Our Instructors
Chris Lovato
(Head Instructor San Luis Obispo and Atascadero)
Bio / About
Chris Lovato is a Paragon black belt under Franjinha Miller (bio here) and holds numerous competition titles in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His grappling experience began with more than 15 years of wrestling at the high school and collegiate level and has state titles in freestyle and Greco roman wrestling. From 1989 to 1994 he coached high school and junior high school wrestling with a number of his students placing the California State Championships.
In 1995 Chris began training both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo. He spent 5 years training and competing in Judo and earned his Judo Black Belt in 1997 from Mario Rubio of Five Cities Judo in Arroyo Grande.
Chris has been training and competing in BJJ and submission wrestling for more than 18 years. Chris’ classes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu incorporate both wrestling and judo into the BJJ curriculum.
Credentials
BJJ fourth degree black Belt under Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller of Paragon
Judo Black Belt under Mario Rubio of Five Cities Judo in Arroyo Grande.
15 yrs high school, collegiate freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling
Level 2 Combatives Instructor in the Modern Army Combatives Program
Post Certified Arrest and Control Instructor at Allen Hancock Police Academy
2014 Black Belt Pan Am Champion
2013 Black Belt No Gi Worlds, 2nd place
2012 Black Belt No Gi Worlds Champion
2011 Black Belt
US Open 1st place. 3rd place Absolute
American Nationals 1st place Gi, 1st place No Gi
No Gi worlds, 2nd place
Pan AM 3rd place
Abu Dahbi Trials Las Vegas 2nd place Absolute
2010 Black Belt
No Gi worlds, 1st place absolute, 3rd place
US open, 1st place middleweight and absolute
American Nationals, 2nd place
Titles at both Purple and Brown Belt include Pan Ams, US Open, and No Gi Worlds
Kru Albert Malatamban
Bio / About
Kru Albert Malatamban's journey in Muay Thai began in 1972, starting his martial arts training in Shotokan Karate, with Sensei Abe Belardo through the Way of Japan orginization. Sensei Abe has since awarded him his Ni Dan, second degree Black Belt. Sensei Abe is also a popular Muay Thai, Pro Boxing and UFC judge.
From 1978 to 1990 Albert served in the U.S. Marines. He developed his unique teaching and leadership style while serving 3 years as a Marine Drill Instructor and Senior Drill Instructor at The Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, Ca. He ended his Marine Corps career as a Staff Sergeant.
While serving overseas in the Marines, he was exposed to the art of Muay Thai. He immediately fell in love with the art, training and learning from who ever he could.
Kru Albert’s focus now is on The Elite Muay Thai Academy. Teaching classes out of Paragon Brazilian Jiu Jitsu San Luis Obispo. With the knowledge gained in more than 38 years of martial arts, over 12 years of training fighters and teaching Muay Thai.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructors
Mallory Lovato
Mallory Lovato is a Paragon Brazilian Jiu Jitsu first degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Chris Lovato and Franjinha Miller. Mallory began Jiu Jitsu in 2008 while in college when she enrolled in a “womens self-defense” class, that was essentially a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class.
Mallory joined Paragon in 2010 after graduating from Cal Poly with a Masters degree in mechanical engineering. She has competed in and placed in numerous World and Pan Am Championships. Mallory is only the 3rd civilian (non Law enforcement personnel) to become a Post Certified (Stater of California) Law Enforcement Instructor through Allen Hancock Police Academy.
Mallory teaches both kids and adult Jiu Jitsu classes and manages Paragon’s five schools on the Central Coast.
Jeremy Dawson
Bio / About
Jeremy Dawson is a Paragon Brown belt under Chris and Mallory Lovato. Jeremy’s grappling started with JR. high and high school wrestling in the state of Washington. From 2000-2004 he served in the United States Coast Guard as a boarding team officer and search and rescue boat driver. In 2005 he began training Muay Thai under Kru Albert Malatamban. He was a member of the fight team competing all over the state of California. In 2014 he began training Krav Maga and earned a Yellow Belt while also continuing his training in Muay Thai. In 2016 he began training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Juanito Sandoval and Sean Apperson at the Santa Barbara Paragon Location and San Luis Obispo Location under Chris and Mallory Lovato. Having a love for competition Jeremy soon began to compete and win several Jiu Jitsu competitions. After earning his purple belt he began training full time under Chris and Mallory Lovato in San Luis Obispo, where he currently trains and teaches.
Credentials
· BJJ Brown Belt under Chris and Mallory Lovato
· Former Muay Thai Competition Team
· Cal Poly Graduate: Business Management
· United States Coast Guard Veteran
· 2017 Blue Belt SJJIF World Champion
· 2018 Blue Belt US Open Champion
· 2019 Blue Belt Fugi Open 2nd place
· 2019 Blue Belt Pan Am Champion
· 2023 Brown Belt American Grappling Federation Champion
Brent Dugan (Black Belt)
Brent began training submission grappling/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at 16 years old. At the age of 17 he joined the United States Marine Corps and served his country for five years. While enlisted he attained the rank of Sergeant and became a black belt instructor in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. During this time he was to be able to continue training at several different BJJ gyms in Southern California.
Transitioning from the military, he began his career in law enforcement. Throughout his career in LE, he received top recognition in areas of defensive tactics and firearms, and spent numerous years assigned to the department’s SWAT team.
In addition to pursing his career in LE, he continued his passion for BJJ. Brent has been training at Paragon under Chris Lovato since 2012. He has competed and received medals in tournaments such as the IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and the BJJ Tour US Open.
Brent is the lead instructor at Paragon Paso Robles.
John Marine (Black Belt)
John is the head instructor at our Arroyo Grande Loation
John Appleby (Black Belt, second degree) Wrestling Coach with over 25 years of wrestling/grappling including U.S. Army(7th inf div) wrestling team from 1988-1991. John has extensive competition experience in shootwrestling and mixed martial arts and he earned a black belt in shootwrestling and submissions in 2004 and was undefeated in shootwrestling and submission competition.
Jon Green (Black Belt, third degree) Conditioning coach
Shawn Sherman (Black Belt, second degree)
Aaron Frappier (black belt, first degree)
Jeff Molinaro (black belt)
Joe Stanley (Black Belt, second degree)
Dan Perry (Black Belt) United States Army Level 4 Combatives Instructor. United States Marine Corps Okinawa Island freestyle wrestling Champion. Currently runs the State Combatives program for the California National Guard.
Larry Nash (Black Belt, first degree)
Shoop Avina (Black Belt)
Ty Lewis (Black Belt, second degree)
Chuck Rylant (Black Belt, first degree)
Brian Riskas (Black Belt)
Sonny Gerber (Black Belt)
Nick McClure (Black Belt, first degree)
John Murphy (Black belt)
