Alessandra Vieira Explained

Alessandra Vieira
Birth Name:Alessandra Vieira de Souza[1]
Other Names:Alessandra Vieira Jamgochian[2]
Nickname:Leka
Nationality:Brazilian / American
Birth Date:14 March 1976
Birth Place:São Pedro dos Ferros
Minas Gerais, Brazil
Occupation:BJJ instructor
Residence:Valencia, California
Weight Class:Feathereweight
Rank:6th deg. BJJ black belt
Team:Checkmat
Gracie Humaitá
Dojo/Machado
Style:Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Website:checkmatvalencia

Alessandra "Leka" Vieira (born March 14, 1976) is a submission grappler and a 6th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and coach. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of women's Brazilian jiu-jitsu, she became in 1999 the first-ever female black belt World champion.

A highly accomplished competitor, Vieira is a three-time World champion, four-time Pan American champion as well as an ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship finalist, in 2022 she was inducted in the United States Martial Art Hall of Fame. As a 6th degree black belt, she is one of the highest ranked female jiu-jitsu practitioners in the United States.

Career

Alessandra Vieira de Souza was born on March 14, 1976, in São Pedro dos Ferros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. At the age of 16, after an ACL injury forced her to take time away from handball, she started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) under Aloisio Silva, a Carlos Gracie's black belt, founder of Dojo jiu-jitsu and one of the first BJJ masters to teach women.[3] She was promoted to blue belt after six months of training and two years later was a finalist at the 1994 Brazilian National Championship winning silver. She was promoted to black belt by Silva in 1998 then won the 1999 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship a year later, becoming the first female black belt world champion. She won silver at the 2000 World Championship in the featherweight division,[4] then the following year, she won gold at the Pan American Championship. In 2001 she was invited to help start a women's only class at Rigan Machado's academy which resulted in her move to California and representing Machado JJ in competition.[5]

In 2002, Vieira won the World Championship and the Pan American in the same year.[6] After promoting Cindy Omatsu in 2002, she became the first woman to promote another woman to BJJ black belt.[7] She won the Pan championship again in 2003 in the featherweight division. In 2005, she faced Kyra Gracie in the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship final losing on points after a 16-minute match for the woman's under 60kg (130lb) title[8] that same year, representing Gracie Humaitá, Vieira won the World Championship for the third time after defeating Kyra Gracie in the lightweight final.[9] In 2004, Vieira opened her own school out of Torrance, California.[10] In 2015, she opened CheckMat Valencia an affiliate of Checkmat.[11] In 2014, she became a member of Black Belt Magazine hall of fame after being chosen as Competitor of the Year.

In 2018, Vieira launched the Wonder Woman BJJ Project, a program to help promote and expand the role of women in jiu-jitsu. In 2019 Vieira returned to competition to win the Pan Masters championship in the featherweight division. In March 2022, she received her 6th degree from Léo Vieira,[12] [13] and was inducted in the United States Martial Art Hall of Fame.

Championships and recognitions

Championships

Main Achievements:

Recognitions

Instructor lineage

Vieira's jiu-jitsu instructor lineage can be traced from Carlos Gracie Sr, one of the founders of the art, to Grand Master Aloísio Silva (7th degree):[16]

Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Robson Gracie > Aloísio Silva > Leka Vieira

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alessandra "Leka" Vieira . BJJ Heroes .
  2. Web site: Pan 2019 results. International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation .
  3. Web site: The Fabulous Five Featuring Leka Vieira . Girls in Gis Strength in Solidarity . January 11, 2016 .
  4. Web site: World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2000 . World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2000.
  5. Web site: World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2002 . World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2002.
  6. Web site: Circle . Jiu-Jitsu . October 19, 2020 . Famous Female BJJ Black Belts . Jiu-Jitsu Circle.
  7. Web site: Leka Vieira's Female BJJ Project, Empowering Through Education . BJJ Heroes . September 6, 2018 .
  8. Web site: Burne . Kathrine . Throwback: ADCC 2005 Introduces First Women's Divisions . Jitsmagazine . October 10, 2023 . 10 October 2023.
  9. Web site: ADCC 2005 . A Look Back at the Women's Divisions! • ADCC NEWS . August 11, 2005 .
  10. Web site: Não Para: Leka Vieira A Relentless Competitor – BJJ Legends Magazine . BJJ Legends Magazine – Training Tomorrows Legends Today . January 3, 2015 .
  11. Web site: Miller . Rose . Women's Jiu-Jitsu Continues To Grow at 2019 IBJJF World Championships . FloGrappling . May 29, 2019 .
  12. Web site: Inductees . USMAHOF . Inductee Class of 2022 . United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
  13. Web site: LEKA VIEIRA – Checkmat Valencia . Checkmat Valencia . March 14, 1976 .
  14. Web site: Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 1994 . Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 1994 .
  15. Web site: Team . Black Belt . 2010–2019 . Black Belt Magazine . April 7, 2021 .
  16. Web site: 2020-05-20 . BJJ Red Belts: Things That You May Not Know . Jiujitsu News.