BJJ Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos & Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Ricardo “Rey” Diogo

Ricardo Diogo, Also known as “Rey” Diogo was one of the first Carlson Gracie Jiu Itsu Team representatives to come to the United States where he established his own academy based on his master’s teachings. Ever since he landed in the US (1996) Rey Diogo quickly became one of the top Jiu Jitsu Instructors in the country, forming several high level black belts. Ricardo “Rey” Diogo was born on the 22nd of June, 1965 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and he grew in the Tijuca Burg of the city. Ricardo trained Judo for a short while as a child before he started playing basketball at school. Through his basketball training buddies, Diogo heard about the Gracie family and their achievements in Jiu Jitsu. Some time after Rey first heard about the Gracie family, he went to a cock fighting event where he met Carlson Gracie (who was a huge cockfighting fan). After he got to know Carlson, he was invited to come and train at the Carlson Gracie Academy. Ricardo was 19 years old at the time. Rey became part of the famous Carlson Gracie Team, sharing the mats with champions such as Ricardo De La Riva, Amaury Bitetti,
Ricardo Liborio and many others. He received all his belts by Master Carlson Gracie, including his Black Belt in 1997. Carlson also gave Diogo all his black belt degrees up to his 4th degree. In 1996 Ricardo Diogo was
invited by Carlson Gracie Junior to coe to Chicage and teach in the windy city. He took the opportunity and moved from Brazil to the USA, still wearing his brown belt. Ever since he arrived in America, Rey Diogo’s
Academy has grown from strength to strength graduating many blackbelts, who have established affiliate schools around the world.
Source: https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/ricardo-rey-diogo

Emerson Vidor is a 2nd Degree Black Belt and the 7th American to receive his Black Belt from Ricardo “Rey” Diogo, one of the original members of the legendary Carlson Gracie Team. He received these honors in 2013. Emerson brings with him over 20 years of training and BJJ competition experience, as well as several years teaching at the Rey Diogo Academy in Culver City.
In 2014 Emerson, and his wife Elizabeth decided to move from the Los Angeles area, out to the Conejo Valley to raise a family. It just so happened that around the same time, his long time friend and training partner,
Vince Giordano, made the same move. Together they collaborated, and Conejo Valley Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was born. It had always been his desire to own and operate an academy that emulated the environment of the
academy he grew up training at, in which Professor Rey Diogo created an atmosphere that was welcoming, fun, intense, and nothing short of a second family to all its members. That is exactly what Conejo Valley Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has grown into and will continue to become.
Emerson is thrilled to be apart of the community of Agoura Hills and the surrounding areas, to be able to raise his family here, and to pass on his knowledge and passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and all it’s endless benefits.
Emerson is first and foremost a devoted husband, and father to his two young boys. He enjoys a very active outdoors lifestyle, and is a 15 year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, serving the downtown Los
Angeles area.

BJJ Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos & Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Ricardo Miller > Ricardo “Rey” Diogo > Vincent Giordano

Vincent Giordano is a Black Belt under 5th Degree Black Belt Rey Diogo. Vince started training BJJ not long after a vacation he took to Rio de Janeiro in 2000. He was invited by a longtime friend to train at the Paragon Academy in Santa Barbara. It was there that he trained under Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller for over ten years. Vince earned his blue and purple belts under Franjinha’s watchful eye. In 2010 he found a great academy in Culver City called Rey Diogo/Carlson Gracie Team. As Vince has enjoyed training at multiple academies when possible, he was able to train at Rey’s in the morning and Paragon in the evenings.

Due to work commitments and an expanding family life, Vince now solely trains at Rey Diogo/Carlson Gracie Team. He earned his black belt under Rey Diogo in 2018. Vince has completed in many tournaments over the years, and he has been lucky enough to have had some of BJJ’S elite as training partners.

Vince has been an elevator mechanic for 16 years and has been married to his wife, Angie, for nine years.  They live in Calabasas, with their son and daughter. He enjoys traveling, cooking and surfing. “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has enhanced my life in so many different ways. It keeps my mind sharp, my body fit, but most importantly, it has resulted in life-long friendships. I am really excited to be involved with this Academy, both on and off the mat.”