Introducing DMVCOMBATIVES
DMVCOMBATIVES is a system designed to help individuals defend themselves by utilizing the philosophy of Protection, Creating Space, and Escaping the threat that has presented itself. This system utilizes natural body moments as a bridge to proven techniques in proven martial arts to achieve safety.
About DMVCOMBATIVES
About The founder
About James Love Jr.
James Love Jr. is the founder and lead instructor of DMV Combatives, a self-defense training organization dedicated to helping everyday people develop practical skills to protect themselves and their loved ones.
A United States Marine Corps veteran, James has spent more than two decades working in professions where personal safety, decision-making under stress, and protecting others were daily responsibilities. His background includes service as a Maryland State Trooper, nearly nine years as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., and experience in protective security operations.
In addition to his law enforcement and security background, James is a lifelong martial artist with experience in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, and practical combatives. His training philosophy emphasizes simple, high-percentage techniques that can be learned and applied by ordinary people under real-world stress.
DMV Combatives was founded on the belief that self-defense should be practical, realistic, and accessible. Rather than focusing on winning fights, the program focuses on a simple philosophy:
Protect. Create Space. Escape.
Students learn how to recognize danger, protect themselves during an assault, create the opportunity to disengage, and get home safely. The goal is not to create fighters—it is to create survivors.
Beyond his role as an instructor, James sees himself as a teacher. Inspired by the legacy of his late father, Dr. James R. Love Sr., a pastor, theologian, and educator, he views teaching as a calling. Through DMV Combatives, he seeks to pass on knowledge, build confidence, and equip people with skills that may one day save their lives.
When he is not teaching, James continues to train in martial arts, pursue competitive combat sports, and work toward expanding DMV Combatives into a lasting organization that serves individuals, families, and communities throughout the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region.
“We don’t expect you to resort to violence, but we do expect you to be good at it.”
— DMV Combatives Founder, James Love Jr.