Muscle memory speed training
Repetition built so the technique survives the adrenaline. Officers respond quickly and correctly in high-stress situations, rather than recalling a movement they last saw in a classroom.
Serving law enforcement since 1990
Neutralize. Restrain. Control.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu defensive tactics for law enforcement, taught for retention under stress. Certify your own instructors in the Carlos Machado Method, or bring a boot camp to your agency.
- 1990
- Serving law enforcement
- 55+
- Years on the mat, Master Carlos Machado
- 3–5
- Day certification formats
Challenge coins and insignia
The curriculum
Built for the moment the training has to hold
The Carlos Machado Method covers stand-up techniques, ground control, containment and restraint, and finishes in critical arrest scenarios. What officers are left with is muscle memory, gentle control, and command of the arrest.
Motor skill retention
The training targets muscular and neurological retention, so physical ability and motor skills hold up under pressure, applied with precision rather than approximation.
Control and restraint
Containment and restraint that ends with handcuffs applied and your gear still on your belt. The emphasis is staying in control and de-escalating, which is how force stays proportionate.
Stand-up and ground control
Simple, replicable skill sets across stand-up and ground positions. Officers finish the course confident in the positions arrests actually happen in.
Format one
6 hours × 5 days
Format two
8 hours × 3 days
On completion
An individual Certificate of Completion, recording proficiency and skill set.
Founder and lead instructor
Meet Master Carlos Machado
Carlos Machado has spent more than 55 years in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and teaches police and military personnel pursuing tactical training certification alongside the next generation in self-defense.
He holds an 8th degree coral belt and is the highest ranked BJJ instructor in the Southwest. He comes from the Machado Brothers BJJ family and holds direct lineage under Grandmaster Carlos Gracie Sr. He serves as chief instructor at a prominent academy in Dallas-Fort Worth, and is the main instructor trainer for roughly 200 academy owners across the country.
His approach, the Carlos Machado Method, is built on muscle memory speed training and on retaining muscular and neurological motor skills. It is strong but deliberately gentle, teaching Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals shaped specifically for law enforcement work.
- 8th degree
- Coral belt, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- 55+ years
- On the mat
- ~200
- Academy owners he trains as instructors
Law Enforcement Boot Camps
Running 24 and 30 hours per week, covering stand-up techniques, ground control, containment and restraint methods, and finishing in critical arrest scenarios. Participants are awarded an individual Certificate of Completion. Carlos Machado is also actively involved in establishing training regimens for police departments across the nation.
Director of Law Enforcement Training
Meet Professor Anthony Bernabeao
A nationally recognized law enforcement training director with over 30 years of field and instructional experience, guiding our programs and focused on officer preparedness and effective response.
Renowned for his innovative approach and unwavering professionalism, Professor Bernabeao equips agencies and individual officers with the tools and mindset to excel in today’s dynamic environment.
Law enforcement leadership and use-of-force expertise
Use of Force Expert and BPOC Counselor with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, instructing and certifying officers in lawful force application, control, and officer safety.
Over 30 years of operational service across patrol, detention, and academy instruction roles.
Curriculum development and instructor certification
Lead author and instructor for the Defensive Tactics, Ground Fighting, Weapon Retention, and Surviving Edged Weapons programs currently used by the Harris County Sheriff’s Academy.
Certified Master Peace Officer and TCOLE Licensed Instructor, ensuring compliance with state standards and agency requirements.
Tactical systems and specialized instructor roles
Certified Master Taser Instructor, Patrol Rifle Instructor, Building Entry Instructor, Baton Instructor, and Simulation Instructor, responsible for recurring qualification and requalification across multiple tactical disciplines.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and combatives lineage
5th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlos Machado, and a certified instructor in Carlos Machado Tactical Training.
Further black belt ranks and certifications across Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Filipino Martial Arts, Pekiti Tersia Kali, and Jeet Kune Do, supporting controlled restraint and ground-based officer safety systems.
Track record
Proven impact across law enforcement and military communities
Decades of instruction, leadership development, and real-world application with officers, instructors, and agencies nationwide.
How to work with us
Law enforcement and combative services
Current and upcoming events
Live simulations and real-life scenarios run as special events inside the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tactical Defense program, built to test skills under pressure.
Courses and certification
Earn certification in BJJ Tactical Defense through the full course sequence. Comprehensive training, and a Certificate of Completion that records what the officer can do.
Become an instructor
Train under the team that certifies roughly 200 academy owners nationally, including Carlos Machado, and take the method back to your own agency.
Ready to get started?
Tell us the agency and the format that fits, and we will come back with the detail.
Meet the team
Certified instructors
Officers get very little time to train, and some of what they are taught does not hold up in the situations they meet today.
That is the reason we teach the Carlos Machado Tactical Training system. It helps officers learn and retain the important movements quickly, and it concentrates on the skills that get used when a situation turns.
The techniques are meant to be remembered and adjusted in the moment, so an officer stays in control while handling a dangerous situation, and everyone involved stays protected.
See how the training changes what your officers can do under pressure.
Before you ask
Frequently asked questions
How long is the course, and what does it cover?
The course runs in two formats: 6 hours a day for 5 days, or 8 hours a day for 3 days. It teaches the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu movements that matter for self-defense, focused on protecting your gear and applying handcuffs. The emphasis throughout is staying in control and de-escalating, which reduces the use of excessive force.
Is the training suitable for officers of all experience levels?
Yes. The courses take officers with or without prior experience, and concentrate on simple, retainable skill sets.
Can the training be customized for agencies nationwide?
Yes. We build customized programs to strengthen defensive tactics and tactical training for law enforcement agencies across the country.
What sets Carlos Machado’s approach apart?
It is simple, tested, and tailored for real-life scenarios, giving officers the skills to defend themselves effectively.
How can I book Carlos Machado as a speaker for my event?
Reach out using the button below or the live chat, and we will make the arrangements for your team or your attendees.
