PROFESSOR SCOTT started martial arts in ITF Taekwon Do, eventually running his own dojang in Dunedin, New Zealand. Despite being successful, he became increasingly disillusioned with the toxic politics and greed that plagued Taekwon-Do. After a number of years he'd had enough so he decided to start from scratch in a new martial art.

His Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey began in early 2011 under Prof. Stuart Marks (myBJJ New Zealand) and Prof. Philip Lindsay (BJJ Ōtepoti Dunedin NZ). By the time he was a Blue Belt he was already actively involved in teaching.

David has always had a passion for exploring Jiu Jitsu with a hands-on approach, always looking for the simplest, most effective techniques. 

Although he started in "old school" Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, he eventually made the switch to modern nogi Jiu Jitsu. This variation represents the latest evolution of the sport and is proven at the highest levels of the sport. This required relearning much of his Jiu Jitsu foundation.

On December 31st, 2023, after 13 years of training and under the rules and authority of Defiant Jiu Jitsu, David was promoted to Black Belt. 

DEF!ANT JIU JITSU was established by Professor Scott in 2019 as a non-profit club focused on modern nogi Jiu Jitsu. During the COVID pandemic it became very clear just how greedy, corrupt, and toxic mainstream Brazilian Jiu Jitsu had become. Our solution was to refocus our efforts back on Jiu Jitsu at the local level.  

Being independent ensures that training is affordable and allows us make decisions that directly benefit our students. We introduced a fairer, more consistent promotion system based on fairness and transparency.

Our training emphasises concept-driven learning rather than individual, isolated techniques. Over the long term we believe it's the most effective way to learn. Combat remains an integral part of every class and students establish a solid Jiu Jitsu foundation very quickly. 

Because modern Jiu Jitsu techniques have evolved to be extremely effective, all students have an obligation to prioritise safety at all times. Our Jiu Jitsu is more than just a sport—it is martial art so values like respect and honesty are very important to us.