The Family
Who We Are
Leongolden Academy
At LeonGolden Academy, our journey began with a vision to bring something truly different to our community. Not just a place to train, but a place where the art of Gracie Jiu Jitsu is lived with purpose, respect, and authenticity. From the beginning, our goal has been to create an environment where athletes, families, and individuals of all backgrounds can come together to grow not only on the mat, but in life. Our mission is to preserve the authentic traditions of Gracie Jiu Jitsu while building a strong and respectful community where students of all ages develop discipline, confidence, and character. We believe that Jiu Jitsu is not simply an art of combat. It is a tool for personal growth, emotional balance, and human connection. Through structured training, we support individuals dealing with anxiety, and we provide an environment where children and adults on the autism spectrum can develop confidence, improve focus, and express themselves beyond verbal limitations. Jiu Jitsu allows them to explore communication through movement, awareness, and intelligence, helping unlock their full potential. LeonGolden Academy is proud to be one of a kind. Under our roof, students have the rare opportunity to learn from two 5th-degree black belt professors whose lineage comes directly from Helio Gracie. This level of knowledge, experience, and authenticity is not something commonly found. Having two professors of this caliber is a true blessing for our students, offering access to high-level understanding, deep technical detail, and a direct connection to the roots of the art. LeonGolden Academy brings together instructors whose lineage, experience, and dedication represent decades of commitment to Jiu Jitsu. Both professors follow a unified curriculum built, studied, and refined through years of experience by LeonGolden in collaboration with his professors. This structure ensures that every student receives consistent, authentic, and purposeful instruction rooted in true Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Under one roof, this shared system creates a powerful learning environment where tradition, technical excellence, and respect remain at the center of everything we do. Each instructor brings his own journey and perspective, but all are aligned in delivering the same philosophy, standards, and vision of the academy. At LeonGolden, the academy comes first. Our instructors are united by a shared commitment to teach with integrity while guiding every student to discover their full potential. This unity allows us to maintain a culture where respect for the art, for one another, and for the journey itself is never compromised. We are more than a training center. LeonGolden Academy is a place where individuals grow stronger physically and mentally, where children build confidence and resilience, and where a community is formed through shared values and mutual respect. Through Jiu Jitsu, we continue to build something that extends beyond the mats, a legacy rooted in discipline, connection, and the true spirit of the art.
Chet Quint
5th Degree Black Belt
Professor Chet Quint is a highly respected martial artist and instructor whose life has been devoted to the study, practice, and teaching of authentic Gracie Jiu Jitsu. With more than three decades on the mat, he represents a lifetime of dedication to traditional martial arts and the principles that define the Gracie system.
At 58 years old, Professor Quint is a 5th degree black belt under Master Pedro Sauer, one of the most respected figures in Gracie Jiu Jitsu and a direct representative of the lineage of Grandmaster Hélio Gracie. Pedro Sauer was raised and mentored within the Gracie family and is recognized worldwide as one of the most important ambassadors of traditional Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Professor Quint also trained under Master Rilion Gracie, who had a major influence on his technique and his approach to real self defense. Through this lineage, Professor Quint carries forward the philosophy, precision, and technical depth that define authentic Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
Over the course of more than thirty years of martial arts practice, Professor Quint has developed a deep understanding of both grappling and striking systems. His background includes Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Taekwondo, Krav Maga, Goju Ryu Karate, Kali, and Muay Thai. This diverse foundation allows him to teach with exceptional clarity, emphasizing leverage, timing, efficiency, and intelligent movement rather than strength.
Professor Quint’s dedication to the art has taken him across the world in pursuit of knowledge and in service of sharing Gracie Jiu Jitsu with new communities. He spent time training in Brazil to deepen his understanding of the art before helping expand Gracie Jiu Jitsu internationally. He is recognized as one of the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts to establish an academy in China, helping introduce and develop the art in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai during the early years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the region.
