Frequently Asked Questions

What is Protective Tactics?

Protective Tactics is a system, a simple, easy to learn, A-B-C, 1-2-3, step-by-step solution,
that empowers virtually anyone to stop a violent attack, to heal from violence in your past, and start to live the life you always wanted, to save your life, and save your family.  Protective Tactics is self-defense, and much, much more.

Is Protective Tactics just for women?

No.  I believe it is one of my responsibilities as a man and as a father to be able to protect my family when I am with them.  Very few men have the training to protect themselves, let alone protect their families.  Violence doesn’t just happen to women.  Boys are kidnapped.  Men are raped.  I believe everyone needs Protective Tactics.

Which martial art style is used in Protective Tactics?

Protective Tactics transcends martial arts styles.  My traditional training is in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Kali/Escrima, Brazillian Jujitsu, and Krav Maga.  My specialized training has focused specifically on street tactics.  Protective Tactics doesn’t use a specific style or styles, it just uses what works.  In order for something to work on the street, it has to be simple, basic, something that anyone and everyone can do.  Protective Tactics is not martial arts.

Can people who aren’t athletic, or older, or injured, or have disabilities, can they do Protective Tactics?

Yes!  That is part of the beauty of Protective Tactics.  The system is not situational based.  That means that I don’t teach a specific technique or skill to deal with specific situations.  That would require a lot of memorization and practice.  I first began the martial arts in Tae Kwon Do.  Tae Kwon Do, especially in the more advanced levels, includes a lot of spinning and jumping kicks.  Most people simply can’t physically do stuff like that.  Anyone can immediately deploy Protective Tactics because the entire system is based on doing what you can do.  In fact, if any of the above apply to you, it is even more important that you learn Protective Tactics.  If any of the above apply to you, you are currently a more likely target!  Apply to attend as soon as possible.

If I go to the Immersion Training, will I get hurt?

No.  One of the first martial arts schools I went to back in 1983, the instructor hurt me within the first five minutes.  I never went back.  I wanted to learn how to protect myself from injury, not go somewhere to get used to it.  Protective Tactics is taught with safety at the forefront.  We hit pads not people.  Even when my son or I put on the attacker suit, we focus on keeping people safe in the process.

Can my entire family take your training?

Yes.   We love when families attend to help each other stay safe and develop a culture of safety in your family.  However, each must be age 12 and older to attend the two day training due to the explicit nature of some of the discussions and effectiveness of some of the solutions taught.  We want to be sure that one is emotionally mature enough that what is learned is only used as necessary.  If you have younger children, we recommend that you take the training now so that you can protect them.  We also encourage you to share the videos and tactics that you believe are age appropriate for your child.

How is it possible to learn self-defense in one weekend?

I like the way one of my colleagues, Tony Blauer, puts it.  Think of learning self-defense like learning first aid.  You can learn first aid in one day and be able to save lives.  That doesn’t make you a doctor.  There is always more you can learn.  But in one weekend, you can also learn and be able to perform the most important and most commonly needed aspects of self-defense to save lives, including your own.  Remember that the Protective Tactics system also includes our email education system of video micro training and additional one day and weekend classes for those who want to continue their education and further enhance their preparedness.

How much does it cost?

We aren’t in this for the money.  All we ask is that you cover our cost of doing business, and help us to spread the word so we can empower more good people to stop bad things from happening.  How much is your life worth?  How much is your child’s life worth?  Even if you don’t think your life is worth much, it would cost someone 5-10 thousand dollars to bury you.  Which would you prefer, to invest in staying alive, or let your family suffer your loss and figure out how to pay to bury you?

Martial Arts takes years, cost thousands of dollars, and typically doesn’t prepare you for the reality of the street.  Self defense programs are typically very inadequate.  In fact, most of what you learn in the martial arts and in self defense classes will get you killed on the street!

What is it worth for your daughter to not get raped?  What is it worth for your son to not get kidnapped into sex slavery?  What is it worth to know your family is safer?  Put the value of this training in perspective.  Most of us pay more each year for car insurance, home insurance, health insurance, even life insurance, and none of those help us to prevent bad things from happening.  Protective Tactics does.  Protective Tactics prevents bad things from happening to you and your family.  Thus, we believe Protective Tactics is a bargain at any price.  To see our current pricing, see the tab “Events”

How is Protective Tactics different than other self-defense programs?

