Blog | Checkmat Charlotte

First Time Competing with Checkmat Charlotte

First Time BJJ Competition Guide at Checkmat Charlotte Competing in Jiu Jitsu is a challenging but highly rewarding experience. Read below to find a few tips and guidelines for how to prepare and conduct yourself on the big day! Most of all, remember to breathe and have fun! Prep Make sure you are on weight and hydrated if possible Newbreed, Grappling industries, TCO and NAGA allow a grace pound and you weigh in without the gi IBJJF does not allow a grace pound and you weigh in the gi All federations DQ if you miss weight (except TCO) Plan ahead. If you think you may miss weight, you have options. Change your division or ask for help to cut weight ....

Belt promotions!!!

Belt Promotions Congratulations to the following students on their recent rank ups in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. (Pictures from left to right) Remington Foster, Mckenzie Lee and David Mobote were all promoted to the rank of Blue belt. Also pictured, Brad Blades was promoted at his home school Great Grappling by Professor Jeremy Arel. These students all worked extremely hard to achieve these ranks. Once again, congrstulations to all! ....

Hannah’s Wonderfully Crazy BJJ Experience

After having my daughter, I was eager to get onto the mats and start my journey of BJJ. I thought it would be difficult to decide what studio’s to try out, given there are so many amazing ones in the area, but once I came to CheckMat Charlotte, I knew there was no other place I’d rather be! After playing Volleyball for well over a decade, I thought my athleticism and conditioning desires had run their course, but boy was I wrong! I learned immediately that BJJ is a sport of high competitiveness, it’s fast-paced, strategic, and it immediately builds your endurance/stamina. For such a challenging sport, you need to have amazing coaches and mentors by your side, and that ....

Endira Morales

Endira Morales 2022 White Belt of The Year I started my J iu J itsu journey on Nov 4 th 2021 , it was during a big transition in my life and little did I know it would make a huge impact on my life, and would be a sport I’d become passionate about. Aside from J iu J itsu I’m also a competitive powerlifter but unlike powerlifting, J iu J itsu is very intense and faster paced, and requires physical contact, completely different than anything I was used to and had ever done. I originally started J iu J itsu for self-defense purposes, but now I keep at it for much more than that, I keep at it because of the confidence it gives me, because of the family ....

Congratulations to Audrey Smith on her Yellow / White Belt

Audrey Smith awarded Yellow White belt Congratulations to Audrey Smith on her promotion to Yellow/White belt here at Checkmat Charlotte on November 5, 2023. Audrey has been a staple in our kids (7-13) program. Recently, she has been attending our beginners program as well. We are excited for Audrey’s future here as a student and as a competitor. ....

Never Mention The Fans

Ever. ....

Student of the Month - January 2022: Brandon Justice

Congratulations to Brandon Justice for being awarded student of the month! Brandon's hardworking attitude makes him a great addition to the team. Get to know Brandon below! What is your name, how old are you and Where are you originally from? My name is Brandon Justice. I am 25 years old and I’m from Greenville, South Carolina. What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte? I wanted to find a new hobby. I had heard a lot of great things about BJJ online and through some friends of mine so I wanted to give it a shot and see what it was all about. I ended up at Checkmat Charlotte after doing some research online and seeing a lot of great reviews for the gym and ....

2021 Competitor of the Year: Jillian Chalke

Congratulations to Jillian Chalke for being awarded Competitor of the Year for 2021 Jillian was awarded competitor of the year for her commitment and dedication to competing as much as possible and training hard with no excuses. In 2021 she went on an absolute competition rampage, stepping out on the mats for over 80 individual matches and bringing home 30+ medals for Checkmat Charlotte. What is your name, how old are you and Where are you originally from? Jillian Chalke, 29, originally from Virginia What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte? I literally woke up one day and thought “you know what might be fun?” and then I chose Checkmat ....

2021 Student of the Year: Brock Kirkland

Congratulations to Brock Kirkland for being awarded 2021 Student of the Year! Brock was awarded student of the year for his dedication and positive influence in the room. Brock is a hard worker while always maintaining a positive and approachable attitude - you will never hear him complaining! In addition to this, Brock is a well rounded and consistent grappler! Congrats again to Brock! What is your name, how old are you and Where are you originally from? Brock, 26, from Madison, WI What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte? I had wanted to try BJJ for a while after hearing great things about it on various podcasts. What brought me to Checkmat was the ....

