This week on Force Multiplier we talk with Johnny Lee Smith, 5th Degree BJJ black belt and founder of Strategic Self- Defense and Gunfighting Tactics, about defensive tactics training.  We discuss mindset and why an effective defensive tactics program is important.

LAW ENFORCEMENT & SECURITY RELATED QUALIFICATIONS:
• 2020 – Retained by Nationwide Law Firm as an expert consultant on the use of force
• 2016 – Johnny Lee Smith developed the SSGT OnGuard Program for The Home Depot’s Corporate Security Division. Approximately 200 Home Depot Corporate Security Officers receive SSGT OnGuard training annually.
• 2015 – Served as an expert witness in two use-of-force trials in United States District Court Northern District of Alabama
• January, 2014 – all police academies in the State of Alabama are required to teach 24 hours of SSGT Vanguard Level One and 24 hours of SSGT Vanguard Level Two.
• 2014 – Certified Police Instructor by the Alaska Police Standards Council
• 2013 – Adjunct Instructor at the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy in Meridian, MS
• 2010 – Certified Defensive Tactics Instructor by the Mississippi Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission
• 2008 – Completed Firearms Instructor Course at TLETA in Nashville
• 2007 – SSGT was the first defensive tactics program ever offered at Action Target’s Law Enforcement Training Camp (LETC) held in Provo, UT
• 2005 – In the State of Georgia, the successful completion of SSGT Vanguard One & Two Instructor Courses, along with showing proof of OC training, qualifies an officer as a Defensive Tactics Instructor Trainer.
• 2005 – present — Founded the “Equalizer” Women’s Self Defense Program. Johnny has certified criminal justice officers as instructors in the Equalizer Women’s Self-defense Program in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
• 2003 – SSGT became a mandated portion of the basic curriculum for all State and Regional Law Enforcement Academies in the State of Alabama-mandated by the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards In Training Commission.
• 2003 – Certified Specialized Instructor by the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission
• 1998 – present — Founded the “Strategic Self-defense and Grappling Tactics” (SSGT) Program for criminal justice officers.

MARTIAL ARTS QUALIFICATIONS:
• 2014 – 5th Degree Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black Belt under Carlos Machado
• 1997-present – Studied Gracie Jiu-jitsu directly under Carlos Machado
• 1996 – Founder and President of Triad Martial Arts, Inc
• 1994-present — Studied Gracie Jiu-jitsu directly under Rickson Gracie
• 1993-present — Began Gracie/Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
• 1987-2004 — Kobayashi Shorin Ryu 4th Degree Black Belt
• 1979-1993 — Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan 3rd Degree Black Belt
• Johnny Lee Smith was the first person in the State of Alabama to achieve Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
• Johnny Lee Smith was the first person from the State of Alabama to achieve 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. He is the highest ranking BJJ Black Belt in Alabama and among the highest ranked Americans in the United States.
• His Triad Martial Arts Academy has the largest number BJJ Black Belts in the State of Alabama.
• He is the only person in the state that has trained extensively with Rickson Gracie.
• He has been Instructor for numerous Pan American, Kakuto, NAGA and NASKA champions.

Connect  with Johnny Lee Smith and SSGT: Website, Gear Store

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This week we talk to Ari Knazan. We went beyond the typical “why cops should train”. We discuss some of the systemic problems in law enforcement in regard to training, types of training available and our pet peeves we see in our profession. 

Ari Knazan co-founded Invictus with Jason Rebsch in an effort to educate police officers and departments on the importance of Jiu Jitsu for law enforcement personnel. Ari has over 35 years experience in the martial arts and is a 1st degree black belt under Keith Owen (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. In addition to being a proud member of his city’s police force, 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 host of Torvus Podcast, which aims at exploring the lighter side of life and is also the owner of Chaos (www.enterchaos.com), which creates websites, logos as well as sells tactical watches as well as www.vikingjiujitsu.com brand.

