Our Instructors
Founded by both a civilian shooter and a law enforcement professional, Dojo is dedicated to developing responsible and safe members of the 2nd Amendment community through education and service.
Meet our cadre, and be certain you will receive excellent instruction and personal attention.
Donovan Brooks
Lead Instructor
Donovan is a civilian and competition shooter with a multi-decade professional background in education. Seeking to embody our founding fathers’ ideals of the prepared citizen, he has combined his firearms training with extensive medical and search and rescue experience. Donovan has been trained by some of our country’s best shooters - civilian, military, and law enforcement - to include high level competition shooters, Green Berets, Navy SEALs, MARSOC, and IDF. He has received training in pistol, rifle, low/no light engagements, force-on-force tactical decision making, tactical driving and vehicular engagements, small unit tactics and movement, and CQB. Dojo Armed Defense allows him to combine his love of teaching and coaching with his passion for firearms and personal safety.
Donovan is an NRA certified Basic Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer, and a SC Concealed Weapons Permit Instructor.
Training Resume: Safety Solutions Academy, SpecTrain, GORUCK, Ryker, Fieldcraft Survival, Draconian Tactical, Kanex Tactical, Kinetic Solutions, NRA
John Hudson
Lead Instructor
John is a retired SWAT operator from the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. He was on special teams for 22 of his 25 years and taught in and out of the department the entire time. He has taught CQB/breaching/PPD(personal protective detail) in six states. He has worked in Idaho, Louisiana, California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Delaware, and his home state of South Carolina. He has trained actors in the film industry and civilians the correct and safe weapons handling. He has worked for the DHS, GTI and Valkarie Tactical as an adjunct instructor. He is passionate and motivated to share his knowledge to those who will deploy it in a safe, legal and responsible manor.
