YOU are your own first responder, no one is coming to help you! Learn the skills to empower yourself.
- Economy of Motion
- Foundation Building
- Critical Skills Development
- Stress Inoculation
Balancing Speed and Precision
Mechanics, Markmanship, and Mindset
Teaching the Art, Science, and Laws of Armed Defense
Personal Gun Training By Appointment Only
Personal Firearms Training Services
“Remember though, your best weapon is between your ears and under your scalp, provided it’s loaded.”
-Robert Heinlein
Personal Training
Get patient, one-on-one, professional instruction and mentorship in the art, science and laws of armed self-defense using modern small arms that are effective in dealing with a Violent Criminal Actor (VCA) from a Personal Firearms Trainer with over 31 years of combined experience in teaching civilian, military, and law enforcement personnel in the firearms training disciplines. Your training goals become the lesson plan. Each lesson is tailored to your skill level and desired outcome.
TAILORED & FOCUSED INSTRUCTION
Private, mentorship training will always accelerate your learning curve. A training plan that is focused upon your needs and living environment will empower you even further.
Couples, Women Only, and Small Group Training
Train with your partner, small group, or family to have fun and build a critical trust relationship at the same time. Save money, too. Additional training partners come in at a steeply discounted price that lowers the overall cost of this type of training event.
FAMILY TRAINING
Using client feedback and final approval, a training plan that is appropriate to all family members may be developed. This may be as simple as an in-home safety presentation that educates on safe firearms handling or may be as involved as the client desires. Please see the Integrated Personal Defense Training Plan for further details.
WOMEN ONLY PRESENTATIONS AND TRAINING EVENTS
All training packages and presentations may be given to your women only group to provide a low-stress, teaching environment that will empower and introduce you to the principles and skills of armed defense. Introductory instruction that does NOT involve any live-fire, but does remove the “mysteries” of how guns work and the principles of personal defense, may be conducted at your suitable venue. Contact DFI to discuss your requirements and to develop a tailored lesson plan for your group.
Law Enforcement / Military Training
Do you feel that the firearms “training” that your agency/department provides to you should be better but, “they’ve always done it this way”? Would you like to actually obtain relevant, real-world, firearms skills that will allow you to prevail in an Officer Involved Shooting? If you answered “Yes” to either question, then contact DFI to improve your defensive firearms skillset.
Invest in yourself; no one else is going to be as interested in your success as you are. Learn life-saving skills from a veteran NRA Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor and Chief Range Safety Officer.
FIREARMS SKILLS MENTORING
- Annual and/or periodic re-qualification
- Remedial firearms training
- Plain clothes carry
- Unconventional/emergency shooting
POLICE CADET/TRAINEE
Are you headed for the police academy with little or no formal firearms training? Learning firearms skills under the intense stress of any police academy can be daunting. Get ahead of the rest of the class and learn your firearms basics in a calm environment with a police mentor. Pre-academy familiarization for handgun and patrol shotgun is available.
QUALIFICATIONS
California Department of Justice, Firearms Safety Certificate (FSC) Certified Instructor
Chief Range Safety Officer, National Rifle Association
Authorized CCW Trainer, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department
28 year veteran law enforcement firearms trainer
NRA Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor-Multiple Firearms Platforms
Certified Use of Force Analyst-Force Science™ Research Center
United States Marine Corps Rangemaster
TEACHING STYLE
While I am proud to point to my Marine Corps and Law Enforcement backgrounds as lifetime credentials, the stereotypes that are part and parcel to those professions are NOT the primary focus of my regular teaching persona. I use a mentoring style of instruction that is particular to the individual, is age/experience appropriate, and directly addresses the client’s goals. The overall emphasis is upon learning the principles of safe firearms handling in any environment, not just a formal firing range. This enhances, accelerates, and solidifies the learning experience and is the most beneficial method for retaining life-saving skills.
Testimonials
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I was afraid of guns and enrolled in my first gun class with Riley. He is an amazing instructor with attention to detail on handling a gun safely. Riley provided clear step by step instructions on handling the gun prior to firing it. By the end of my first class, I had overcome my fear and was sad class was over because I wanted to shoot more! I look forward to future lessons with Riley as I work on actually hitting the target.Munmy Wong, Tradeshow Coordinator, Los Angeles
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As a student in self-defense, I felt it necessary for me to have a basic knowledge of firearms; how they work and how to use them. I had never fired or held a gun before and was nervous to do so for the first time. Riley has the patience, knowledge and excellent communication and social skills to teach a wide range of people how to responsibly use a gun. I could not have envisioned a better experience in learning how to fire a gun for the first time than how Riley conducted his class. By the end of the session I felt much more comfortable in my ability to handle and fire a hand gun. I look forward to additional firearms instruction from Riley in the future.Ana Gamboa, Organic Chemist, Los Angeles
Latest from the Blog
The Blog
Legal / Safety / Training / Uncategorized
Four Cardinal Rules of Firearms Safety-Expanded
Depending upon which trainer, what range, or the particular gun related video that you may be watching, there will sometimes be more “rules” than these, but there should never be less. Especially at sporting events involving firearms usage, there will likely be many restrictions that are counterintuitive to “practical” usage. This is as it should…
Uncategorized
3 Flashlight Recommendations to Get You Started
Riley’s Flashlight Starters These 3 are great affordable starters Here is a short vid on my $.02 worth of flashlight “wisdom”. A modern compact flashlight with a LED bulb is powerful, very durable, a potentially effective “weapon of opportunity” if needed, yet is often neglected in an Every Day Carry inventory. These 3 affordable flashlights will…
Current Events / TCCC / Training / Uncategorized
Tactical Combat Casualty Care-Class
After Action Report Took a 2-day Tactical Combat Casualty Care TCCC class from Covered 6. It was long overdue for me and very well spent. Too often those of us in the tactical training world fixate on our own lane and neglect to expand our horizons a bit. My experience and knowledge in the emergency medical care…
Standards / Training / Uncategorized
Defensive Shooting “Standards”
What is Good Enough? Quite often in the learning curve of any new endeavor, and especially after the newness wears off, the new student will begin to inquire as to what level of competence will suffice for their needs; what is “good enough”. Usually the answer entails entails something along the lines of, “well, what is…
Legal / Training / Uncategorized
DFI’s Use of Force and Self Defense Laws Class
Defensive Firearms Instruction conducted a Use of Force and Self Defense Laws Class at Angeles Shooting Ranges. This class was an introduction into the world of criminal law and law enforcement procedures that is not often taught. However, in this increasingly litigious world where even the most righteous acts of self-preservation are microscopically criticized with…
Legal / Training / Uncategorized
Brandish Your Gun, Go to Jail
Don’t settle for the defensive training that came in the box with your gun. Your concealed handgun is NOT a talisman, or a “warning sign”, or a “shield”, to be flashed when you get a bit scared of, or uncomfortable with, the smelly transient who is begging for money in the parking lot or at the gas station pump. Your…
