. I remember like a some ofthose class but I still nervous
I step on the mat today, youknow, but I think it's something
connect with you wants to giveyour best. Let us know in the
community give the best. Likeyou have to be ours like, like,

(14:55):
like although analyzing yourselflike researching like a news. If
I'm coaching athletes I go, I gocheck like, what's who's he's
gonna fight what the peopledoing? Like, I need to know my
Maya, my athlete, I need to knowwho's he's gonna fight and what
rules he's gonna fight. So it'sa it's a full job for me and I

(15:18):
want to make the best becausehonestly how long he'll he have
to training and I want to makesure that he go he go with a
confidence with nobody will beathim technical because then will
be my mistake, you know so Ihave to make sure that he's Oh,
he'll be he'll be trainingstrategy and technical
perspective would be myposition. So I still shaking, I

(15:41):
stepped for one seminar, Istepped for one class, I go to
the kids class, out of class, Itravel for seminar. So every
time that step on the mat, mycommitment is to give my best
and I'm and I'm nervous becauseI want to make sure like the
white belt have the bestexperience in their life. And to
provide the best periods of lifethat somebody sometimes doesn't

(16:04):
know what, like the is a firstclass it's a very challenging,
you know, and, and like that's,that does make me nervous.

Yeah, no, I didn't know what you mean. So you're 21
that's when you're on your blackbelt? Correct. You said 21 so
you're here did you startcompeting before that or where
you're at? As a black belt? Yousaid I'm I'm gonna compete more
and I'm gonna try this competingstuff.

Yeah, like I said, like my first
competition was in 86 1986 as ayellow belt was one years old.
I'm 45 but I was 10 years old myfirst tournament, you know? And
then like I said, like thecompetition back at that time

(16:50):
was something more hobby. Idon't tell us something that I
want this nice. It was a nicecompetition never was nice for
me. I was always nervous was awar it was going to the war it's
like you know, kill somebody ordie to die killing trying to
kill somebody. But like Icouldn't beat a science I was

(17:11):
like, again, I never stopped tocompete. So but I always was
like I never was a competingeverything. I was not the
competitor compete everything.
So I was but I was very clearfor me. What should I compete
what what Jiu Jitsu isrepresenting my life. So I knew
it science. Like very early Iknew that okay. Like what's who
is my who out my individualsheet. So what's your what's my

(17:36):
purpose, purpose of my life inJiu Jitsu. So when you know who
you are, and you know what yourpurpose is alive, you know what
you have to do? Because thecompetition's for me was was
something that I wanted tochange. I know that jujitsu is
gonna change my life is gonnachange in my family's life, my
brothers, my my mom, my father,so I know that you're gonna

(17:57):
change your life. Andcompetition was just a part of
that thing was not justcompeting. We're not just be a
world champion is not just, butcompetition will do it. So every
time that I got invited tocompete, every time that I got
invited to teach us do somethingelse, the questions that I was
asking myself, if this gave meputting me close to my goal, or

(18:18):
this was taking me away from mygoal, that was easy to make to
understand like and give myselfdiscipline for the for for
everything that I wants to do.
So competition was always partof my life. But some some those
tournament has more prioritydepends on what time there

(18:40):
wasn't, there was a but I also Iwas, you know, going to school,
college, I was, you know, doessomething

or were tournaments, big back in the
day, and were they in the pointsystem? Or was it just whoever
gets the first submission? Youknow,

I can tell that I saw the Federation's
warn, so as a kid, I rememberlike, slam, you know, foot lock,
everything was allowed there.
No, actually rules. You know,like, but yeah, like yellow belt
is like it's not every schoolthey have, they have a perfect
technique to open God. So a lotof schools say okay, just stand

(19:20):
up lifting, smashing the groundor you sit here and it was
allowed for kids for a key.
Yeah, that was a technical. Wow.
So later on, they start changingso the Federation realize that
okay, some position, get moreinjuries than others. And also
those injuries. It's muddy. Ithappens in this group of age and

(19:44):
not this group of age. And thenthey start like making the
change. You know, kids, let'sprotect the neck of the kids.
Let's protect this and then areslammed it's it's dangerous for
adults to or he'll hook used tohave a footlocker and you bought
everything for blue and purpleBell, and then they, but the
number of injuries was big. Thenumbers of good athletes absent

(20:08):
in competition was big and thatwasn't good to sport. You want
to make sure that like the nextBoucher that we're showing in
the blue belt, he's gonnacompete next competition again.