Professor Quint is also affiliated with the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation, the world’s leading organization for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition and standards. His connection with IBJJF reflects his commitment to maintaining the highest levels of technical credibility, structure, and authenticity within the sport.
Beyond rank and achievements, Professor Quint is known for his disciplined approach to teaching and his deep respect for the traditions of the art. His instruction emphasizes authenticity, function, and purpose, ensuring that students develop a true understanding of Gracie Jiu Jitsu not only as a martial art but as a lifelong path of personal growth, discipline, and character.
Today, at LeonGolden Academy in Ormond Beach, Professor Chet Quint brings his decades of experience, international perspective, and deep connection to the Gracie lineage to help guide the next generation of students. Through his teaching, the principles of discipline, respect, humility, and technical excellence continue to thrive within the LeonGolden community.
Through his lifelong dedication to the art and his commitment to sharing knowledge, Professor Quint continues to pass forward the true spirit of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, helping students at LeonGolden Academy grow stronger not only in skill but also in character and purpose.
John-Micheal Kaleikini
5th Degree Black Belt
Professor John-Michael Kaleikini is a 5th degree black belt Professor in Gracie Jiu Jitsu and one of the few instructors personally awarded his black belt by Grandmaster Relson Gracie. With nearly three decades devoted to the art, he represents the authentic spirit, discipline, and lineage of traditional Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
Professor Kaleikini has spent 29 years studying under Relson Gracie and 15 years influenced by the teachings and philosophy of Rickson Gracie. This places him within a respected third generation Gracie black belt lineage that follows the historic path of Hélio Gracie to Relson Gracie to Professor John-Michael Kaleikini and now to the next generation of students. His instruction reflects the original philosophy of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, where technique, leverage, intelligence, and patience overcome strength.
Beyond his achievements in martial arts, Professor Kaleikini is a proud veteran of the United States Coast Guard. His years of service shaped the discipline, resilience, and commitment to others that continue to guide the way he teaches and mentors students today.
His martial arts background is both deep and diverse. Professor Kaleikini holds the rank of Shodan in Judo from the Hodokan Judo Club under Sensei George Tsubota, following the traditions of the Kodokan Judo lineage. In addition, he holds instructor certifications and black belt rankings in American Kickboxing, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Dutch Kickboxing, and Ginástica Natural. This broad foundation has given him a profound understanding of balance, body mechanics, and the natural movement of the human body.
Over the years he has developed a refined teaching approach built on decades of studying anatomy, structure, and the mechanics of leverage. His ability to transmit knowledge goes far beyond technique. Students learn how to move efficiently, understand the body, and absorb the deeper energy and spirit of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. His classes are known for patience, technical precision, and a calm presence that allows both children and adults to grow with confidence and discipline.
Professor Kaleikini is also a father and a grandfather, and those roles deeply influence the way he approaches teaching. For him, Gracie Jiu Jitsu is not simply a sport or competition. It is a path of character, humility, responsibility, and personal transformation.
Like many who dedicate their lives to martial arts, his journey has not been without challenges. The path of discipline and growth often requires confronting adversity, learning from experience, and evolving as a person. Through decades on the mat and a lifetime of dedication, Professor Kaleikini has transformed those experiences into wisdom that he now shares with every student he teaches.
Today, at LeonGolden Academy, Professor John-Michael Kaleikini brings his lineage, knowledge, and life experience to serve something greater than himself. His presence strengthens the academy’s mission of preserving authentic Gracie Jiu Jitsu while helping build a culture of respect, discipline, and family. Through his guidance, the next generation of students at LeonGolden Academy continues the lineage forward, carrying the values of the art into the future.
At LeonGolden Academy, the goal is not only to teach techniques but to build people, families, and a community rooted in honor, humility, and lifelong learning. Professor Kaleikini stands as one of the pillars supporting that vision, helping shape the future of the academy and the students who walk through its doors.