Our Team

PPO #120340
BSIS Instructor TIF #1943
NRA Instructor / RSO #226079073
DOJ Instructor # 2189160
EMT # E162364

Big Tony Alvarez

Owner / Lead Instructor

Big Tony is a former Private Protection specialist, working and traveling throughout Southeast Asia, India, Bangladesh, and parts of Latin America as a security professional servicing private principles and action sports-related business.

He has trained extensively in personal carry and defensive pistol, as well as shotgun, carbine, and low-light environments, and has a long-standing martial arts background.

Big Tony is a certified firearms instructor under P.O.S.T., STC, BSIS, DOJ, and NRA. He is a lead instructor with Artifex Firearms Training and is an approved instructor under Mike Pannone and CTT Solutions for Covert Carry/Concealed Carry. He is also the Director of Training for Protech EMS, providing TacMed training for LEOs throughout the state is an active EMT and instructor, certified under NAEMSE.

Ron Hernandez

Instructor

Ron is a former United States Marine, serving from 1992-1998 as a military police and corrections officer. He is the owner of Bear State Tactical, providing FFL, armorer, and gun smithing services as a California Firearms Dealer in the Orange County area since 2014.

Ron is an NRA certified instructor for pistol, rifle, and shotgun, as well as personal protection in the home. He has attended the CTT Solutions Covert Carry Accelerated Course w/ Mike Pannone, and Combat Marksman as well.

He has trained in both Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC Provider) and is currently enrolled in EMT school, and is an assistant instructor with Protech EMS training law enforcement and first responders.

Joe Winter

Instructor

Joe is a southern California native that began his martial art career in 1990 with the art of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Upon earning his black belt in 1998, Joe has been on the mat teaching ever since.

Joe has competed in amateur MMA competition with a record 3-0-1. Joe has also competed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition as well as Judo competition with no loses. Joe has trained many of his students for various competitions with very successful results.

Joe’s passion on the mat is for the self-defense roots of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, and focuses on that here at the school. Joe is also a certified law-enforcement instructor in G.R.A.CI.E.- Gracie Retention and Control for Immediate Enforcement under Royce Gracie.

Joe’s teaching style makes his classes welcoming to people of all ages and backgrounds. Joe prides himself in saying “all of his students are teachers. We are teacher’s first, fighters second. We love working with new students!”