Agogi Academy of Combatives
Inverness
​
Agogi Academy of Combatives is an affiliate of the illustrious Pedro Sauer Association. Our regional black belt affiliate is Sifu Alan Baker, owner of Atlanta Martial Arts Center.
Master Pedro Sauer
Personal History
Professor Pedro Sauer was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
where from an early age, he began training in the martial arts. At age five, he began
boxing and later took up judo and taekwondo. At age fifteen, however, his friend,
Rickson Gracie, invited him to train jiu-jitsu with his younger brother, Royler,
who at the time was only nine years old. The outcome of this experience convinced
him that jiu-jitsu was the most effective of all the martial arts, and he began
training the very next day.
Pedro worked towards a double major (Economics and Business Administration) in college, and took post graduation course at Fundacao Getulio Vargas. He worked in Brazil as a stockbroker for eleven years before deciding to move to the United States and pursue a career teaching jiu-jitsu. In 1990, he moved to California with the original wave of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors. He lived in California with Rickson Gracie and trained daily with the Gracie brothers (Rickson, Rorion, and Royce), their father, Helio Gracie, their cousin, Renzo Gracie, and the Machado Brothers, as well as many others. In December of that same year, he moved to Utah where he has lived for the past eight years, pioneering brazilian jiu-jitsu in the American southwest.
Teaching Experience
Pedro Earned his Black Belt from Helio and Rickson in 1985. Long recognized for the superior technical efficiency of his jiu-jitsu, he then began his career as an instructor in 1986 when asked to teach with an organization known in Brazil as Corpo/Quatro (Body of Four) where he taught and continued his training under renowned jiu-jitsu instructors Alvaro Barreto (who is a red belt master under Helio Gracie).
After moving to Utah in December of 1990, he taught as one of only two non-Gracie black belts under the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy (run by Rorion and Royce Gracie). In October of 1996, he became an official representative Black Belt Instructor under the Rickson Gracie American Jiu-Jitsu Association.
Currently, Pedro resides in Virginia where he instructs at One Spirit Martial Arts and at Jeff Gordon's Self Defense Academy. He also has several affiliated schools across the country, and he visits them on a regular basis to give intensive instruction to the students and instructors. He is one of the most highly sought after instructors in the U.S. (of any martial discipline) and has presented hundreds of public seminars around the nation.
Military and Law Enforcement Agencies:
Pedro works extensively with military groups in Virginia, including the Marines and various groups from the Navy SEAL teams (including the snipers). He has also trained FBI and CIA agents in Texas. SWAT teams in Colorado and Utah. Also in Utah, Pedro has trained the police in Provo, Orem, DARE officers, the Sheriffs department in Salt Lake City, POST (Police Officer's Standard Training) in SLC, and also the Orem Fire Department.
Pedro's skill, confidence, and fearlessness as a jiu-jitsu practitioner win him the respect of all that work with him. However, it is through his sincere personality, his passion for teaching, and his ability to transfer his skills to his students in an efficient and professional manner, that he has earned the loyalty of students across the nation, and has established himself as one of the premiere military and law enforcement instructors in the U.S.
Sifu Alan Baker is an internationally recognized martial arts & self defense expert. He has been training continually in the Martial Arts since 1981 and teaching since 1990. In 1999 he was inducted into the WHFSC International Martial Arts Hall of Fame. In August of 2007 Mr. Baker was awarded the rank of 7th Degree Black Belt by the International Martial Arts Headfounders Grandmasters Council. He has also been recognized for developing the Warriors Path Physical Fitness Program and is the founder for the Civilian Tactical Training Association, he has appeared in several national magazine articles.
In the course of his career he has attained the level of black belt or higher in multiple disciplines of martial arts as well as multiple instructor level certifications in additional systems under some of the industry's most renowned teachers such as Guro Dan Inosanto, Master Pedro Sauer, Sifu Francis Fong, Sensei Erik Paulson, Ajarn Chai Sirisute, Ajarn Greg Nelson, Tuhon Tim Waid, Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr, Professor James Cravens, Master Bob Byrd, Guro Don Garon, Grandmaster Dana Miller, and Sifu Paul Vunak.
In the tactical training field Sifu Baker has taught countermeasures and defensive tactics, firearms, and edged-weapon programs through his AMAC Tactical Training Group to Fortune 50 corporate security teams and law enforcement / SWAT teams throughout the United States from the Marietta SWAT team here in Georgia to the Cincinnati SWAT team and the California Highway Patrol unit just to name a few. He has been privileged to work with and design training programs for the Department of Defense, CIA, and other specialized government and military groups.
Sifu Baker is a certified Personal Protection Specialist (PPS) and the Defensive Tactics Instructor for The Executive Protection Institute (EPI) in Clarke County, Virginia, where he created a specialized defensive tactics program for Protection Agents (Bodyguards). Sifu Baker's AMAC Tactical Group also teaches the defensive tactics for Vehicle Dynamics Institute in located in New Jersey. VDI & EPI are considered the top schools for teaching Executive Protection (Bodyguards) and tactical / security driving in the World.
Alan is also the Association Director for the Combat Submission Wrestling Association (CSW). The CSW Association was founded by Sensei Erik Paulson and develops professional martial arts coaches around the world.
Rank and Certifications
Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor
2nd Degree Black Belt Affiliate Instructor - Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Master Pedro Sauer, Master Sauer is Certified 8th Degree Red/Black Belt under Rickson Gracie and Helio Gracie.