This weeks episode is brought to you by Stop Resisting by Dr. Jeremy Butler. In Stop Resisting, Dr. Butler draws from years of martial arts training, law enforcement experience, and research to ensure you understand:

• The best martial arts for law enforcement officers
• How to adapt martial arts training to fit the unique needs of law enforcement
• How to mentally prepare for use of force encounters to maximize performance
• Tips on what to look for in a “LEO-friendly” martial arts school
• Specific techniques and tactics recommended by officers who actively train in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

Connect with Lorenzo Valdivia:
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Veteran Crisis: Dial 988 then press 1
Cop Line: 800-267-5463

This week we talk to Daniel Spychalski. We discuss decision and resistive based police training, inadequate training, perfect outcome expectations.

Daniel is a Multiple Martial art black belts, mixed martial arts, Police Instructor certified in defensive tactics, firearms, rifle, multiple ballistic shields. He has Patents in shoot back target systems (resistive firearms training), shield and firearm one handed reloaders.

360 Gun Grappling System 

Connect with Lorenzo Valdivia:
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Veteran Crisis: Dial 988 then press 1
Cop Line: 800-267-5463

This week we talk to William Branum with Naked Warrior Recovery. We discuss the benefits of CBD and why being Mediocre is never ok.

Founder and CEO of Naked Warrior Recovery, a CBD  company focused on the recovery of veterans and first  responders. He is a retired Navy SEAL with 26 years of service.  He has served on both traditional SEAL Teams, taught as a  SEAL Sniper Instructor and served on Teams that specialized in  undersea operations, who’s missions must be approved by the  President of the United States. He led major combat operations  ranging from protecting the interim Iraqi elected officials to Direct  Action missions in Baghdad and across Ambar province.  

After retiring from the military in 2018 he realized that he  was suffering from physical and psychological symptoms that  negatively impacted his well-being and quality of life. Migraines,  severe anxiety, chronic pains, difficulty focusing, difficulty  sleeping/falling asleep, and depression are some of the  symptoms I struggled with on a daily basis.  

Like so many others, he used alcohol & prescription drugs  to mask the symptoms he had. Then he discovered CBD and it  changed his life. It had such an impact on him he started Naked  Warrior Recovery to bring the highest quality products to the  market and to teach the GET NAKED! Mindset.

Connect with William:
Email: william@nw-recovery.com
Website: https://nw-recovery.com/

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Veteran Crisis: Dial 988 then press 1
Cop Line: 800-267-5463

This weeks episode is brought to you by Do Hard Things Coaching and Consulting.  This week we talk to Elias Donker. We discuss his involvement in a OIS, Mental Health and Training for Stress Performance.

On April 11, 2020, deputies with the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a suspicious person.  Units located a vehicle in the wood line east of Crews Place north of Illiana road.  The vehicle had shattered windows and as deputies exited their vehicles to investigate they observed multiple knives behind the vehicle.  Deputies attempted to make contact with the owner of the vehicle by PA system as it was a wooded area and they were not able to see anyone.  A short time later, shots were fired at the deputies with multiple rounds hitting one of the deputies marked SUV.  Deputies took cover behind their vehicles but could not see where the gunshots were coming from.  Other deputies responded along with officers from other local agencies as well as state troopers.  The initial deputies continued to take fire from the wooded area north of them but still could not see the suspect to engage.

Deputy Elias Donker was one of the first units to respond.  Hearing sporadic gunfire along with the fact that deputies were pinned down by that gunfire, he decided to move across an open field to a tree line west of where the shots were being fired in an attempt to flank the suspect.  Once Deputy Donker advanced to the tree line he took a defensive position and could hear movement and shots being fired but was not able to see the suspect.  Other officers went to assist Deputy Donker at his position to flank the suspect.  Shots were fired in the direction of the responding officers but they could not locate the suspect.  Shortly after the last shots were fired that impacted the area where responding officers were flanking the suspect, Deputy Donker observed the suspect prone in the brush raising a handgun in his direction.  Deputy Donker fired several shots at the suspect and the shooting stopped.  Not knowing if the suspect was struck, officers held their positions until an armored vehicle with Terre Haute Police Special Response Team members could safely approach.  A short time later they were able to locate the suspect and confirm he was deceased.  An autopsy performed on the suspect confirmed he was shot and killed as a result of Deputy Donker returning fire.