Yeah, so

let's make something that they can't
they, but sometimes they don'thave maturity as you understand.
And they're gonna kill eachother trying to, you know, win
the tournament, okay, let's makea rules that protect them
because they don't know how toprotect themselves, their
commitment behind to be worldchampion is so high, so they got
to kill himself. So theFederation started putting rules

(20:45):
regarding protect the athletes,you know, and make the sport
don't lose the, the essence likethe, you know, the laws of the
room. Yeah. So that's why theychanged, the rules was changed,
and the rules still change. Andright now, you know, regarding
to, to keep, like, the efficientas a Grappler martial law, but

(21:11):
also to protect like theathletes, and it's a longer term
sport. So a lot of other martialarts, like, you cannot bind for
all your life, you have acertain time for your
performance. That is correct.
The good thing Jiu Jitsu,because it's a lot of Is there a
lot of breakdowns, like you, webreak the divisions in group of

(21:33):
age, we break the divisions,also a level of experience, and
we have a lot of belt, we breakthe experience also as as
weight. So it's pretty fairtournaments. So you're going to
find somebody in your age groupin your weight class. And also

(21:53):
we fill level experience in thebelt. So make a pretty fair and
also the rules protect you byage regarding the history that
you have the injuries. So we, asa kids, we have these
protections for for shouldersand neck for for masters or
seniors or we have thisprotection or you cannot allow

(22:14):
like some knee, like, for theadults, everything is allowed.

Wow. But when you say everything's allowed for the
adults, it starts at a certainrank or a white belt, because I
know heel hooks and leg locks.
They're only allowed at acertain level right? Or am I

yeah, no, you're right. Like Yeah,
brown and black belts is allowedall kinds of submission is still
there is some submissions. Thathappens a lot of nogi not
allowed with gay. So like hehooks allowed for nogi but not
allowed, we forget. But we havenew bars and a lot a lot of a
lot of submissions gap slides bysplices, a lot of a lot of

(22:56):
submissions that it's allowed asa as a black belt adult brown
and black belt are not becausewe expect they they be competed
for a longer time they veryprofessional, but as older you
you're getting so you make thoserules became more more soft to
protect and make sure that wehave a long, longer career.

Yeah. And you know what, that you got me right
there were the nogi and the GIthat the thing you said he'll
hook? Yeah. Why is it allowed tonogi and not allowing? Because
that's something really new.

You know, I think I don't know what
bring the decision to ibjjf tomake that change. But he hooked
was not that so the first yearthat first he and the first
tournament that actually nogiibjjf was allowed with hooks.
Wow. Because all nogitournaments, they make heel

(23:51):
hooks allowed jujitsu, you ibjjfwas the only rules that was not
allowed, you know, and we kindof was losing students with I
don't think it was losingstudents. But I think they
jujitsu athletes that competewith again, there was losing
opportunities and losing fights,because they're not get used to

(24:15):
heel hook is a game that changesso much the dynamic of the
fight. And when he when he'sallowed, make the it's changed
the way you pass change the waysthat you play God change the way
you scramble, but when he isallowed. Now, like, like it
means that like yourperspective, like your strategy

(24:36):
has to be different. So yeah,though, so these are the new
change that ibjjf put intojujitsu nogi that I think will
help and I think honestly, youknow, I think with a GI also
they should they should addthese with gauges.

That's that's quite interesting that and that I'm
glad to hear that. I mean,honestly, I've done different
terms Nigeria I mean, I want toget more into them but, you
know, it's always I always justgotta show up. You just got to
show up. I mean, don't think toomuch of an interest show up.
Just show up. Yeah, so I'mcoming back to you started
competing at I mean, already asa brown belt as a black belt.