2021 Most Improved Male: Konan Pérez

Congratulations to Konan Pé rez for being awarded most improved male of 2021! Konan was awarded most improved in 2021 based around the fact he does everything to maximize his attendance. He is a staple in the noon class, Sunday open mat and even makes an occasional appearance to our 6am open mat on Friday. His attitude is exemplary and his grappling progress has been as consistent as his attendance. What is your name, how old are you and Where are you originally from? Konan Perez, 31 years old. Fairfax, VA What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte? I’ve always been an MMA fan and constantly heard about the positive aspects of BJJ on ....

2021 Most Improved Female: Alicia McCall

Congratulations to Alicia McCall for being awarded most improved female of 2021! Alicia was awarded most improved in 2021 in recognition for her commendable effort to increase her mat time and get more involved in the competition scene. She has been picking up technique quickly and has significantly expanded her game and experience in 2021. Get to know Alicia more below! What is your name, how old are you and Where are you originally from? My name is Alicia, I am 30 years old and I am from Charlotte, NC. What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte? My fiancé :) How long have you been training? 3 years in March What is your ....

2022 BJJ Goals Worksheet

What is your long term goal for 2022? This is your main focus for the year as it relates to BJJ. It can be anything from weight loss to competition focused. How will you measure success on this goal? It’s important to be specific in goal setting. “Improve at jiu jitsu” is everyone’s goal, but it is not measurable and therefore impossible to know if you’ve succeeded. What is your plan of action? Define three supporting goals that will help you reach your overall goal. I.e attend at least 2 practices per week, ask questions after practice, keep a training journal… etc. These are the building blocks to help you work towards your ....

Student of The Month - November 2021: Josh Hawley

Congratulations to our November Student of the month, Josh Hawley. Josh became a regular on the mats quickly after joining, and has shown dedication, positivity and hard work. Get to know Josh below and come join him and the rest of the crew in our beginner’s class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm! What is your name, how old are you and Where are you originally from? My name is Josh Hawley. I'm 30 years old, born and raised here in Charlotte, North Carolina. What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte. I had just moved and decided that I needed to really focus on self defense without any weaponry. Coach Michael welcomed me to the gym with open arms despite ....

Student of The Month for October

Student of The Month for October - Tim Goodwin Congratulations to Octobers student of the month, Tim Goodwin. Tim fought through three rounds of the World’s best Brown Belt competition on October 8 to win his first Masters 2 IBJJF No Gi World Championship. Tim has had a active year competing in major tournaments across the United States in both Gi and No Gi formats. Some of Tims accomplishments thus far has been placing in American Nationals, Pan Ams and of course his most recent and biggest achievement coming at the No Gi Worlds. Tim is Checkmat Charlotte’s first and only No Gi World Champion and our second Masters World Champion. Tim had this to say about winning the ....

Student of The Month For September - Brock Kirkland

Student of The Month For September- Brock Kirkland Congratulations to our Student of The Month For September, Brock Kirkland. Brock started his Jiu Jitsu journey in April of 2019. He comes to us ffom a small town outside of Madison, WI. He has a degree in applied Sciences with focus on Network Engineering. Thats his profession, but his hobby and passion is in bending and twisting things here at Checkmat Charlotte. You can find Brock on the mats most 6am classes, but if you really need to see him look no further than Friday open mat at 6am. Guaranteed he will be there with his always friendly smile ready to welcome anyone and everyone. In fact, you could call that class his baby ....

Student of The Month of August- Konan Perez

Student of the Month of August - Konan Perez Congratulations to Konan Perez for being named Student of The Month for August. Konan came to us in January of 2020 with no prior combat sports eXperience. He received his Blue belt on May 2, 2021 and has been training consistently since day one. Often times Konan trains twice a day, thus resulting in an astounding 50 pounds of weight loss!! 🤩 He has competed at successfully at Newbreed, while taking first place at Tap Cancer Out Charlotte and the Ibjjf Charlotte Open. Konan is a graduate of Virginia Tech University, majoring in mechanical engineering. He is a quality engineer at Britax Child Safety. For Konan’s exemplary efforts ....

Student of The Month for June, Jeff Zazarro

June’s Student Of The Month - Jeff Zazarro Congratulations to Jeff Zazarro for being named the Student of the Month in June. Jeff was unavailable for comment immediatley, but promised us an interview for a later date once his hectic schedule allows. For being named Student of The Month Jeff was awarded a brand new kimono from Break Point. Unfortunatley, this kimono pales in comparison to Jeff’s high dollar collection of kimonos. If you have the pleasure of knowing Jeff, you know he has a taste for the higher dollar toys of life. But that is another story. Congrats El Jeffe!!😃 ....

