Tactical Self-Defense Training: Equipping Yourself with Essential Skills for Personal Safety

It can be difficult to consider the possibility of something bad happening to you. But the reality is that the world is not always a safe place. In 2021, the violent crime rate in California increased by 6%. While this is an improvement from the peak of violent crime in 1992, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for an unanticipated attack.

Tactical self-defense training teaches an individual how to defend themselves when facing a hostile situation, both with a weapon and without. It ensures that if you have a gun, you know how to use it correctly, and if you choose not to arm yourself, tactical self-defense can teach you how to escape a situation by utilizing effective body maneuvers.

Read on for everything you need to know about tactical self-defense training, and how these specific skills can help make you feel safer and better prepared.

 

What is Tactical self-defense training?

Tactical self-defense training helps a person assess a dangerous situation and communicate with those around them to get everyone to safety. First, there are de-escalation tactics that can be used to try and control as well as calm down a looming threat. If those don’t work, tactical self-defense training teaches you how to use a firearm or any other available weapon properly, and under pressure.

There’s no point in having a firearm if you don’t know how to use it. Trying to handle a firearm without the appropriate training can be extremely dangerous. 37% of nonfatal gun injuries in the United States are unintentional. It’s not enough to just have a gun for personal safety - you must learn how to use it accurately and safely.

Knowing tactical skills for personal use can help protect your community and loved ones, encourage you to feel safer going out at night, and contribute to a healthier culture around gun ownership.

 

What Do You Learn in Tactical self-defense training?

Tactical self-defense training teaches you how to react calmly in a dangerous situation. Most tactical self-defense training courses cover the following elements:

• Situational awareness: how to identify, comprehend, and respond properly to stressful factors in situations to assess if you’re in danger or not.
• Threat assessment: how to correctly respond to the threat at hand. If you suspect someone has a gun and proceed to shoot them without a thorough and accurate assessment, and then it turns out that the threat was misconstrued and it was just a wallet, you could seriously harm or even kill an innocent person.
• De-escalation techniques: a mix of purposeful actions, verbal communication, and body language to ease dangerous situations.
• Physical self-defense: a series of skills on how to protect yourself using your body or a weapon, in the event of a physical attack.

How to Choose the Right Tactical Defense Training Program

1. Evaluate the Instructor’s Credentials

You need to learn tactical self-defense from someone who has been in stressful situations. Look for instructors with military or police training, who have been trained to use a gun and de-escalation techniques. Make sure they offer dynamic training that goes over real-world scenarios where you can practice your response.

You should also consider your personal preference. For example, women may be more comfortable learning self-defense techniques from a woman rather than a man. 

If you’re located in Orange County, United Defense Tactical offers tactical self-defense classes from highly experienced instructors, with career backgrounds in the FBI, SWAT, Special Forces, U.S. Navy SEALS, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, and private military contractors.

2. Review the Course Curriculum

Ask for a class schedule to review what each course offers. If you own a handgun already, make sure that your particular model is covered. If you’re not interested in learning how to handle a  firearm, then check for beginner hand-to-hand techniques instead.

3. Read Past Student Reviews

The best way to preview a tactical defense training program is to read about past student experiences. Look on Yelp or Google Reviews to see what people liked or what could be improved about the program.

Tactical Self-Defense Empowers Community

At the end of the day, law enforcement officers can’t always respond to every situation fast enough, and some people may not feel comfortable calling them in the first place.

You can keep your family and community safe on your own through precise tactical self-defense training. These classes empower individuals to assess dangerous situations thoroughly so that anyone with training can appropriately de-escalate or respond to a threat.

If you’re in the Orange County area, consider signing up for some tactical self-defense classes at United Defense Tactical. We offer an 8-level training curriculum to help you protect your friends and family by following proper safety protocols. Sign up for a free intro class to get a feel for our training center today.