(25:17):
Tell me about your firstvictory. And that was it wasn't
the penance it wasn't the patentit wasn't it was one

of the biggest I think like the
first words tournament was in 96I was brown belt the first one

yeah, how was that like?

Was was amazing was that that was
some It was like a what gap youknow like for those fans despite
metal like as well was like wewas fighting Olympic was
something big you know, we havewas the first time that we was
in Brazil there was a lot ofinternational fighters that
always like a lot of like aBrazilian that were traveling to

(25:57):
go to their to the bigtournament so it was pretty was
pretty big tournament with a lotof sponsors TVs cameras, you
know, for me that's what's myperspective so for me it was
pretty big deal I was 20 yearsold and like was amazing to be
part of that. I was a brown beltand and that was the feeling and

(26:23):
when that tournament was amazingbecause he was giving me like
more and more to I was gettingeven more motivated to go to go
to compete to training did Iknew that I wasn't that I wasn't
the right spot or wasn't theright you know patch

that sounds awesome. I mean, I couldn't
imagine showing up all thesepeople there these TVs and was
there I mean was there a crowdback then was it was crowd was
very great.

And then in the in the next follow
years was the same thing so itwas even better and then I was
already black belt and then andthen but it was a super nice
experience to be involved withthose guys and see like those
bigger names you know competing,you know, like fiberglass shell
liborio Marilla Bustamante youknow all those big names highly,

(27:15):
you know, like oh, is somebodyyou know, like, Is everybody
competing the same time so itwas pretty was a privilege to be
that time

Yeah, cuz at that time that the Gracie name was
already use was well well knownthroughout right? It will
because I mean the gracies theycame in and then what are they
already known throughout therethey were right there yeah, it
must have been nice seeing themthere and like

Wow, so they was very active by the
time so we can we also see themcompeting there was very like in
the tournament coachingcompeting so there was very
active back the tire you know,so yeah, there was there was
super nice and do other thancompeting sometimes against
there was like but at the sametime like develop like a

(28:08):
friendship because the same timewas different with different
flags. at same time have one bigflag as return so like we and
you can feel that we are biggerrivals because we are part of
different teams, but the sametime like a we all together we
all jujitsu Yeah,

I mean, it's nice to have that competitiveness
side. However, at the end of theday, shake hands you want to
grab a bite to eat Let's go.
It's like,

like abroad is like I can I can find
my brother but nobody touch mybrother. So you don't have
anyone that from our Jiu Jitsudifferent martial arts talk
about the martial arts like youdon't get one that they cannot
talk about? Nobody. No, no, I'mthe only one can talk about my
guys. Nobody talks.

So I mean, just just reading through, and you
correct me if I'm wrong. Itseems like you had an I'm
putting this in a nice way andNemesis per se, like somebody
named Marcio feitosa. You wentup against him a couple of
times. He was always at thetournament you were in and you
guys went back and forth. Canyou tell me more about that
experience?

Yeah, my fe dausa was like, you know,
like the rocks that you have inyour shoes that oh my god that
was hard to get out because it'sglue. It's not like

Unknown (29:20):
he was like,

he was a he was a very good
athlete. He was always astronger than me. But I was I
was fat. So my strategy alwayswas like, he wants to be fast
and everybody else wants to showus more Jiu Jitsu. His he was
very strategy guy, very strong,very strategy, and he don't make
mistakes. But the biggestproblem for him, you know, was a

(29:44):
lot of politics behind that, youknow, and he was the biggest
name the Gracie Baja, you know,the people who who organized the
whole tournament, so, beat massfaders I was like, it's like you
want to play video game. Youhave to be Everybody to go to
the boss or the boss have asuperpower, you know, so he

(30:05):
don't want to lose like, almostclose if he hidden one is likely
to know so for you. Yeah, soit's, it's like a be the boss of
the video game. But as apersonality we was we became
friends because there we werebigger rivals with a wall with
respect. So when we build thisrespect so my agenda he is what

(30:29):
he shouting now Santos that thatwas a group that was we always
push each other because he knewwhere that I gonna not gonna go
to know where we're gonna be inthis division, I knew that there
is going to be that division. Sowe was like, helping others to
be, you know, like just trainingeven more and be farmers and

(30:51):
then next tournament. So it wasa lot of back and forth. And
like in but I have these extrasupon was, you know, because I
was fighting against like a deadthat balls off the off day.