Student of The Month - May

Congratulations to Troy Hunt for being named Student Of The Month for May. Troy has been a member at Checkmat Charlotte since July 1,2020. He has entered successfully numerous competitions such as grappling industries, tap cancer out and IBJJF opens. Troy was recently promoted to the rank of Blue Belt by Professor Michael Allen . We sat down with Troy to ask him some questions about Jiu Jitsu and alot of other cool things. Here it is. Where are you originally from? Asheboro NC -- Home of the NC ZOO How old are you? 27 What is your Favorite Food? Tacos What is your favorite Type of Music? Classic Rock What is your favorite color? Teal Who was your favorite Avenger? Rocket ....

Student of the Month April 2021

Student of the Month of April - Lynne Robinson Its been a year since we did a Student of The Month. No better way to get back into the swing of things than a Blog interview. The student of the month for April is Lynne Robinson. Lynne has been training with us now for eight months to the day😍. Hope you enjoy the read. Hi. Please tell all of our readers your name. - Lynne Robinson Awesome! Please tell us how old you are and your rank in bjj? - I am 53 years young and I am a white belt. Why did you Start bjj training - I wanted nothing to do with it. But my youngest son convinced me it would help me gain confidence, which was pretty low at the time. That is a pretty ....

Student of the Month for January 2020

Student of the Month for January 2020 - Dalton Withers Every month at Checkmat Charlotte we award a student of the month. This gives potential students an opportunity to gain some insight as to what we are and what we do here at the Academy. This month the recipient is Dalton Withers. Dalton is a white belt here at Checkmat Charlotte and is two months into his journey. Dalton won a $50 Amazon gift card for his efforts and enthusiasm. Enjoy Dalton’s story and we hope that you decide to come by and visit us and begin your jujitsu training as well. What is your name, how old are you and Where are you originally from? Dalton Withers, I'm 25, I'm originally from Marietta, ....

Student of The Month of December 2019

For the month of December we awarded Alicia Mccall Student of The Month. Alicia is an amazing mom, a talented dancer and a white belt here at Checkmat Charlotte. She is one of the hardest workers in the room and is always eager to learn. For her performance on and off the mat during December, Alicia is being recognized here on our Blog and wins a $50 gift card to Five Guys Burger based upon Cheeseburgers being her favorite food. Enjoy our chat with Alicia and come see us on the mats! Oss. What is your name, how old are you and where are you originally from?
My name is Alicia McCall. I am 28 and I am from Charlotte, North Carolina. What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte?
....

Female Student Of The Year (2019)... Amanda Cargile

1. What is your name, how old are you, and where are you originally from? My
name is Amanda Cargile, and I’m 41. I grew up in Roswell, GA.
2. What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte? I was training with Joe Pacheco, doing kickboxing and strength/conditioning. We moved to a gym with a cage, and he decided we needed to learn to grapple. Not long after, Checkmat Charlotte moved into the gym as well. Michael saw me in the cage (probably failing around trying some sort of takedown and only succeeding in taking myself down) and invited me to try a class. I was hooked within minutes.
2a. You recently were promoted to Purple belt. How was that? Receiving my ....

Male Jiu Jitsu Student Of The Year

Male Student of The Year Jordan Varela
December 8 was Checkmat Charlotte’s annual end of year seminar and awards. Some students were promoted as well as recognized for their accomplishments. One student, Jordan Varela was awarded Male Student Of The Year. We sat down with Jordan and learned a little more about him and got his thoughts on everything from Jiu Jitsu, other Martial Arts and food. Enjoy this read with a fantastic person and Jiu Jitsu enthusiast.
What is your name, how old are you and where are you originally from? My name is Jordan Varela, I am 40 years old and am from Long Island, NY What brought you to BJJ and Checkmat Charlotte? I trained Muay Thai ....

Jiu Jitsu Student of the Month (November)

Student Of The Month for November winner, Jeff Zazarro answered some questions for us about his martial arts journey and his experience at Checkmat Charlotte. Jeff has been with us since 2017 and currently holds the rank of Blue Belt. Per his answers Jeff won a bag of delicious coffee from Forte Lagato, a local coffee company in nearby Fort Mill, SC. What is your name, how old are you and Where are you originally from? Jeff Zazzaro . 48 years old. Originally from Southington, Connecticut
How do you manage training bjj, and having a family at the same time? Checkmat Charlotte offers multiple times for classes. I go to morning and afternoon classes and spend evenings with ....

