Intercept - Stabilize - Resolve
What is the ISR Matrix?
The ISR Matrix is a unique teaching and training methodology that integrates mind and body in the process of learning and performing activities that require both a complex understanding of the processes and procedures involved as well as the immediate capacity and capability to execute wide, ever changing and varying degrees of actions based on them.
ISR Matrix International has provided strategic and tactical training to law enforcement, military and professional security professionals since 1999 and offers civilians its depth of experience and insights through their full spectrum pro-active personal protection and self-defense programs.
Our system and various programs are dynamic, performance driven, functional and reliable under pressure. They have been tested and vetted as both legally and morally defensible in the use of force throughout the world and in some of the most dangerous working environments possible.
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The Three Strategic Phases of the ISR Matrix:
- INTERCEPT: To engage, intercede, enter, gain or regain initiative.
- STABILIZE: To acquire, apprehend, control and manage positional advantage.
- RESOLVE: To establish, secure and achieve success and finality of action.
ISR Matrix History
ISR Matrix International is officially recognized by the United States Department of Defense as the historical origin for many of the modern approaches to defensive tactics, subject control, and apprehension currently taught across state and federal law enforcement agencies. The system has been featured in numerous publications including SWAT, Black Belt, Blitz, Contact, Police Down Under, ACAP, MMA Sports, Response Australia, Australian Security, and LE Technology, among others.
ISR Matrix has presented at a wide range of law enforcement conferences and expos such as Tactical Week Australia, the Australian Warrior Expo, Land Warfare Conference, the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) in Chicago, the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI) in Florida, Total Warrior: Tactical Training & Winning Mindset Camp in New Jersey, and more. Additionally, ISR Matrix has been a featured presenter on the Police1 online law enforcement resource network.
At its core, ISR Matrix Law Enforcement represents a unique, integrative teaching and training methodology developed by Luis Gutierrez. It is designed as a systematic framework—a strategic template—for safely and effectively instructing law enforcement personnel in modern, functional tactics. The methodology is highly adaptive and structurally dynamic, using specific stages and uniformly patterned steps that evolve incrementally through layered drilling sequences. This structured approach allows students to progress cyclically through fixed curriculum benchmarks and training goals.
The system’s foundational program, ISR Matrix 101, was co-founded and launched in 1999 by Luis Gutierrez and Officer Paul Sharp. Sharp contributed his extensive law enforcement experience and martial arts background to its original VHS-format presentations. Over the next few years, Gutierrez and Sharp introduced the material at BJJ and MMA camps hosted by the Straight Blast Gym in Oregon, including pioneering LEO-only sessions. They later continued teaching the system independently in their respective home states—Florida and Illinois—training students, some of whom went on to establish successful companies of their own.
In 2005, Luis Gutierrez was invited to present ISR Matrix Law Enforcement to the USAF Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Anti-Terrorism Specialty Team. The goal was to develop a team-oriented, weapons-centered apprehension system tailored to the unique demands of special operations teams working in combat zones. These missions required personnel to rapidly escalate and de-escalate force—operating within military rules of engagement while moving seamlessly between law enforcement actions, hands-on control, weapons use, and combat engagement.
From 2005 to 2008, Gutierrez expanded the ISR Matrix LE curriculum to meet the needs of military, security, and special operations units. This led to the creation of ISR Matrix AF—a system specifically designed to unify and integrate apprehension and combative principles within Armed Forces contexts. This work brought increased attention from special response teams both domestically and abroad. Soon after, trainers from Homeland Security, the Air Marshals, and the DEA were regularly attending ISR Matrix courses.
Over the following decades, the ISR Matrix Law Enforcement System was taught across North America, Australia, Europe, Iceland, and Asia, and was routinely presented at national and international law enforcement training events, conferences, and conventions.
In 2018, Luis Gutierrez introduced the ISR Matrix Civilian Systems, focused on personal protection and self-defense. This included the development of the ISR-C.A.T.—a specialized women’s counter-abduction and counter-assault program.
In November 2023, Gutierrez was hired by the Mesa Police Department to overhaul and systematize their defensive tactics program, with a particular focus on their Police Jiu-Jitsu curriculum. Within three months, the entire program was transformed into a structured, performance-based training model, replacing the previously used martial sport hybrid system. The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) granted the academy a unique authorization to beta test the new system.
The first year of implementation yielded remarkable results: 50% reduction in injuries to both officers and suspects 86% reduction in the use of strikes Significant decrease in lawsuits and training-related liabilities
By the second year, following five academy classes, the data showed even greater improvements: 74% reduction in strike usage 96% reduction in use-of-force claims 97% reduction in settlement costs 100% elimination of officer broken bones and sprains
As of 2025, ISR Matrix Police Jiu-Jitsu stands as the premier standard in law enforcement training. The Mesa Police Department has become a national model, showcasing how fully integrated defensive tactics can be embedded across every component of academy training and in-service protocols.