I mean, that must have been nice robbery to have.
Because even though it's arivalry, you two got better
because you two were just goingup against each other. So any
little mistake that you two madecould win then and I mean,
personally when I go up withsomeone like that, that is more
standard anything I feel like Ican better myself because now I
get to study myself andunfortunately around that time

(31:28):
cellphones were not that big. Sowhat were a lot of matches being
recorded at that time were

you know that uh, that bachata was
the only guy I remember that Iused to you know, recording a
lot of this. He died a long timeago. I don't know like but he's
the one have amazing like a somuch for this but I don't know.
Like he has a lot of tapes. Allthe tapes VHS so people

(31:56):
sometimes they say no, I didn'tsee like, VHS. De Bono's day
with podcast, or whatever. Maybefor like a startup vinta vintage
people is gonna Yeah, but Yeah,probably. Yeah. So he is the one
that was making video regardingeverything back in that time.

(32:16):
And yeah, but I myself like, oh,like I said, like, I was a poor
kid that didn't have like anyany picture is I don't have a
video. So I was relying on my,in my, in my rich friends that
have a picture is and sometimesthey we find some Haleh look at
this picture and say oh my god,you know, like, but we even

(32:38):
like, even like, if we don'thave so many like oil, we don't
have those social media back. Sohe wants to he wants to just
like you know, go out and youknow, mess it up everything and
it

was good that way back then camera roll of film
and hopefully have plenty ofroll of film because

for one way I tell is up they know
we was blessed and lucky that wedon't have social media back at
that time. Otherwise, we're notgonna be what we had a week.
Everybody's gonna be DJ. Becauselike, always, always changing,
always changing your attitude.
You know, all we will say Oh,like, oh, man, we're in trouble.

(33:18):
You cannot you cannot do this.

Man. So if you recall a list of tournaments
that you want and is there onein particular that you could go
back to and say, you know, thatone was I enjoyed that one that
one felt so good to win.

You know, adcc was the was one of
those tournaments because Itried two times the first time
was a very unique tournamentfirst because it was fighting
Abu Dhabi, you know, back inthat time like in 2000 so it was
like man 2000 traveling to AbuDhabi was like back in the time

(34:01):
like a so much. So it was verythe cultural the lifestyle was
very different. And when I gotinvited to fight they didn't let
me fight in the sixth sixthdivision. So because there are
some politics on everything, soI couldn't fight in six to six I

(34:22):
was only allowed to fight that771 Division bigger and I fought
this division. I lose I make thethird place third or fourth
place me my first Abba Daddy,but I fought against marker with
give me a lot on a male respectbecause he was double my size
with 120 kilos like and I waswas just with a 67 or 70 kilos I

(34:48):
was a buy the fight was drawafter 10 minutes and like and
then get it and give me a lot ofattention because he was such a
big guy. He was destroyingeverybody. He couldn't do much
with me. So their fight wasbringing me a lot of attention
to my career was giving me a lotof confidence as to as a

(35:09):
fighter. And, and like and I wasI was a young black belt, and
that Abu Dhabi adcc was paying aprice a very good money was
$10,000 Oh, but $10,000 in 2000it was a lot of money. Yes,

it was

so and, and besides the respect
besides the prestige beside thewhole thing, that company they
rigged the competition wasrepresenting, you know, because
they were putting a lot ofdifferent grapples in martial
arts together when thattournament they have a very good
price and for two times I getinvited to fight the division

(35:48):
that was on my and I was first Iwas making good tournament the
butter was for frustrationmyself fighting seven to seven
kilos one day first time theylet me fight in six to six was
in Brazil, I win the tournament.
And and then and then later Iwin the next time then they
later I was 2005 I win again wasin United States and then I

