Our Founders

Michael Pelton started his martial arts background prior to becoming a Police Officer. He wrestled all four years in high school and during the off season also took judo classes. After graduating high school he became an assistant High School Wrestling Coach for two years where he attended coaching clinics, some including olympic gold medalist Dan Gable. These clinics helped him to become a better teacher, instructor, and coach.

In 2002 Mike started his law enforcement career and has since served on two law enforcement agencies during his 19 year career giving him the perspective and knowledge of multiple agencies. He began with the Sheriff’s Department in 2002 where he served as a patrol Deputy in both the San Xavier and Green Valley districts. In 2005 he lateraled to the Tucson Police Department. During his career with TPD he served as a patrol officer in Team 4, bike patrol in Teams 2 and 4, and what is formerly known as Downtown Division. While in bikes he was involved in graffiti detail and worked with the violent crime task force in Team 4. He was one of the founding officers for the Downtown District. He served as a class counselor at the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement training center and now is currently working there as a class officer helping to prepare recruits to graduate from the academy.

During his time with TPD he has been a Field Training Officer, General Instructor, Driving Instructor, and has had extensive experience at the academy. During his career he has been selected as recipient of the Southern Arizona First Responders Life Saving Award, TPD Life Saving Award, Unit Medal, and the Citation of Excellence Award.

Officer Pelton continued his journey into martial arts by extending his skill set into jiu-jitsu, getting to the level of purple belt and continuing to hone his skills by regularly participating in martial arts classes. The repetitive training during these classes are the reason why throughout his career he was able to use minimal force to take suspects into custody in many situations. As he nears the end of his career as a police officer, he wants to give back to officers and community members by helping to keep them safe through the NBR program which was designed to accomplish this exact mission.

Brendon Brumitt has been an avid martial artist since the age of 6 years old. His journey began with Taekwondo and Karate classes provided at the YWCA/YMCA after school program. In his teenage years, he ventured out to Japanese Jujutsu and continued to train Karate as time permitted. Upon joining the military, he continued his Jujutsu training in Japan and eventually obtained his 5th degree black belt. Upon completion of his time in the military, he returned to the US and opened his own Japanese Jujutsu training group and continued to teach and train. In 2005, he returned to Japan and began competing in Judo and training in mixed martial arts. During that time, he competed in MMA, Judo and Combat Submission Wrestling. He returned to the US again in 2014 and began training in Judo and eventually transitioned to Brazilian Jujutsu.

He joined the Navy in 1996 and was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan from 1997 to 2000. Once he was discharged, he began college and was eventually hired by the Tucson Police Department in 2001. He was assigned to Midtown Patrol and worked midnights. During his time on midnights, Brendon spent much of his time taking part in and assisting in narcotics and violent gang investigations. Brendon resigned his commission in 2005 and returned to Japan with his wife. There, he worked as a teacher and taught English and assisted with P.E. and other subjects. In 2014, his family decided to return to the US and he was rehired by the Tucson Police Department and spent the first few years in patrol. Since that time, he has been assigned as a field trainer, lead police officers and a zebra officer working in felony apprehension. In 2016, Brendon became an AZPOST general instructor and eventually became an instructor for high risk stops, defensive tactics and physical training. In 2018, Brendon was promoted to detective and in 2019 he was transferred to the Gang Investigative Unit. He is still an avid DT,PT and high risk stop instructor for the department for both the basic academy and advanced officer training.

During his time as a police officer, Brendon has been in numerous critical incidents and has frequently needed to use force. He attributes his mental resiliency and physical preparedness to constant involvement in martial arts training. It has guided his mindset, physical conditioning and outlook on situations as a police officer. In 2018, Brendon was in a use of force incident with a subject armed with a butcher knife at close quarters and was able to neutralize him without using weapons and was able to come out of the incident unharmed. He attributes that to his extensive martial arts training for physical and mental preparedness. Brendon is motivated to provide an environment for officers to gain a similar level of competence and confidence in their physical skills to help them survive their careers physically whole. He also believes that the repeated conflict rehearsal that regular martial arts training provides will allow officers to maintain their mental health through stress inoculation in a controlled environment. Brendon is eager to help build the No Belt Required program as the head coach in charge of training and curriculum to help officers remain whole throughout their career and to help provide professional and resilient officers to the public of Tucson.

Josh Beren was born and raised in Tucson, AZ where he grew up, went to high school, and lived until attending the University of California at Berkeley. He currently splits time between Arizona and California where he’s attending Antioch University Los Angeles’ Masters in Clinical Psychology program with an emphasis on Trauma studies.

Josh began his martial arts education as a child in Tucson where he took Kenpo Karate for 2 years before transitioning to Judo. In Tucson, he trained with ex U.S. Olympic alternate Steve Owen until he moved to California for college where Josh captained the Cal Berkeley Judo team and continued his training with, and earned his black belt from, ex U.S. Olympic coach Willy Cahill.

Josh is now a Niddan (second degree black belt) with over 23 years of Judo experience, training with and learning from the best people he could find. UFC Champions, Olympians, World Sambo Champions, Jiu-Jitsu World Champions, Navy Seals, Military Special Operators, Secret Service, Police, SWAT, Sheriff’s, and more. Josh has also taught and coached Judo at almost every level, from young kids to college students, from teaching adults to coaching at the World Masters. Josh is always learning and, in addition to Judo, he has started Brazilian jiu-jitsu and currently holds a purple belt. He currently trains at least once a week as a way of maintaining and growing his skill set as well as engaging in physical and mental self care.

Josh is the first to admit there are a lot of people more skilled and knowledgeable than he is when it comes to martial arts, but the reality is that most of those people are busy competing and running businesses. That leaves a gap when it comes to qualified individuals setting up vital community based programs. Josh hopes to give back the invaluable lessons and knowledge the martial arts, and the martial arts community, have given to him.

Josh has trained in rooms filled with first responders his whole life. First responders taught him how to defend himself and how to protect others. Now it is Josh’s turn to pay that knowledge and effort forward. The creation of the No Belt Required program and its mission of making communities safer for first responders and community members through continued martial arts education is something he is passionate about and truly honored to be a part of.