WHO are THE INVICTUS CADRE?

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--Director of Operations--

-- Co Founder --

Ari Knazan co-founded Invictus in 2019 in an effort to educate police officers and departments on the importance of Jiu Jitsu. Ari has over 35 years experience in the martial arts and is a 3rd degree black belt under Keith Owen/ Pedro Sauer (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and a 5th degree Black Belt under Steve Hiscoe (Japanese Jiu Jitsu), both which Ari credits to saving his life on a number of occasions.  

Ari is a Level 5 C4C-PJJ certified adjunct instructor under Chad Lyman. He is certified use of force instructor for his department  and the Province of British Columbia (SUFIC).

In addition to being a proud member of his city’s police force (having served as a Use of Force Instructor, Field Trainer, Patrol and Domestic Violence Investigator), he also operates the Invictus North HQ Jiu Jitsu Academy and several online businesses which all revolve around personal safety, combative training and tactical awareness. 

Ari also is the co host of the No ZOO LIONS PODCAST www.nozoolions.com which aims at exploring law enforcement issues. He is also the owner of Chaos (www.enterchaos.com), which creates websites, logos as well as sells tactical watches. 

Chad Lyman 3rd Degree Black Belt

Creator of C4C PJJ, one of the worlds most comprehensive police training systems. 

As a 20+ year Police Officer, Chad has experienced first-hand the rapidly evolving demands and challenges that Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) & Agencies face today. As Agencies invest in various advancements in technology to keep pace with these changes, many have yet to advance their Defensive Tactics (DT) Training, still utilizing outdated and ineffective methods, resulting in increased risk to Officers, agencies, and the communities they serve. From this need for Ongoing and Modernized training C4C PJJ (Police Jiu-Jitsu) was born.

Rob Magao is a 3rd Degree Blackbelt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu under Master Pedro Sauer. Rob is the founder, owner and head instructor of Bushido BJJ, with academies in both Manchester and Hebron, Connecticut. Rob began teaching cops Jiu-Jitsu in the late 1990’s and has helped introduce officers from around the country and internationally to the idea of grappling based DT training for over 20 years. He is also the founder and head instructor of the Officer Survival Series: De-Escalation Through Confidence Use of Force Program, which is considered by many to be one of the most comprehensive police use of force programs in existence.
 

With over 25 years of law enforcement experience, Rob has worked in  various units to include; patrol, SRO, conservation law-enforcement,  street crimes, narcotics, internal affairs, and as a detective  investigating serious crimes. Rob also served 18 years on SWAT and is one of the founders of the CT SWAT Challenge. Rob is also the host of The Code Podcast and is an avid competitor on the grappling competition circuit.  

CJ Delaney 3rd degree Black Belt

with S​uffolk County Sheriff’s Office. Chris is a DT Instructor, General Topics Instructor, Firearms Instructor (FBI Instructed), OC Chemical Agent Instructor, Crisis Intervention Instructor (CIT), Fair and Impartial Policing Instructor (FIP), NYS Certified School Resource Officer, GREAT Instructor, Sandy Hook Initiative Instructor and helps coordinate the Sheriff’s Office Explorer and College Internship Programs.  Chris’s BJJ career started in 2001. He began under the Kioto system and Professor Milton Regis where he attained the rank of blue belt. He would later change academies and continued his BJJ Journey at Serra BJJ. While at Serra BJJ, Chris met and trained under Professor Rich Korfhage (Serra BB) and would earn his Black Belt from Rich Korfhage in December of 2015.

John Metcalf Black Belt who has been training Jiu Jitsu for 17 years. He is a police officer of 10 years and a defensive tactics instructor for the Killeen Police Force and the Central Texas Police College in Texas.

John is also the main moderator for the Invictus Forum (Facebook) and has been one of the most vocal proponents for getting officers to train Jiu Jitsu. John has been with Invictus since its founding.

Brad “Gordinho” Barnes is a 2nd degree black belt and has been an influential BJJ and MMA coach to many of the world’s best fighters including UFC title contender Paul Buentello, and Bellator veterans Ryan Quinn of American Top Team and “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal.   

Brad is currently investing a lot of time and energy into self defense/combatives.   He is a 9 year veteran of the Ft Bend Co Sheriffs office and Midland Police Department;  

•  PBLEA Lead DT Instructor 
•  Field Training Officer 
•  Medal Of Service Recipient  

As an adjunct instructor for Chad Lyman’s C4C PJJ, Brad focuses on realistic principals and concepts with a focus on Real World & Law Enforcement Objectives, rather than “sport” JiuJitsu.