The Metro Detroit Jiu-Jitsu Club is located inside the Courtland Racquetball Club on the northeast corner of M-59 and Mound Rd. in Shelby Township, Michigan. We offer the highest quality Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction in a friendly, respectful, family environment. Whether you're looking for discipline, fitness, sport or self-defense training, we will meet your needs. Our curriculum covers all aspects of grappling, for self-defense and competition, from throws and take-downs to ground work and submissions.

Our community-based method of instruction integrates beginners into ongoing classes with advanced students. Newcomers learn not only from the class instructor, but also from more experienced students, providing a wider pool of knowledge, wisdom and technique. Advanced students, in turn, gain insight by helping beginners to progress. All classes are taught by qualified instructors.

Certified De La Riva Instructor	Scott was first exposed to the effective art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by watching a skinny, 170 lb. Brazilian fighter named Royce Gracie control and defeat larger, stronger, more athletic opponents in the early Ultimate Fighting Championships. Shortly after, Scott began training in 1997 at a Gracie affiliated school in Farmington Hills, Michigan. In 1998, while working on a project in Orlando, Florida, Scott began training with a BJJ Blackbelt and Brazilian National Champion under Ricardo De La Riva named Marcelo Grosso. In 1999, Marcelo invited Scott to his home in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to spend the winter training at Ricardo De La Riva’s academy in Copacabana. In 2000, Marcelo moved to Michigan with Scott and began teaching BJJ classes until the end of that year Marcelo had to return to Brazil. A couple Brazilian friends that had followed Marcelo up to Michigan stayed behind to live, work and continue training with Scott. At the end of 2002, Scott returned to Brazil to live and train for the winter. Fortunately, he has been able to spend every winter since 2002, living and training in Rio De Janeiro with Marcelo and De La Riva. Over those years , Scott has trained and competed in Brazil as a member of Team De La Riva. Thanks to being fluent in Portuguese, he has also assisted Master De La Riva in giving seminars in the U.S. and Brazil. Scott is proud to have been awarded his Blue, Purple, and Brown belts by Master Ricardo De La Riva at his academy in Copacabana, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Scott grew up in Shelby Township, Michigan and is a graduate of Utica Eisenhower High School and Michigan State University.
	Master Ricardo De La Riva is a Sixth Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the late Grand Master Carlson Gracie. He started training in 1980 at the age of 15 and was awarded his BJJ black belt in 1986. Master De La Riva was the main instructor at Grand Master Carlson Gracie’s academy for many years. As a black belt instructor for Grand Master Carlson, DLR had much influence on many future stars in BJJ and MMA in their early years at Carlson’s academy such as Mario Sperry, Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Liborio, Amaury Bitetti, Bebeo Duarte and Carlos Barreto just to name a few. Master De La Riva is best known for his aggressive and attacking guard game , a part of which bears his name. The “De La Riva Guard” or “De La Riva Hooks” have evolved over the years and are being used in their various forms at the highest levels of competition today. He used his unique style of BJJ to defeat some of the sports best, including the great Royler Gracie twice and brothers Royce and Rolker Gracie in the same competition. The legendary Rickson Gracie once stated that De La Riva has the best guard in the world!!! In 1993, Master De La Riva took a break from competition to dedicate his time exclusively to training his students. Among his champion students are brothers Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Rogerio “Minotouro” Nogueira , Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, Marcelo Grosso and Moacir “Boca” Oliveira among others. Always known as a great teacher of BJJ, recently, Master De La Riva was voted a top five BJJ fighter in the world by Gracie Magazine. Today, Master De La Riva divides his time between teaching and training at his academy in Copacabana, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and conducting seminars all over the world including regular seminars for U.S. Army Special Operations Forces. Master De La Riva will conduct 2-3 seminars per year at the Metro Detroit Jiu-Jitsu Club. All of our belt promotions and curriculum taught are under the supervision of Master De La Riva.
	Professional boxer and amateur MMA fighter Luigi “Lionheart” Gjokaj is a two time Detroit Golden Glove competitor and finalist. Luigi has many contacts with top professional and amateur boxers and world class coaches. Former IBF lightweight world champion and season 2 reality TV show “The Contender” finalist Steve Forbes (34-7 10KO's) hired Luigi as a sparring partner for his most recent fight which he won via 2nd round KO. He has also sparred countless rounds with Ronald Hearns (23-1 18KO’s), son of former 6 time world champion Thomas “Hitman” Hearns. Other notable boxing contenders include Lanardo Tyner (22-3, 13KO’s), Vernon Paris (19-0 13KO’s) Frank O’Neal (10-1-2 2KO’s) James Lester (8-2, 4 KO’s) Andre Gorges (9-1 6KO’s) Alexis Hloros (13-2-2 8KO’s) Luigi also serves as the head boxing instructor of the Detroit Lions. Luigi grew up in Warren, Michigan and is a graduate of Warren De La Salle High School.