Deputy Donkers’ quick action in an extremely dangerous situation saved the lives of responding deputies and officers who were being fired upon.  With no regard for his personal safety, he crossed an open field to flank an armed suspect who was actively shooting at officers who were pinned down.  Deputy Donker moved to a position of cover and engaged the suspect after being fired upon thus ending the dangerous situation. 

Do Hard Things Coaching and Consulting:
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Podcast: Apple Spotify

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Veteran Crisis: Dial 988 then press 1
Cop Line: 800-267-5463

This week we talk to Brandon Bennett. We discuss living life as a warrior.

Brandon Bennett as been supporting his community as a Tulsa police officer since 1992 – including roles as Burglary Detective, Special Operations, and Defensive Tactics Trainer – Brandon brings a wealth of firsthand, real-world experience to his teaching.

Brandon’s breadth of police experience is paralleled by his decades-long journey as a professional martial artist and instructor. With certifications, rankings, and thousands of hours of instruction under numerous martial arts and combative systems – such as the Inosanto Systems, World Thai Boxing Association, Warriors Way International, and Sayoc Kali– Brandon draws from his ever-evolving toolkit to provide invaluable direction to our unique combatives program.

From developing curriculum for the United States Shooting Academy, co-developing Close Quarters Tactics and edged weapons programs, assisting in the research and creation of the defensive tactics curriculum for the Tulsa Police Department … to hostage situations and dignitary protection … to acclaimed women and children’s self-defense training – Brandon brings his dynamic, application-based methodology to bare for YOU, helping ensure graduates of our programs are well-equipped to answer whatever questions the day may ask.

Connect with Brandon Bennett:
http://www.relentlessmartialarts.com

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Email: forcemultiplierDS@gmail.com
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This week we talk to Edmundo Mireles, Jr.. We discuss the 1986 Miami Firefight and how that event change law enforcement.

Mr. Mireles was born in Alice, Texas and raised in Beeville, TX. In 1971 he enlisted in the US Marines. He served as a Marine Security Guard at the US Embassy’s in Sophia, Bulgaria; Reykjavik, Iceland; Brussels, Belgium and Madrid, Spain.

After graduating from the University of Maryland in 1979, Mr. Mireles entered on duty with the FBI. He is a 25-year veteran of the FBI with experience as an FBI Street Agent, Supervisor and Manager in a wide range of investigative and administrative areas, as well as extensive Undercover (UC) work. Mr. Mireles served as the primary Undercover Agent in scores of high level and high-risk narcotics, criminal and national security investigations.

He has been involved in two deadly force confrontations with armed adversaries and has been wounded twice. He is married to Elizabeth who was also an FBI Agent.

On April 11, 1986 eight FBI Agents and two Para-military bank robbers faced off on a quiet street in South Miami. This face off was the culmination of a seven-month investigation into several armored truck and bank robberies perpetrated by two unknown men.

The stage was set for what has been called the FBI Miami Firefight. Eight FBI Agents and two bank robbers faced off in a small area in front of a residence. Ten men faced off for five minutes in that small area. There were approximately 150 shots fired in that short span of time. At the end of the gunfight, nine out of the ten participants were wounded or killed. That is a 90% causality rate. The two bank robbers were dead as well as FBI Special Agents Ben Grogan and Jerry Dove. Five other agents were wounded including FBI Special Agent Mireles who was shot twice. The five-minute gunfight between eight FBI agents and two murderous bank robbers changed law enforcement training, equipment and tactics throughout the U.S.

FBI Special Agent Mireles is nationally and internationally recognized by law enforcement officers, journalists and hand gun enthusiasts as the last man standing in this historic gunfight. It is a monumental event that has been referred to as “Five Minutes that Changed the Bureau.”

