Derek is a lifelong student of the martial arts and began studying in the rigid protocol of Shotokan, or Okinawan Karate, at age 8 eventually moving on American Kickboxing until finally finding Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. After growing up around frequent street fights and from his experience working as a bouncer in his 20’s Derek saw how often altercations ended up on the ground and realized that being in a fight of any kind without sufficient knowledge of the grappling arts would be akin to jumping into the ocean without knowing how to swim. At that point Derek dedicated himself to the art of Jiu Jitsu, being trained by the well known 6th degree black belt, Professor Gustavo Froes, and was awarded his black belt from the early UFC veteran and global Brazilian Jiu Jitsu icon, Joe Moreira, in 2017. It’s Professor Derek’s belief that your Jiu Jitsu should be effective in the worst of situations; a street altercation. Derek’s teaching style is a return to the roots of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a system and style that is based in concepts of self defense and positional dominance. Derek is a dedicated father of two young boys and a passionate teacher, always willing to break down the finer details for his students.