A situation involving Checkmat black belt Jackson Douglas has sparked discussion across the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community after he publicly shared his version of events explaining why he says he was removed from the team.

According to Douglas, the issue began during a conversation at Checkmat headquarters and quickly escalated into a disagreement over team affiliation rules and coaching independence.

What Happened

Douglas explained on his InstagramInstagram that the situation started on a Friday while he was training at Checkmat HQ. During a conversation about an internal tournament he was organizing, Gleyce Kelly, the wife of Leo Vieira, joined the discussion.

He said she asked where he was teaching classes. After he answered, she asked whether the academy was affiliated with Checkmat. When he said it was not, the conversation changed direction.

According to Douglas, she told him that he could not teach at an academy that was not affiliated with Checkmat.

Douglas said he explained that the owner of the academy did not want to affiliate with any team. He also said that his students were not even competing and that he was organizing an internal tournament simply to motivate them.

Even so, he claims she continued insisting that he was training students to compete against Checkmat.

Pressure To Follow The Team Line

Douglas said he was told that he had to teach at a Checkmat academy and that even if this had not been a rule before, it now needed to be enforced.

He responded directly by saying that no Checkmat academy pays him what he earns today.

According to him, the conversation then shifted toward ideas such as sacrifice, thinking long term, and putting the team first.

Douglas said his answer was simple. He questioned how he was supposed to think long term when his rent was due the following month and his car also had to be paid. He summed it up by saying that this was real life.

Douglas Says He Was Removed Without Warning

Douglas said the conversation ended without a real resolution, but the situation escalated quickly after that.

According to his statement, on Sunday morning he was removed from the team by Leo Vieira without a phone call, without a conversation, without notifying his professor, and without any explanation in advance.

He said that the reason later given to him was that he had not put the Checkmat patch on his gi. Douglas disputed that explanation, saying that on Friday he did not even take his gi out of the bag because he had spent time speaking with Gleyce Kelly.

He ended his statement by saying that this was how his story with Checkmat came to an end, with no conversation, no respect, and no transparency.

What Was Shown In The Group Chat Screenshots

The screenshots from the Checkmat group chat appear to show the team’s side of the situation and the values they believe were at stake.

One message states that a strong team is not built only on talent, but on discipline, teamwork, and good character. It also says that attitudes such as laziness, ingratitude, and pride can distance a person from their purpose and can damage a team.

Another part of the message says that in sports there is no room for weak mentality or for people who weaken the collective purpose. It describes Checkmat as a team built on discipline, respect, responsibility, and commitment to something greater than individual ego.

The message also says that simply wearing a shirt does not make someone part of the team and that being part of a team requires conviction, posture, and attitude.

In the later screenshots, the message becomes more direct. It says that the reasons presented by Jackson Douglas for not training at HQ on Friday were considered contrary to the values preached by the team and unacceptable for a team environment.

The final portion says that if those are truly the values and way of thinking he believes in, then he is on the wrong team. It adds that over time the team had tried to be tolerant and supportive, especially toward people seeking help in a foreign country, but concludes by saying that Jackson Douglas’ story with Checkmat ends there. The message closes by wishing him luck and happiness moving forward.

The Bigger Issue In Modern Jiu-Jitsu

This situation touches on a larger issue that has become more common in modern Jiu-Jitsu. Many athletes today are no longer just competitors. They are also instructors, entrepreneurs, and independent professionals trying to build stable lives through teaching and other work.

That can create tension when team expectations collide with financial reality. On one side there is loyalty, structure, and identity. On the other there is the need to pay rent, earn a living, and make professional decisions that may not always align with traditional team rules.

Based on Douglas’ statement, that appears to be exactly where this conflict exploded.

Transcription Of Jackson Douglas’ Statement In English

“On Friday I went to train at Checkmat HQ, and in the middle of a conversation with a colleague about an internal tournament I was organizing, Gleyce, Leo Vieira’s wife, joined the conversation.

She asked where I was teaching. I answered. She asked if it was Checkmat, and I said no. From there she started questioning me, saying that I could not teach at an academy that was not affiliated with Checkmat.

I explained that the owner of the academy does not want to affiliate with any team. Even so, she insisted that I was training students to compete against Checkmat. I said that my students do not even compete. In fact, I was organizing an internal tournament precisely to encourage them.

But she kept repeating that I had to teach at a Checkmat academy. She even said that maybe this was not a rule before, but that now it needed to be looked at.

I was very direct. No Checkmat academy pays me what I earn today. Then came the talk about having to make sacrifices, think long term, and put the team first.

My answer was simple. How can I think long term if my rent is due next month? My car has to be paid. Real life.

The most curious part is that there are several members of the team teaching at non affiliated academies, but we ended the conversation with a ‘we’ll talk better later.’ She even told me to send a kiss to Tami and said she missed her.

On Sunday morning I was removed from the team by Leo Vieira. No phone call. No conversation. No warning to my professor. No explanation.

According to him, the reason was that I had not put the patch on my gi, even though on Friday I did not even take my gi out of the bag because I spent time talking to her.

At the end of the day, this is how my story with Checkmat ends. No conversation. No respect. No transparency.

Life goes on.”

As of now, Jackson Douglas has publicly shared his side of the story, while the screenshots from the Checkmat group chat appear to show the reasoning from the team’s perspective. The controversy has already generated strong reactions because it raises difficult questions about loyalty, consistency, leadership, and how teams handle internal disputes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Whether people side with Douglas or with Checkmat, the situation has clearly struck a nerve throughout the community.

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