(36:12):
compete a lot of like I alwayswasn't the first second or third
place in this Abu Dhabi I wasn'tone of the most the other the
most fight adcc was thecompetition that opened a lot of
opportunities for me. Like Isaid before there was a I was
training companies usually itwas also changed my life. So the

(36:33):
prize, the prestige, the respectthat this competition brings to
my life change not just my lifebut changed a lot of people's
life for my family. For my formy Jiu Jitsu for my career for
the for the team that I wasgrowing. So it's a competition
that I have I have a lot of alot of a lot of love a lot of

(36:55):
respect. Of course I decided JiuJitsu ibjjf and everything what
they did was cool.

Yeah, that's awesome. I mean, I've never been
to Vegas here it's beautiful andto hear from you I feel like
it's great i mean it's that'sone of the biggest tournaments
there is right also adcc

Yeah, for special for no gays like on
World Cup nogi adcc is one ofthe biggest you know, and they
do a pretty good job every twoyears right now.

How was your transition from good to no good?
What did you find it to be easy?
Or did you have quite some timeto challenge for it? No,

it was a very challenging the first
one because the first one Ididn't, I didn't have any
specific training nogi I take iton my gear when to compete. But
I felt that if I training morespecific, I will have a better
opportunities. And then afterthat competition, all my
training camps I have gi andnogi and even like when we

(37:59):
fought when I was already caughtwas later on when I was already
coach professor here on my ownplace. I was making all my
training camps like with myathletes joining gi and nogi
every single day. We didn't havean ogee tournament. We only had
Abu Dhabi every two years but Iwas telling them I said look

(38:20):
this spot one day would be goodbig and when they become big you
guys are gonna become the best Iwas telling them you know as
funny those guys was like,purple brown black belts young
age, but those guys was the guyswho hobbits rise day Alicia

(38:41):
jauncey ish, you know, LucasLage Galvan so all those guys
was the was training with gi andno gi. And they they didn't know
even myself I didn't know howimportant would be no gi. But

(39:03):
when we went to the next AbuDhabi after we training because
we was training without knowthat Abu Dhabi is gonna open for
trials, but I knew that we haveto train specifically to get
better. And I knew where that wetraining gi and nogi every
single day. So we're gonna we'regonna upgrade our game as a
jujitsu but also was an ogee.
And then when Abu Dhabi open uptrials, they opened the trials,

(39:26):
we was able to qualify so manyathletes. So this tournament in
one particular tournament, I wasfighting under six six Division
I got second place for sevenseven division that have winter
camp, we have that Galvan andPablo Popovich represent on my
team, and both at one get secondover to the other guy to

(39:50):
replace. And then we got then wegot Damien, Maya wins. Then we
get hobbit Drysdale he playssecond place his vision and he
won mean the open class beatingMarcello Garcia in the final and
third place in the open classwas under Galvan so we place
this every every athletes placewe place it very good

(40:12):
performance so and the reasonwhy was because back two years
before this trainee trainingnogi very specific when nobody
was training that is

insane that and that's great for you that you
first saw that he said you knowwhat? Nobody's gonna be great

yeah and that's why I tell like he
usually even right now like youhave to be on is a way for what
a wonder what kind of pharmacyworld you know, the way that you
didn't know get developedyourself before is you have a
one to one on average two yearsbut right now, there are there
are no good tournament everymonth. Every month they're more
tournament no good and whiskey.
So regarding to buy pharmacyboth, it's very hard you cannot

(40:53):
have best performance withyanagi. So people is making
decisions if you performancewith ghee or nogi.

I mean, Nagi and ghee are very popular chairman's
when you think Nagi is becominga little bit more popular.