ISR Matrix has presented at a wide range of law enforcement conferences and expos such as Tactical Week Australia, the Australian Warrior Expo, Land Warfare Conference, the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) in Chicago, the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI) in Florida, Total Warrior: Tactical Training & Winning Mindset Camp in New Jersey, and more. Additionally, ISR Matrix has been a featured presenter on the Police1 online law enforcement resource network.
At its core, ISR Matrix Law Enforcement represents a unique, integrative teaching and training methodology developed by Luis Gutierrez. It is designed as a systematic framework—a strategic template—for safely and effectively instructing law enforcement personnel in modern, functional tactics. The methodology is highly adaptive and structurally dynamic, using specific stages and uniformly patterned steps that evolve incrementally through layered drilling sequences. This structured approach allows students to progress cyclically through fixed curriculum benchmarks and training goals.
The system’s foundational program, ISR Matrix 101, was co-founded and launched in 1999 by Luis Gutierrez and Officer Paul Sharp. Sharp contributed his extensive law enforcement experience and martial arts background to its original VHS-format presentations. Over the next few years, Gutierrez and Sharp introduced the material at BJJ and MMA camps hosted by the Straight Blast Gym in Oregon, including pioneering LEO-only sessions. They later continued teaching the system independently in their respective home states—Florida and Illinois—training students, some of whom went on to establish successful companies of their own.
In 2005, Luis Gutierrez was invited to present ISR Matrix Law Enforcement to the USAF Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Anti-Terrorism Specialty Team. The goal was to develop a team-oriented, weapons-centered apprehension system tailored to the unique demands of special operations teams working in combat zones. These missions required personnel to rapidly escalate and de-escalate force—operating within military rules of engagement while moving seamlessly between law enforcement actions, hands-on control, weapons use, and combat engagement.
From 2005 to 2008, Gutierrez expanded the ISR Matrix LE curriculum to meet the needs of military, security, and special operations units. This led to the creation of ISR Matrix AF—a system specifically designed to unify and integrate apprehension and combative principles within Armed Forces contexts. This work brought increased attention from special response teams both domestically and abroad. Soon after, trainers from Homeland Security, the Air Marshals, and the DEA were regularly attending ISR Matrix courses.
Over the following decades, the ISR Matrix Law Enforcement System was taught across North America, Australia, Europe, Iceland, and Asia, and was routinely presented at national and international law enforcement training events, conferences, and conventions.
In 2018, Luis Gutierrez introduced the ISR Matrix Civilian Systems, focused on personal protection and self-defense. This included the development of the ISR-C.A.T.—a specialized women’s counter-abduction and counter-assault program.
In November 2023, Gutierrez was hired by the Mesa Police Department to overhaul and systematize their defensive tactics program, with a particular focus on their Police Jiu-Jitsu curriculum. Within three months, the entire program was transformed into a structured, performance-based training model, replacing the previously used martial sport hybrid system. The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) granted the academy a unique authorization to beta test the new system.
The first year of implementation yielded remarkable results: 50% reduction in injuries to both officers and suspects 86% reduction in the use of strikes Significant decrease in lawsuits and training-related liabilities
By the second year, following five academy classes, the data showed even greater improvements: 74% reduction in strike usage 96% reduction in use-of-force claims 97% reduction in settlement costs 100% elimination of officer broken bones and sprains
As of 2025, ISR Matrix Police Jiu-Jitsu stands as the premier standard in law enforcement training. The Mesa Police Department has become a national model, showcasing how fully integrated defensive tactics can be embedded across every component of academy training and in-service protocols.
Luis Gutierrez
Founder / Chief Instructor / CEO
Luis Gutierrez is a lifelong martial artist, a 5th Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, and a subject matter expert in apprehension and combatives for the U.S. Department of Defense. Widely regarded as a “coach’s coach,” he has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative and pioneering instructors in both martial arts and defensive tactics for over 30 years.
His work has been featured in leading industry publications such as Black Belt, Blitz, and SWAT magazines. With a career spanning nearly every aspect of the martial arts world—from hands-on instruction and program development to tactical application and commercial products—Luis has consistently brought creativity, clarity, and depth to the profession.
As a gym owner, coach, and program director for more than two decades, he successfully ran two award-winning academies, One Dragon Martial Arts and Big Cypress Martial Arts. In addition to managing high-level training facilities, he traveled extensively to teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, self-defense, and law enforcement tactics. He is also the creator of several respected instructional systems and products, including Play as the Way Vol. 1 & 2 (youth coaching), Soflo Jiu Jitsu Vol. 1 & 2 (Harness & Chin Strap sets), and ISR Matrix 101 and Physical Management Sets.
