Defensive Tactics

Self-Defense/Defensive Tactics: Unarmed defensive tactics courses are taught with a 15:1 student-to-instructor ratio at beginner and intermediate levels. 

Unarmed Defensive Tactics: This introductory course leads to a basic understanding of unarmed defensive tactics.  Students will learn the indicators and methods of adversaries attempting to inflict bodily harm and the appropriate mental and physical countermeasures to defend self and others from such harm. Combative skills and drills include punching, palm strikes, elbow strikes, knee strikes, common types of kicks, and head butts using all available anatomical resources; self-defense – defenses against common attacks such as chokes, headlocks, bear hugs, full-nelsons, etc; “engage to disengage” philosophy; and countermeasures against lone or multiple attackers.

Close-in Threat Recognition, Response, & Self-Defense: This course prepares the student to effectively use defensive measures against armed and unarmed attackers to avoid, deter, and/or counter physical aggression by an adversary. This course adds defenses against edged (knife), blunt (sticks, clubs, bats), and gun defenses to the self-defense tactics and combative skills learned in the introductory unarmed defensive tactics. Additional gun defenses, including long gun defenses, are introduced, including defending 360-degrees around the body and potential hostage situations. Students engage in multiple, in-depth drills on relocation and/or apprehension avoidance to include multiple unarmed attackers; attacker with a knife; and attacker with a gun trying to force an individual into a vehicle, through a doorway, into an alley, etc.