It's because the media the way the
major push also, like a web,see, you know, like, help so
much to push the grappling. Andno GIS, something between
jujitsu with gay and MMA. Sothey kind of put the established
kind of in the middle. But, youknow, make it very easy to a

(41:32):
blue belt and black belt have avery similar game and very, like
competitive, but I wait for thesemi blue belt for the same
black belt when I get there. Noway. Because jujitsu is more
technical. It's they're moregrimms It's my very technical
nogi make a scramble a lot. Soconditional training means a
lot. But uh, but uh, but it'scompetition develop sparks. So

(41:56):
because the, there are so manycompetitions nogi. So, like,
develop a lot of technicalsbehind the sport. And of course,
nowadays, the way the way it is,like, you cannot just train it
with gear and go to compete nogiyou can be good, but you cannot
have the best you don't you'renot going to have the best,
like, experience or the besttechnical to fight nogi so you

(42:20):
should have, like trainingspecific for you regarding your
specific performance in thesport. Yeah,

man. That's Yeah, and I mean, I, you can answer
the question are there, MMA UFC?
venditore pflp. That's nogi thatbasically, they're right there.
There's really not enough groupsand everything, different
groups, different groups. Yeah,

you know, at the same time, they're
very similar. Also, they're verydifferent. Because I used to
say, I used to compare like,it's a Huckabee and American
football, you know, maybe maybeif you move from one spot to the
other one, you can be very good.
My baby, you can be worse is notgoing to find yourself, you
know, so like, soccer andfootball. You know, it's, it's

(43:01):
changed some rules or changedsome, like dynamical for the
speed of the, the game, and theychange the whole thing. You
know, so that's why that's theway I see Jiu Jitsu and nogi. So
it's very similar. You can makeone game be very, very, very
useful for both, you know, but,but it's a very, also is very

(43:27):
unique and specific, like thatsome position that work with a,
and that's some position, they

only want to work with nogi Wow. All right. I get
it. Okay. So, I mean, I did allthis processing. And that's, I'm
glad I heard it from you. Socheck, Matt. When did you found
checkmat? Well, you

know, it was 2008 2008 was a, I think
I was a first re getting, likefrustrated to be in the teams
that not really look what theywere the athletes and student
really needs. And then I willdecide to you know, to make to

(44:10):
give a voice for this, peoplethat did not have the same
privilege. And then checkmatebecame like, their voice became
like, okay, that's the waythat's gonna, we'll be fair,
will be equals. That's the,that's the we're gonna you know,
opportunities. So, we build thecheckmate. I don't build the

(44:33):
checkmate by myself was a dreamthat I have a lot of other
people dreaming together, tohave to be part of the sport,
but also able to live jelevaover like a cold, cold off of
life, that we we put more valuesin front of titles and belts, so

(44:58):
it's really important to work.
The more values that we buildthan the title that we have. So
these ways is it, you know, whobelongs to to be enjoy on the
mat and who's not. So it's achange behavior from inside to
outside.

Yeah. And how do you come up with a name?
checkmat? Because I'm assumingthis checkmate in English in
English, right? So yeah. How doyou come up with that name?

Well, you know, we was rushing to find
a name. Because we need to namea new name to the tournament.
And like, every name that we wastrying, like, trying to ask was,
like, brainstorm was hard tojoin the stand was looking fine.
It doesn't look like even like,those days, you know, check

(45:44):
Mather became my wife was theone that throw this name first.
So why don't we use a checkmateas a comma? Like, check? You
know, I know that I've beenthinking twice, I say, you know,
guys, like in the meeting was, Iknow, you know, we have to make
a decision doesn't matter whatname you will pick, always gonna
look funny. Let's just getsomething that I'm making my
sense, you know, we don't care,the name is important is going

(46:07):
to show who we are. But ourattitude to be the more
important who we are is going tobe very important. How are we
going to give that respect tothis name? And then I give this
error? Let's take these asexample. checkmat. You know,
look, we can take this, I thinkis nice. Because, you know, the
naming means, like, you know,like a submission, like a check.