Luis has trained men, women, and children in a variety of martial arts, martial fitness, combative sports, and weapon-based self-defense. His teaching environments have ranged from garages and community parks to professional academies, universities, schools, and Native reservations, underscoring his commitment to accessibility and real-world effectiveness.
He has coached fellow instructors, presented at law enforcement academies, and trained trainers from police departments, federal agencies, and military organizations across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Iceland, and China. He played a pivotal role in shaping the U.S. Air Force Combatives Program and continues to support state and federal law enforcement, military security forces, and special operations personnel with cutting-edge, field-proven methodology.
One of the defining achievements of his career has been leading the transformation of the Mesa Police Department’s defensive tactics training, particularly the design and development of its groundbreaking Police Jiu-Jitsu program. Through the implementation of the ISR Matrix system, Luis helped elevate Mesa Police Department’s approach to officer safety, subject control, and performance standards, garnering national recognition. Under his guidance, the department has become a national benchmark for law enforcement defensive tactics, producing measurable improvements in training efficacy, safety outcomes, and community trust.
Luis Gutierrez currently serves as the Training and Safety Specialist for the Mesa Police Department’s Advanced Training Division, where he also leads as Director of the Police Jiu-Jitsu Program. His ongoing mission is to establish ISR Matrix Police Jiu-Jitsu as the first nationally standardized defensive tactics system in the United States, bringing professionalism, accountability, and uniform effectiveness to law enforcement training across the country.
His work has been featured in leading industry publications such as Black Belt, Blitz, and SWAT magazines. With a career spanning nearly every aspect of the martial arts world—from hands-on instruction and program development to tactical application and commercial products—Luis has consistently brought creativity, clarity, and depth to the profession.
As a gym owner, coach, and program director for more than two decades, he successfully ran two award-winning academies, One Dragon Martial Arts and Big Cypress Martial Arts. In addition to managing high-level training facilities, he traveled extensively to teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, self-defense, and law enforcement tactics. He is also the creator of several respected instructional systems and products, including Play as the Way Vol. 1 & 2 (youth coaching), Soflo Jiu Jitsu Vol. 1 & 2 (Harness & Chin Strap sets), and ISR Matrix 101 and Physical Management Sets.
Luis has trained men, women, and children in a variety of martial arts, martial fitness, combative sports, and weapon-based self-defense. His teaching environments have ranged from garages and community parks to professional academies, universities, schools, and Native reservations, underscoring his commitment to accessibility and real-world effectiveness.
He has coached fellow instructors, presented at law enforcement academies, and trained trainers from police departments, federal agencies, and military organizations across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Iceland, and China. He played a pivotal role in shaping the U.S. Air Force Combatives Program and continues to support state and federal law enforcement, military security forces, and special operations personnel with cutting-edge, field-proven methodology.
One of the defining achievements of his career has been leading the transformation of the Mesa Police Department’s defensive tactics training, particularly the design and development of its groundbreaking Police Jiu-Jitsu program. Through the implementation of the ISR Matrix system, Luis helped elevate Mesa Police Department’s approach to officer safety, subject control, and performance standards, garnering national recognition. Under his guidance, the department has become a national benchmark for law enforcement defensive tactics, producing measurable improvements in training efficacy, safety outcomes, and community trust.
Luis Gutierrez currently serves as the Training and Safety Specialist for the Mesa Police Department’s Advanced Training Division, where he also leads as Director of the Police Jiu-Jitsu Program. His ongoing mission is to establish ISR Matrix Police Jiu-Jitsu as the first nationally standardized defensive tactics system in the United States, bringing professionalism, accountability, and uniform effectiveness to law enforcement training across the country.
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“Throughout the years I have personally witnessed all the time, work and dedication Luis has put into training various law enforcement agencies, military special operators, and civilians from all over the world. He can tailor the needs of a department, military unit or an individual and develop a personalized curriculum. He is by far, one of the most gifted martial arts instructors I have ever trained with and teaches every time totally from the heart.”
- James. E. Walker
Office of Special Investigations, Anti-Terrorism Specialty Team (retired), USAF Surveillance Specialist, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelt
“I have continually been impressed by Luis’ sense of service, depth, breadth of knowledge set and humility to develop continually. His work with local, state, federal and military members and his work internationally not only validate his expertise but also speaks volumes about his capability as an effective cross-cultural communicator. There are very few people who have the experience and maturity from both Brazilian Jiujitsu and Defensive Tactics background to train Law Enforcement entities as Luis does effectively. Simply said, he is a problem solver and has revolutionized training nationwide.”
- David W. Durnil
AD-23, DAF Chief of Training and Education HQ USAF/ADPC, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelt
AD-23, DAF Chief of Training and Education HQ USAF/ADPC, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelt
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