Jiu Jitsu Student of The Month for October 2019

Jiu Jitsu Student of The Month For October Every month at Checkmat Charlotte we will be featuring one of our students here on our blog as The Jiu Jitsu Student of The Month. For the month of October, the winner was Megan Melber. Megan has been with us for two years, is currently a blue belt and a assistant instructor in our Power Pawns kids program. We awarded Megan last night with this honor and she gladly accepted her prize of mini Snickers (her favorite candy).
Afterwards, we sat down with Megan to get an idea of who she is and her journey in Jiu Jitsu. Enjoy the article anddon't forget to check in for specials at Checkmat Charlotte .

1- What is your name and how old ....

The Queens Experience

Jiu Jitsu came into my life as I was at a crossroads. I joined Checkmat Charlotte about three months after moving to Charlotte knowing no one but my sister. As a remote employee, I worked from home every day and felt extremely isolated after my move. I would finish working for the day and ask myself “now what?” I took stock of the things missing in my life: friendships in a new city, physical activity, an outlet for my competitive nature, a sense of community and a coping mechanism for daily job and relationship stress. I chose Jiu Jitsu thinking I would be crossing off one or two items from my list - get a good work out in, maybe make a friend or two. I researched every gym ....

Sunday Open Mat at Checkmat Charlotte

Every friend group and social circle is like a little sitcom - diverse personalities and backgrounds come together and mix in interesting ways: we share stories, experiences, and just generally grow and learn together. Our gym at Checkmat Charlotte is no different - it's the funniest group of characters who all get together and practice "folding clothes with people in them" as someone once described jiu-jitsu to me. In this post, I'm going to take you through a typical Sunday open mat and describe some of the people and personalities that make up the day to try to give you a sense for what being a part of this community is like. Before diving into that, a quick intro. I'm Josh - ....

Waiver

Final Destination? ..... Checkmat!

I’ve been training Jiu Jitsu extremely sporadically for the past several years. My first experience started up in upstate New York at what I didn’t know at the time was a McDojo. Unfortunately, the closest legitimate school at the time was over an hour and a half away, so options were limited. Since then, I’ve been to quite a few different gyms due to work, moving, and gaining a better understanding of my own needs when it comes to choosing a gym. The first gym that I had joined started out fine as a small group of friends that would show up in our nogi attire, try YouTube techniques, and occasionally compete at the local NAGA or US Grappling tournaments. Because ....

Jiu Jitsu....MY Life Changer

My Life Changer WOW…Who knew moving jobs from little oh Lincolnton to the Big Queen City would change my life in so many ways. Hi everyone! My name is Ashley and I am going to tell you a little bit about my journey and how I found this AMAZING place I now call home. I am 28 years old and I have been working in Charlotte for about 6 months. I was recently accepted into UNC Charlotte as well. When I decided to make the move I knew I wanted to find a gym and learn Jiu Jitsu. At that time, I had been taking self-defense classes in Gastonia and honestly I was not fully satisfied. My family background in wrestling demanded that have that one on one contact that ....

Jiu Jitsu and...... Jesus??

It’s funny how life happens sometimes. My name is Rebecca Dailey, my friends call me Becca. I’m a 30 year old married girl who wants to follow Jesus even when sometimes I really don’t want to. It’s hard. I feel like I haven’t had a community in such a long time. I don’t really have a church that I go to regularly and for the past few years I have gone in and out of different ways to feel like I’m connected. Let’s back up a bit. A little over a year ago I was trying yet again either out of guilt or longing maybe both to feel that connection. A friend and teacher (I met my husband through a class he was teaching 😊 ) was seeking out ....

Join Us For the Best Kids Jiu Jitsu in Charlotte

Welcome To Our New Website! We’re Proud To Serve Charlotte with Kids Jiu Jitsu! At Checkmat Charlotte, we are working hard to go above and beyond for every person who walks through our doors. And you could be next! We are offering Charlotte a hands-on approach to Kids Jiu Jitsu. And you don’t need any prior experience to succeed! Come visit us at Checkmat Charlotte and see for yourself what makes us the best asdf facility in town. Just fill out the "Request Information" form on the side of the page and stop in for a visit today! And don't forget to click below to visit us on our social media pages!! ....