Meet The Instructors

Manuel Flores was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. His family relocated to the US when he was 14 years old. After moving to the US Manuel started to train and compete in both wrestling and Kickboxing. Prof. Flores managed to keep a busy schedule with competition while raising a family and continuing with his public service. He competed and won his bouts in both MMA (RITC) and Boxing (police olympics). In BJJ Prof. Flores loved competing in the AZ circuit, achieving multiple gold medals. At the international level Prof. Flores has competing at the Masters worlds, US Nationals and Pan Ams, winning  silver and bronze multiple times. Prof. Flores continues to compete but his main focus is the growth of his students. You can find Prof. Flores on the mats rolling and teaching 6 days per week, helping and guiding his students to achieve their goals.

Brenda Soto was born and raised in Nogales, Mexico. Her family relocated to the US when she was 15 years old. Prof. Soto has won both her division and the absolute at the IBJJF Pan Ams both as a brown belt and as a black belt. When Prof. Soto started training she noticed the BJJ community needed to be more welcoming to women wanting to train and offer more options for them. When she and her husband opened their academy in 2010 Prof. Soto started the first women only program in the state of Arizona. As her program grew this inspired other academies to to the same and offer a safe environment for women to start training. Soto on the mats 6 days per week, helping and guiding her students to achieve their goals.

In January 2017, after reading Extreme Ownership and hearing Jocko Willink talk about what it means to lead yourself before you lead others — and about jiu-jitsu — I decided to step onto the mats. My experience in the Air Force built the foundation of discipline and accountability, but jiu-jitsu refined it through humility and struggle, shaping the way I lead today as a Firefighter Lieutenant and Coach.

I train and compete year-round because I believe you can’t lead from the sidelines. Competing keeps me honest, disciplined, and connected to the same challenges our athletes face.

As a Firefighter Lieutenant and Coach, I believe leadership starts with example — showing up prepared, staying calm under pressure, and lifting others around you. My vision for coaching is simple: to help build strong minds and humble warriors. For kids, that means confidence, respect, and self-control. For adults, it’s learning to fight through pressure and come out better than you started.

My faith anchors everything I do. Psalm 144:1 — “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.”

Coaching isn’t about creating fighters — it’s about developing character. Whether it’s in a fire, a fight, or a tough season of life, the same principle holds: stay disciplined, stay grounded, and serve others.

Lead. Win.

I started training jiu-jitsu in February 2019 and instantly fell in love with the grind, the growth, and the challenge. Competing since white belt has pushed me beyond my limits—mentally, physically, and spiritually—and taught me the importance of becoming comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Growth doesn’t happen in ease, and jiu-jitsu has shaped me into someone who leans into the hard moments and finds strength through them.

As a woman in this sport, I hope to set an example for my kids and for other girls and women stepping onto the mats—to show that strength and grace can coexist, and that courage grows each time we show up.

I’m passionate about training hard, competing often, and becoming the best version of myself while helping others do the same. I hold tightly to Proverbs 31:25: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” My faith reminds me that true strength comes from within—and with God, there’s no limit to what we can overcome, on and off the mats.