I've been practicing along with my oldest son at the Checkmat Valencia for one and a half year so far. Professor Leka and Professor Art had established a very friendly and professional environment for both adults and kids. Being father for three, sometimes my kids must be with me at the class and they are always having a fun time while waiting and playing with other kids at the designated kids room, make my life much easier. Regarding the professionalism of the school stuff, I see no reason to talk, just look up the facts. Our school consistently participating in all kinds of tournaments and showing great results. For example, last JJWL competition we placed first for adults as a team and second for youth, and this is just one of many outstanding results. Checkmat Valencia is a great team, very family oriented and all teammates are very friendly and care for each other. If you are looking to start your BJJ journey, do it with the best, look no further. Come and check it out, highly recommended. read more

My husband is a competitor on the Checkmat Valencia Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Team. I enjoy being around the people he trains with and appreciate how welcoming they are. I would recommend this school to anyone. read more

Leka Vieira is by far the best instructor I've ever had. She truly cares about her students and her instruction and teaching methods make techniques clear, simple to execute, and easy to remember. She makes us work our butts off but always promises that we will continue to grow - and I sure have! I can't believe my level of technique now that I've been training with her for over a year and a half compared to my last gym. The gym is welcoming, drama and ego free, and just an awesome team that wants to see each other succeed. Also the gym is so clean you could probably eat off of the bathroom floor. No lie whatsoever. Come roll with us! read more

I've been training jiu jitsu for 4 years, and have visited a number of academies-- Checkmat Valencia is one of my favorite places to visit and train at...Professor Leka is inspiring not only as a top jiu jitsu competitor, but more significantly as a human being. The academy that Professor Leka and Professor Art run is welcoming, open-spirited, collaborative, family-oriented, friendly (zero bro-vibe), and is without-doubt one of the top places to learn good jiu jitsu and find a community of like-minded friends. read more

This place is awesome! It's very family oriented. The women here are very, very supportive of each other. It has a very nurturing but competitive environment. Leika Viera is a legend and a great instructor... read more

Professor Leka and Professor Art created a phenomenal environment to teach kids and adults not just the basic principals of bjj but discipline, integrity and performance. First our daughter started, then my husband and then me; our daughter is beyond thrilled to not just enjoy bjj while learning so much more but see her parents fight also on the same mat. It's been two years since we all started with zero intention to stop or go anywhere else. Huge KUDOS to Professors Leka and Art and the rest of the coaches for the incredible work they do! read more

Great environment, great people, great instructor Leka Vieira is one of the legends in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. She played an important part in Jiu Jitsu history. She is not just passing you the technique but she also passing you the mentality of a champion! read more

My son and daughter joined Checkmat Valencia about a month ago. They LOVE it so much! Professor Art, Professor Leka and all other instructors are amazing. They create safe, fun, supportive environment and make everybody feel like they are family. They'd go extra mile to make sure that kids are learning and having a great time during the practice. They are not only great instructors, but they are great people: kind, caring, supportive, inspirational and patient. My kids felt very welcomed from the first moment in class. When they first started, my daughter didn't know how to do forward rolls and was a bit anxious about it. I briefly mentioned it to Professor Leka and they went extra mile to help her, explained how to do it properly and supported her. WOW! After that one class, my daughter was practicing forward rolls at home with excitement. I am so grateful to Professor Leka and Professor Art for being so attentive and caring! And a funny story :) I had tickets to Disneyland reserved on the day when my kids had jiu jitsu practice. They have asked me for a Disneyland trip for a long time and it was a surprise to them. When I told them about it, they were extremely excited but they asked me to reschedule the trip because they didn't want to miss their jiu jitsu practice! WOW! This tells me a lot about how much my son and daughter enjoy coming to their practice and how much it means to them. Thank you one more time Checkmat family for being fantastic! read more

I live in Glendale and work in Burbank. I would drive 3x a week, 30 miles one way with the dreaded traffic just to learn from Professor Leka and train with the rest of Checkmat Valencia crew. Enough said. read more

I enrolled my son (age 7) in the kids class a couple months ago. Honestly, I was a bit nervous because I'm new to any sort of marital arts. After a free trial class, that uncertainty was gone. Leka and the other coaches, Jen & Robert, are friendly, encouraging, yet firm enough to teach the kids respect & discipline...in addition to proper Brazilian jiu-jitsu instruction. Now, Riley just can't get enough. He looks forward to every class and showing off all his new moves. Highly recommend Checkmat Valencia to all parents looking for a great experience for your kids! read more

