Aztlan Combat Sports proudly serving Lafayette

Foundational & Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor

I originally hail from Brownsville, Texas, but my family relocated to Indiana when I was quite young. I graduated from Twin Lakes High School, where I was active in football and wrestling. Two weeks after graduating, I enlisted in the Army and joined the Armor branch.

In my early adulthood, I was stationed in South Korea, where I began training in Tae Kwon Do. I was then transferred to Germany and deployed to Iraq in February 2004 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Upon my return, I was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where I started training in various traditional striking martial arts, including Kung Fu, Kali, and Karate. Sharing the training space with the Army Combatives team, I was inspired to enroll in their program. I completed the Level 1 Modern Army Combatives Program Basic Course and quickly developed a passion for learning more.

Subsequently, I was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia, where I undertook two additional year-long deployments to Iraq and advanced my Army Combatives training. I competed frequently and was selected to represent the 3rd Brigade Combatives Team in the All-Army Combatives Tournament in 2008, 2009, and 2010. I also graduated from the Tactical Combatives Instructor Course (Level 4) and practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in my spare time. For nearly three years, I served as the Lead Instructor for the Army Armor Basic Officer Leader Course Modern Army Combatives Program before leaving the Army.

During my military career, I earned several distinctions, including the Commandant’s List and the Leadership Award in the Primary Leadership Development Course. One of my proudest achievements was graduating from the Bradley Master Gunner Course, one of the hardest academic schools in the Army. By the time I left the Army, I had been awarded a Bronze Star, seven Army Commendation Medals, six Army Achievement Medals, the Combat Action Badge, and various other decorations.

After leaving the Army, I moved to Monticello, Indiana, where I opened a small academy. I later accepted a position providing protective security for the U.S. Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. I spent a couple of years in Kabul before switching companies and working in Erbil, Iraq. Altogether, I have spent seven years in Iraq and Afghanistan in both military and paramilitary roles.

While in Afghanistan, and despite working 12-hour shifts, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Strategic Security and Protection Management and began working on my Master’s in Intelligence Management. Following an injury I sustained in Iraq, I returned to West Lafayette, Indiana, and attended IU McKinney Law School where I received my Juris Doctorate

Jiu-Jitsu has profoundly impacted my life. Although I was not a strong student in high school, it has driven me to pursue a law degree. Jiu-Jitsu taught me that knowledge and effort are the keys to success, and I have developed a deep passion for learning. I hope to pass this enthusiasm on to my two beautiful children that I have with my beautiful wife, Erica. Despite my back injury preventing me from practicing jiu-jitsu competitively, I find great joy in teaching others the lessons I’ve learned, both in technique and in life.

My mission is to spread the message of empowerment through self-improvement and to support fellow combat veterans who may be struggling to find purpose outside of the military.

Book a private lesson with me HERE