In October 1986 the International Association of Chiefs of Police awarded Mr. Mireles its National Police Officer of the Year Award for the Year 1986.  The US Department of Justice recognized Mr. Mireles as the Federal Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and awarded him the Attorney Generals Award for Exceptional Heroism. He was awarded the FBI Medal of Valor.  The Texas Department of Criminal Justice honored Mr. Mireles by dedicating the Edmundo Mireles Criminal Justice Training Academy in his name. The academy is located in Beeville, Texas.

Mr. Mireles retired in March of 2004. He spent four years working in Iraq as a Law Enforcement Professional and advisor to the Iraqi Police. One-year (in uniform) embedded with the 1st (MEF) Marines in Fallujah, the 10th Mountain Division in Baghdad and Basrah. Mr. Mireles also worked with the U.S. Department of State in Baghdad. He later worked for a year with the State Department helping train police in Mexico and a year helping to train police in Belize.

Mr. Mireles has published his account of what happened on April 11, 1986 in a recently released book “FBI Miami Firefight, Five Minutes that Changed the Bureau.” Mr. Mireles has sold thousands of copies of his book which can be purchased at www.edmireles.com, Amazon or Kindle.

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Email: forcemultiplierDS@gmail.com

This weeks episode is brought to you by Do Hard Things Coaching and Consulting.  This week we talk to Master Rickson Gracie and Craig Husband. We discuss Master Rickson's breathing philosophies and how he is using them to train First Responders around the Country.

Master Rickson Gracie was born into Gracie Jiu Jitsu on November 21, 1959 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Master Rickson took on all challengers in bouts in the ring, on the street, and on the beach and carried the weight that came with being his family’s last line of defense. Master Rickson moved to America in 1989 to help his brother Rorion establish their first Jiu Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California.
After retiring in 2006 with an unprecedented, undefeated record of 465-0, Master Rickson focused all of his energy on spreading the art of Jiu Jitsu.  Even today, the 8th degree black belt’s technique is considered to be the finest expression of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the world. Celebrated for invincibility on the mat and dignified conduct outside the ring, Master Rickson is known as a modern day samurai and inspires others to follow in his footsteps and strive for greatness. He has taught students from all walks of life:  men, women, children, senior citizens, handicapped students, FBI Agents, SWAT Teams, Navy Seals, military personnel, martial artists of various styles, athletes and actors.  Thanks to his dedicated efforts as teacher, Gracie has built a legacy of disciplined students, teachers, and warriors. Today he continues to teach special classes and seminars to help spread and further refine his family’s art. He presently is the president of the JIUJITSU GLOBAL FEDERATION, RICKSON ACADEMY and RICKSON GRACIE CUP whose mission is to restore Jiu Jitsu’s effectiveness, increase the art’s popularity by offering Jiu Jitsu community with a true representation of our culture, art, and tradition.

Retired Undersheriff Craig Husband is a 33 year veteran of the Ventura County (California) Sheriff’s Department. Craig worked a wide variety of assignments during his career including Jails, Patrol, Major Crimes, Narcotics, Vice and Intelligence, Training Academy, Selective Enforcement Detail,  and Personnel.  Collateral assignments include Swat Team, Hostage Negotiation Team and Academy Weaponless Defense Instructor.  He spent 11 years of his  career serving as Undersheriff. Craig  began training in Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu 35 years ago directly under Master Rickson Gracie and continues to do so to this day. Craig was promoted to 3rd degree black belt by Master Rickson Gracie. Currently he actively teaches law enforcement instructors and personnel, civilian personnel, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors in the principles of Jiu-Jitsu as taught to him by Master Rickson Gracie.

For more information about Master Rickson and Craig Husbands breathing for Law Enforcement STRENGTH contact: +1-805-500-0219

Do Hard Things Coaching and Consulting:
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Podcast: Apple Spotify


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Email: forcemultiplierDS@gmail.com