Officer Survival Series

ROb Magao

HEAD INSTRUCTOR & OWNER

Rob Magao is the founder, owner and head instructor of the Officer Survival Series.

With over 25 years of law enforcement experience, Rob has worked in various units to include; patrol, SRO, conservation law-enforcement, street crimes, narcotics, internal affairs, and as a detective investigating serious crimes. Rob also served 18 years on SWAT and helped to create and run the CT SWAT Challenge since its inception in 2005. Rob also has experience in dignitary protection and has provided executive protection services to high priority clients and has assisted in training executive protection specialists. This experience is vital in being able to teach realistic self-protection skills based on real life experiences and not just theory.

Rob is a highly respected international law enforcement instructor. He has taught hundreds of personnel from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies as well as those in the United States Military in the areas of defensive tactics, arrest and control, ground fighting, officer survival, force on force, firearms, Taser, SWAT, Dignitary Protection and Physical Fitness.

Rob has over 30 years in the martial arts and is a certified Gracie Jiu-Jitsu 3rd degree blackbelt under legendary Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instructor Pedro Sauer. Rob owns and operates both Manchester Brazilian Jiu-jitsu/Bushido in Manchester, CT and Hebron Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Hebron, CT. Rob is the host of The Code Podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube!

Rob is also the Director of Development for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) 111 Project and he is a sponsored athlete/ambassador for the Invictus Law Enforcement Jiu-jitsu Collective. Rob is also an active grappling competitor with IBJJF and Reality Fighting/NAGA.

Eric Lundell

Senior Instructor

Eric Lundell has served 19 years in law enforcement and is currently a sergeant at an agency in CT. Eric is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jay Bell at Gracie Farmington Valley and is a Level 5 Instructor for the Officer Survival Series program. Eric has also served on a regional emergency team for 15 years holding positions as a sniper, breacher, team leader and ultimately retiring as a team commander. Eric currently coaches’ youth and high school wrestling and teaches weekly Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes. Eric is our lead instructor for our in-fight weapon access curriculum.

CJ Delany

Senior Instructor

C.J. Delaney is a 22 year veteran law enforcement officer on Long Island, New York and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blackbelt under Korfhage/Serra.

CJ is also a Level 5 Instructor for the Officer Survival Series Program and the lead DT trainer for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office

Long Island, NY where he is the academy coordinator for new recruits and for in-service.

CJ is an experienced DT Instructor,General Topics Instructor, Use of Force Instructor, Firearms Instructor (FBI), OC Chemical Agent Instructor, Crisis Intervention Instructor (CIT), Fair and Impartial Policing Instructor (FIP), NYS Certified School Resource Officer, Sandy Hook Initiative Instructor and helps coordinate the Sheriff’s Office Explorer and College Internship Programs.

CJ also served our great country during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2009-2010 with the USCG Port Security Unit 301 out of Cape Cod, MA.

CJ is also an Invictus Sponsored Athlete for the BJJ Make it Mandatory Movement.

Jerry Lashway

Senior Instructor

Jerry Lashway is a retired 21 year corrections officer and retired 25 year military police officer (both in 2020). Jerry is a level five officer survival series instructor. Jerry's been to dozens of schools in both of his careers and was an instructor in use of force, defensive tactics, active shooter and emergency medicine. Jerry's a first degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a Thai Boxing instructor. He's travelled around the country teaching officers from multiple states Defensive Tactics. Jerry is also our lead instructor for our edged weapons curriculum.

DAVID THARAS

Senior Instructor

David Tharas is a 10 year veteran with the Connecticut State Police and is currently assigned to the CT State Police Academy as the Defensive Tactics Instructor. Dave holds a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under Luigi Mondelli (American Top Team / Kore Danbury) and a Black Belt in Integrated Combative Arts Training (ICAT) Reality Martial Arts (RMA) under Shihan Walt Lysak and Luigi Mondelli. Dave is a Level 5 Instructor for the Officer Survival Series Program and the lead Combatives instructor at American Top Team Danbury. Dave currently teaches civilians and Police Officer's in Western CT and NY.

MIKE WOLF

Senior Instructor

Mike has served twenty years in law enforcement and is currently a detective with an agency in CT. Mike has been a POSTC certified instructor for 15 years and trains officers in the areas of Use of Force, Firearms, Building Searches, Active Shooter, arrest and control, handcuffing, baton and less lethal. Mike has also served on his department’s Special Response Team for 14 years. Mike is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Luigi Mondelli and Dennis Hill and is a Level 5 Instructor for the Officer Survival Series program. Mike currently trains both law enforcement and private citizens in the South Central area of CT.

Dr. Richard Kamin

OSS MEDICAL ADVISOR

Rich is an actively practicing emergency/EMS physician at the University of Connecticut Health Center where he is the EMS Program Director. Rich oversees and teaches the Tactical Emergency Casually Care (TECC) portion of our Officer Survival Series Program. Rich also serves as the Medical Director for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Office of EMS. He received both his bachelor of science and medical degree from the University of Washington and subsequently completed a residency in Emergency Medicine and EMS Fellowship at the University of Connecticut. Rich is proud to be a part of the second group of physicians to obtain board certification in EMS.

Rich is the Co-Chair of the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care after having served as a Guidelines Committee and Board of Directors member. He is the Past-Chair for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Tactical EMS Section, a member of the ACEP High Threat Task Force and a participant with the National Tactical EMS Competency Domains Project and the NFPA 3000 effort. Rich is actively involved in teaching medical students, residents, pre-hospital providers, law enforcement officers and other physicians. He has the privilege of providing medical support for multiple law enforcement teams in Connecticut.

Dr. Jonathan Eldor (Yoni)

Medical Perspective, Vetting and Oversight of Officer Survival Series Curriculum

Yoni is a practicing trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston as well as Wentworth Douglass Hospital in New Hampshire. He is an instructor of surgery at Harvard Medical School where he is involved in teaching medical students, residents, and fellows. He is also an Advanced Trauma Life Support Instructor.

Prior to his medical career he served in the Israeli Defense Force in a Special Forces Unit, and he is also a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Rob Magao.

Yoni Received his Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering and Pre-Med at Stony Brook University in Long Island, NY; his Medical Degree at State University of NY at Buffalo; completed his residency at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY; and Trauma and Surgical Critical Care fellowship at Boston Medical Center. He is Board Certified by the American College of Surgeons in both Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, and was given the prestigious designation of being a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Eldor provides medical perspective, vetting, and oversight of the Officer Survival Series. He evaluates the techniques and strategies from the medical perspective to ensure maximum safety for our police officers and the citizens they serve. Techniques and strategies can have varying results and injury prevention cannot be guaranteed, but ongoing self evaluation and an evidence based process yields high standards for good outcomes to all parties.