AMAC is a regional training center for the Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association
Kodokan Judo Instructor
2nd Degree Black Belt Instructor in Kodokan Judo under 8th Degree Master Bob Byrd
Combat Submission Wrestling Instructor - MMA
Coach Level 5
Representative Instructor for Georgia - Combat Submission Wrestling under Sensei Erik Paulson
STX Kickboxing Program Affiliate
Combat Submission Wrestling association / CSW Pro-Coach Association
Muay Thai Boxing Instructor
Khun Kru - Apprentice Instructor under Master Surachai "Chai" Sirisute
Affiliate Academy under Ajarn Greg Nelson
Black Level in Thai Boxing under Kru Steve Grantham
Jeet Kune Do - Jun Fan Gung-Fu InstructorSifu (Instructor)Jun dan / Jeet Kune Do Concepts under Sifu Dan Insounto
Sifu (Full Instructor) Jeet Kune Do under Sifu Paul Vunak
Sifu Black Belt (Instructor) Jing Mo Kuen / Jeet Kune Do under Sifu Steve Grantham
Inosanto International Martial Arts Instructors' Association
Pekiti-Tirsia Kali Instructor
Charter Instructor of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali under Tuhon Tim Waid
Pekiti-Tirsia Kali System Global Organization - Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is the official martial arts combat system of the Philippine Marine Corps and is the only Filipino Martial Arts system instructed to all Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is also the official martial arts system of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Filipino Martial Arts - Escrima / Kali Instructor
Charter Instructor of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali under Tuhon Tim Waid and Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr.
Guro (Instructor) Filipino Kali under Magulang Na Sifu/Guro Dan Inosanto
Guro (Black Level - Full Instructor) Filipino Kali / Escrima under Sifu/Guro Steve Grantham
Guro (Full Instructor) Filipino Martial Arts under Guro Paul Vunak
Inosanto International Martial Arts Instructors' Association
Pekiti-Tirsia Kali System Global Organization
Indonesian / Madjapahit Silat Instructor
Guro First Degree in Maphilindo Silat under Magulang Na Sifu/Guro Dan Inosanto
Inosanto International Martial Arts Instructors' Association
Burmese Martial Arts Instructor
Saya Black Belt (Instructor) Burmese Martial Arts under Saya Mike Jolley
Under the Progressive Burmese Combative Systems Association
Wing Chun Kung Fu Instructor
Sifu - Full Instructor Level 4 Wing Chun Kung Fu under Sifu Francis Fong
Sifu - Full Instructor Wing Chun Kung Fu under Sifu Steve Grantham
Affiliate Member of The Francis Fong Instructors Association (FFIA)
Chinese Boxing Instructor
Associate Instructor under Professor James Cravens
Chinese Boxing Institute International
Keysi Fighting Method - KFM
KFM Black Level (Black Belt)
DefenceLab DNA Fight System
2nd Degree Black Level
Combat Hard Hand Gun Combatives Instructor
Co-Founder of Combat Hard Handgun Combatives
Level 3 Instructor
Chinese Kung-Fu / Gung-Fu
7th Degree Black Belt in Huo Chuan Fa
3rd Degree Black Belt in Zu Wei Shu Kung-Fu - Grandmaster Dana Miller
3rd Degree Black Belt in Wing Chun Kung-Fu - Sifu Steve Grantham
1st Degree Black Belt in U.S. Chuan Fa - Grandmaster Dana Miller
Black Belt in Wing Chun Kung-Fu under Sifu Francis Fong
Progressive Fighting Systems
Sifu (Full Instructor) Progressive Fighting Systems (RAT) under Sifu Paul Vunak Certified Executive PFS instructor (CEI) under Sifu Paul Vunak
Korean martial arts
1st Degree Black Belt Tang Soo Do - Oh Do Kwan
Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics
SWAT Level 2 Certified
Defensive Tactics Instructor for the Marietta GA SWAT Team
Defensive Tactics Instructor for the Thomasville GA SWAT Team
T.A.C. Training: Tactical Arrest and Control Instructor under Master Pedro Sauer (Gracie Jiu-Jitsu)
Founder-Creator of the AMAC Tactical Training Group
Certified AMAC Tactical DT Instructor Trainer
Armed Ground Tactics Program Instructor
Weapon Retention Program Instructor
Vehicular DT Program Instructor
AMAC Tactical Website
Founder-Creator of the Civilian Tactical Training Association
C-Tac Instructor
Personal Protection Specialist
Certified Personal Protection Specialist PPS - Executive Protection Institute
Defensive Tactics Instructor for The Executive Protection Institute Clarke County, Virginia
Defensive Tactics Instructor for the Vehicle Dynamics Institute
Russian Kettlebell Instructor
RKC Instructor - Russian Kettlebell Instructor under Pavel Tsatsouline
Qigong / Chi Kung (meditation)
Level 4 practitioner - Spring Forrest Qigong under Qigong Master Chunyi Lin
Personal Protection Specialist
Certified Personal Protection Specialist PPS - Executive Protection Institute
Defensive Tactics Instructor for The Executive Protection Institute Clarke County, Virginia
Defensive Tactics Instructor for the Vehicle Dynamics Institute
Russian Kettlebell Instructor
RKC Instructor - Russian Kettlebell Instructor under Pavel Tsatsouline
Qigong / Chi Kung (meditation)
Level 4 practitioner - Spring Forrest Qigong under Qigong Master Chunyi Lin