Metro Detroit Jiu-Jitsu Club

Filed Under: Detroit • Michigan (Added on Jan 02, 2010)

Tags: 48317 • Michigan • Shelby Township

Metro Detroit Jiu-Jitsu Club, located in Shelby Township, is Michigan’s only school officially certified by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Master Ricardo De La Riva. We offer classes for men, women and children in a safe, clean and friendly training environment. Our goal is to help you reach your goals whether for competition, to get in shape or just train for fun. We look forward to training with you!

Owner and Head Instructor Scott Zapczynski was first exposed to the effective art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by watching a skinny, 170 lb. Brazilian named Royce Gracie control and defeat larger, stronger, more athletic opponents in the early Ultimate Fighting Championships. Shortly after graduating from Michigan State University in 1997, Scott began training at a Gracie affiliated school in Farmington Hills.

In 1998, while working on a project in Orlando, Florida, Scott began training with a BJJ Blackbelt 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 classes in BJJ 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, he returned to Rio to live and train for the winter. Fortunately, Scott 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.

The Metro Detroit Jiu-Jitsu Club is located inside the Courtland Racquetball Club on the northeast corner of M-59 and Mound Road in Shelby Township. 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.