My 15 year old daughter has been training and competing with Checkmat Valencia for 2 years now and we love it!!! Prof.Leka and Prof.Art treat us like family. I could honestly say they have the best interest in all their students not just Jiu-jitsu related also personally. All of the other Prof. and coaches are just as caring and helpful. Highly recommend Checkmat Valencia!! read more

Best martial arts place near and far. Great for kids and adults just as well. A real and good community helmed by prof Leka and coach Art, but all coaches are great and safety conscious too. Place is very clean and family oriented. read more

This place is a Godsend if you are a jiu jitsu practitioner, fan, and/or want to learn jiu jitsu. Professor Leka is an amazing teacher, she's extremely technical, and wants her students to improve every single day. Her curriculum, razor sharp techniques, and her attention to detail is beyond measure. I am learning something new every class, from multiple variations of a move to escapes to counters. I cannot have asked for a better instructor. This arguably has to be one of the fastest growing and best schools for jiu jitsu in all of SoCal. If you looking to learn jiu jitsu, check this spot out, you will be hooked on the first roll! read more

I have never done a martial art but wanted to try something to get in shape. I was very apprehensive at first and realky didnt jnow whst to expect. I finally decided on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as everyone told me it was the most effective martial art. After doing sime research, I found Checkmat Valencia here on yelp. I dug in s little further and did some research on the instructor and the school itself. I couldnt beleive that the Instructor was a 3x World Champion (the only one in the SCV). I was also impressed with how everyone on yelp was saying how clean the school was, so I took a deep breath and decided to visit the school. I walked in and was greeted immediately. I was also given a tour and a gi to use for the free intro class. All of my fears were gone. Everyone was so nice and eager to help. After the class was done I was never pressured to join, but I was very impressed with the teacher, my soon to be teammates and the cleanliness of the school. If you live or work in the SCV you have to stop by and check out this school! You will fall in love! read more

If you want to learn this sport the right way, this is the place to be. Leka is a very patient, dedicated and honest instructor who takes the time to work with each individual student. She will give you the confidence to push harder when you think you can't, and encourage you without giving you false hope. This is a tough sport, but Leka provides a fun, family oriented environment. You will be completely drained after a workout, but the knowledge you will have gained is totally worth it. It's a 93 mile drive for me to get to class, but I do it because it's hard to find an instructor like Leka, who is totally invested in her students' learning and success. read more

Recently I checked out Checkmat Valencia and I was very impressed. The staff there is very friendly and professional. They answered all my questions regarding the classes they offer, the type of training and the cost. The academy itself is huge and it is immaculate. The area to train is very roomy. There are separate changing rooms for males and females, both with lockers. There is also separate restrooms for males, females and gender neutral. There is a playroom with a large window so that parents can keep an eye on their kids. Ample well lit parking is a plus. If you are looking to train with the best, Professor Leka Vieira, this is the place for you! read more

Love this place. Super clean and spacious. But what really makes this school is its instructor. Leka is fully invested in her students, her passion for the sport comes thru in every class. She, as well as her students, are very welcoming. Leka Vieira provides a positive learning experience for everyone that steps on her mats. read more

Checkmat Valencia is a great facility. The instructors are great with everyone and have years of experience. When I walked in I can tell they take pride in their studio as it was very clean and inviting. I wouldn't go anywhere else! read more

We learned about Checkmat from my two friends who referred us. I was looking for my son to taking some self-defense classes. My friends told me you have to see it to believe it, checkout Checkmat. My son and I went to observe and he got a free class trial. I allowed him to get a feel if it was something he felt comfortable doing and if he liked the instructors. Let's just say we were sold that day and signed up on the spot at the end of class. Prof. Leka and Art are very professional. What I like about this school is that they care about their students, the family, and I love that they are extremely on top of keeping the building and mats clean. Their place is immaculate!l They know every kid's name and parents' name. They keep us informed in everything going on with the school via email. I like that I can email them if I have concerns or questions and Art responds back immediately to me. I am impressed with what they have done to reopen due to COVID-19. They are so on top of COVID precautions and social distancing that my son went back to class once it was cleared to go back. I was never afraid to send my son back to class because they took every precaution and followed every guideline set per CDC and health department. My family and I support local business owners and we will always support Checkmat. We are so glad we found them. I give them high marks for their professionalism, expertise in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, customer service, and cleanliness of the building/school. read more

If you have ever wanted to Jiu Jitsu this is the place to be! Leka's knowledge and dedication have made this school unique. She breaks down techniques and believe me, you will drill things the right way. Her passion and drive have created a wonderful and safe environment to train. There are classes for kids! Come in and train at Checkmat Valencia. read more