Building a Combat Academy: Coach Donovan Britt on Krav Maga, Jiu-Jitsu, Mindset & Protecting the Mat

Host Pete Deeley welcomes Coach Donovan Britt to The Jiujitsu Mindset for a wide-ranging conversation about martial arts, business, and leadership. Britt recounts apprenticing for five years under instructor Roger Donofrio before taking over a school in 2008 amid the financial crash, after his real estate work and a smoothie-bar venture failed; with his last $400–$500 and twins on the way, he began what became Las Vegas Combat Academy, growing from an 1,100 sq. ft. space to a 10,000 sq. ft. facility with a self-defense-first approach that also includes MMA and jiu-jitsu. He discusses misconceptions and quality-control issues in Krav Maga, his training with leading figures (including Near Maman, Darren Levine, John Whitman), and why he began competing in jiu-jitsu (including placing first at NAGA) to lead his students by example and challenge stereotypes. Britt connects mental toughness, emotional conditioning, and purpose larger than oneself—shaped by an impoverished upbringing, military background, football, and his grandfather’s work ethic—to discipline in training and entrepreneurship. The episode covers the role of sparring and competition as stress tests, differences between fighting and self-defense, and the need for varied skills to handle real violence, illustrated by Britt’s loss-prevention years in 1990s Oakland and a particularly dangerous fight with a drugged suspect that required a rear naked choke. Britt also strongly addresses gym culture and safety, condemning misconduct toward women, describing removing a student with a concerning history, and emphasizing that men must “guard the mat.” He closes with coaching principles—earning the right to correct students, setting clear expectations, accountability, and building community—highlighted by a transformative story of a teen student, Angel, regaining confidence after trauma through guided sparring and support from the men in the gym.

In this episode

• 00:00 Welcome + Coffee & Online Academy Shoutouts
• 00:33 Meet Coach Donovan Britt: A Different Martial Arts Perspective
• 01:55 From Student to Instructor: The Long Krav Maga Apprenticeship
• 03:53 2008 Crash to Comeback: Starting Las Vegas Combat Academy
• 06:59 Self-Defense First, MMA & Jiu-Jitsu Later (and the Krav Label)
• 08:38 Proving It in Competition: NAGA, Psychology, and Leading by Example
• 13:36 Iron Will & Legacy: Poverty, Family, and Why Discipline Gets Easier
• 17:26 Hard Work Stories: Grandfather in Alaska + Work Ethic Mindset
• 19:22 How Martial Arts Learning Differs: Intent, Emotion, and Going Further
• 22:44 Calling Out Toxic Gym Culture: Protecting Women and ‘Guard the Mat’
• 27:49 Gym Dating, Reputation & Zero Tolerance for Drama
• 29:06 Most Memorable Fight: Loss Prevention in 90s Oakland
• 31:16 Why Jiu-Jitsu Matters When Pain Doesn’t Work
• 33:53 Competition vs Real Violence: Stress-Testing Skills
• 37:58 “It’s Just Pain”: Teaching Kids Hurt vs Injured
• 39:20 Fighting vs Self-Defense & Why Cross-Training Wins
• 42:48 Student Transformation Story: Angel’s Turning Point
• 48:29 Mentorship, Accountability & Earning the Right to Correct
• 52:25 Rules of the Tribe: Effort, Teamwork, Humility (Closing)

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