Our Instructors

Donovan Brooks is a civilian firearms instructor, competitive shooter, and professional educator with over 18 years of experience teaching and coaching more than 2,000 students across academic and athletic disciplines. His background in education has shaped his approach to firearms instruction, emphasizing clear communication, measurable progress, and long-term skill development rather than one-time qualification.

Donovan began competitive shooting in 2011, drawn to the challenge and discipline after years as a martial artist. What started as a personal pursuit of improvement quickly developed into a deeper commitment to mastering the firearm as both a defensive tool and a performance discipline. Over time, he became the person friends, colleagues, and new gun owners turned to for guidance—not just on equipment selection, but on how to develop real competence. This demand, combined with his passion for teaching, led to the founding of Dojo Armed Defense.

As an active competitor, Donovan holds a USPSA A Class classification in the Limited Optics division and regularly competes in USPSA, two-gun, and performance-based shooting events, consistently finishing near the top of his division. He trains daily, combining dry fire, live fire, virtual reality training, and competition to continuously refine his own abilities. His competitive experience ensures that the techniques he teaches are performance-validated, current, and grounded in measurable results.

Donovan has trained with leading civilian, military, and law enforcement instructors over more than a decade of formal coursework, and continues to pursue professional training each year. His instruction is further informed by his experience as a Search and Rescue Technician (SAR Tech III), NAPWDA K9 SAR Handler, and Wilderness First Responder, reinforcing his belief that firearms proficiency is only one component of a broader system of personal preparedness, decision-making, and responsibility.

As an instructor, Donovan has worked with over 120 students ranging from brand new gun owners to those pursuing competitive shooting. His teaching philosophy is centered on helping students learn how to learn—developing the ability to diagnose their own performance, correct errors, and continue improving independently. He rejects the common misconception that firearm ownership alone provides security, emphasizing instead that competence is earned through deliberate practice, disciplined training, and personal responsibility. Training trumps talisman. 

Through Dojo Armed Defense, Donovan’s mission is to help develop capable, responsible citizens who are prepared to protect themselves, support their communities, and approach firearms with the seriousness and discipline they deserve. His instruction prioritizes safety, accountability, and performance, ensuring that students leave not only more skilled, but more confident and self-reliant. He recognizes that the firearm is only one of many tools that can save lives, and that a person’s mental framework and problem-solving ability are ultimately more decisive than equipment alone.  His teaching is guided by his “3 A’s of Self-Defense” philosophy: Awareness, Avoidance, and Application of Force—emphasizing prevention, judgment, and competence over reliance on equipment alone.

Donovan is an NRA Certified Basic Pistol Instructor, NRA Range Safety Officer, and South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit Instructor. He continues to actively train and compete, pursuing Master classification in USPSA and advanced performance standards in multi-discipline shooting.

He maintains an active training and competition schedule to ensure his students receive current, performance-validated instruction. His students include brand new gun owners, concealed carriers, and competitive shooters, many of whom have gone on to achieve measurable performance improvements, competitive classification, and match success.