(46:30):
So when did we finish the game?
So that's what you're looking atas a goal. At the same time, you
know, it means it means a kingdebt, you know, so let's see, if
you take let's take the lastword would be Matt, Matt is like
the place so the matches square,like the Mets we fight the
square, the chessboard issquare. Everybody always compare

(46:51):
the chess game with Jiu Jitsu.
You know, you have the black andwhite in the favelas in Brazil
have a word that say, like, we,our, our words, and attitude has
to be black and white, is rightor wrong like that? No. Like,
you have to be honest withyourself, like they make so

(47:11):
like, you know, like, let's playwith the call let's play with
the king who have a differentdifferent, like a level of a
belt at the same time, they justhave a different like, Yeah, do
you know like, and then Istarted even look about, like,
closer game about chess. Andthen I see like that a closer
game, although a lot of crazydifferent strategy, which is

(47:36):
making really sense, you know,we make this change. And then
like, and we got these names, welike it, and became very, like,
popular. You know, and unique.
And everybody who really likedthe logo, the name and what's
the name, you represent thesport?

I mean, I love chess. So that's why one tries
that question, because I lovechess and check my demeanor. And
get to a note every time it istrue, as you say, everyone
compares the Jetsons to chess,because like you're you know,
you're always gonna be two stepsahead. Always. Sometimes you got
to get something to getsomething in return. You just
have to make sure that whateverwhatever you take back is bigger

(48:16):
than what you get. You can youcan trade a knife for a partner
and wait for you. Well, Mr.
Vienna, I I appreciate yourtime. Thank you so much. Is
there anything you would like tosay or promote? I mean, I know
you got some students coming upin the fight, you know, anything
you would like? Yeah,

we always have people to compete
and fight and I think that Idon't even want to say I want to
say thank you so much, you know,like who have more like this
podcast and more like it's ait's the way that we can spread
our spa so that we can spreadour idea, our perspective, you
know, how we see this boss, youknow, and as a checkmat. Our

(48:59):
goals it's always was to developthese a big network that we can
that can make athletes,professors, students,
performers, their lifestyle. Wedon't push like athletes to
compete without pushing only onelifestyle. We believe that
everybody has something to bearfarmers. So people want to be
farmers as hobbies and peoplewho are farmers in competitions

(49:24):
and be McComb performers as ascorching professor. But it's a
beautiful martial arts. It's abeautiful way for we communicate
ourselves to learn those moralvalues that we always talk so
much. You know, it's reallyimportant like daily you'll
learn so much and Jiu Jitsu.
It's a it's a super nice so Ichallenge everyone that doesn't

(49:48):
know Jiu Jitsu, you know, tochallenge yourself or to at
least like, like couple weeksbecause you're the first week
it's so embarrassing. So but Ifyou cross that we're gonna be
something amazing is gonnachange so much your life. It is
it is, trust

me, I mean that when I started to get to it for
me, because I mean, I'veexperienced loss and everything,
but for me, it felt so great tobe treated like a rag doll all
across the room. I was laughing,I was like, I love that this is
awesome. I want to learn more.
And that's the attitude you gotto take towards that you got to
be positive. Because that didit. There's someone always
better than us. There's always abigger fish in the sea. So

(50:28):
you're located in signal, right?
Yes. Is there any other studentthat you have around?

We have a so many affiliations
around I have over 100affiliations United States where
no and 300 more oversee? Youknow, we have Health Solutions
almost in every state in theUnited States. You know, and
like, we're pretty big family,you know, and he look for

(50:55):
everybody's there, you know,like the same as us and, you
know, give the opportunity foreverybody doesn't matter what
nationality What is hislifestyle. So it's, it's a it's
a very, it's a very big family.
We have all you should say toevery family, we have all
dramas. Oh, yeah. You know, butthen the day, the respect, you
know, the loyalty, thefriendship, the empathy. It's

(51:18):
bigger than everyday.

Oh, yes, that is true. Well, Miss Rianna, thank
you so much for your time. Iappreciate it. Sir. You have a
good one. Take care. Thank you.
Thank you, everyone for tuningin. We'll see you next time.

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Leonardo Alcantara Vieira | Gold medalist of the World’s most prestigious Submission Grappling title, the ADCC

Episode Transcript

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Leonardo Alcantara Vieira | Gold medalist of the World’s most prestigious Submission Grappling title, the ADCC