Protective Tactics is simple, it actually works, and anyone can do it.  Most self-defense programs are nothing more than a bunch of moves.  Moves people forget.  Others require people to practice and develop skills.  Skills are perishable.  Others teach advanced techniques, combinations, control and compliance moves, and fine motor skills.  They all break down under the adrenal stress of a violent street encounter.  Very few actually help you to develop the necessary mindset for the street, and most of the mechanisms taught simply don’t work.

Protective Tactics is comprised of mindsets, mechanisms, and mentoring that are proven to work on the street, where it counts.  The mindsets help people to prepare, prevent, and protect.  The mechanisms provide the specific tactics, targets, and tools.  The mentoring delivers the system in several ways, including book, workbook, video, immersion training, and ongoing video email support.  The Protective Tactics system empowers virtually anyone, both instantly and long term.

Why not just carry a handgun?

Some say they would just use their Glock, or 1911, or .45 to stop a violent attack.  Like owning a handgun and knowing who manufactured it or the caliber of their round implies that they are ready to stop a violent attack?  I usually then ask if they have their handgun, or their stun gun, or their pepper spray, or any other “lucky charm” with them at the moment?  9 times out of 10 the reply is, “no.”  You can’t use a tool if you don’t have it with you.  As a law abiding citizen, there are many places or times that one can’t legally carry.   Some cities, even a couple states, are very restrictive on who can legally carry a handgun, and what one can carry.  Most government owned buildings forbid firearms, including schools, courthouses, county buildings and fairgrounds.  For those who do carry a handgun, very few are trained to use it on the street.  On the street is not the same as shooting at a paper target holding still at 21 feet.  I believe we need to be able to stop a violent attack with the tools we have with us at all times.  Tools like tactics, our mind, our words, our elbows, hands, fingers, knees, and feet.  I believe that a firearm can be a useful tool.  Sometimes we need to be able to stop the attack long enough or create enough space to access our firearm.  In fact, I believe that if you carry a handgun, you especially need this training to be able to retain it so that it isn’t taken and used against you.  I also believe that you should have less lethal options.  After all, lethal is supposed to be your last resort.  How can lethal be your last resort if it is your only solution to stopping an attack?

Do you teach firearms too?

Yes!  Violence on the street is never fair.  Human predators, like any predator, choose prey which it believes to be an easy target.  Our actions, age, attitudes, awareness, beliefs, habits, health, gender, laws, location, numbers, occupation, proximity, size, time of day, weather, are all factors in if, when, and where we may be selected as a potential victim.  Even a large athletic man, like a large healthy animal, can be taken down by a predator with a weapon or a group of predators.  With proper training, a firearm is a useful tool to stop any and all predators.  With proper training, the mere efficient presentation of a firearm can even prevent an attack.  Many instructors teach how to safely use and shoot firearms.  On the street requires entirely different tactics and skills.  When someone attacks close quarters, has weapons to hit, stab, or shoot you, knock you to the ground, try to take your weapon, or there are multiple attackers, it changes everything!  Protective Tactics Firearm classes teach you the basics, AND how to use a firearm to save your life and save your family!

What about people in military or law enforcement?  Would your training help them?

Yes.  I think my training is especially important for military and law enforcement.  They put their lives on the line for others, yet, most of them get very little training.  In times of crises, while everyone else is running away or doing nothing, our military and law enforcement rush toward the danger to do something about it.  Same with other first responders like fire and medical.  The very limited training that first responders receive seldom provides the solution to street violence.  They all need this training so they get to return home to their families too.

What about people who have taken martial arts?  Do they need Protective Tactics?

Yes.  Most martial artists need this training.  There are many different styles of martial arts, and there is even more diversity among instructors.  The fact is that very few martial arts schools or instructors focus on self-defense.  The few that do focus on self-defense typically teach situational self-defense, memorized patterns, advanced or fine motor skills, all which break down on the street.  The street is very different than in the ring, or in the dojo.  The few martial artists who may not need it are the ones who really enjoy our training.  They believe in always seeking out more training, and they appreciate really high quality training.

Violence is serious.  Some of your testimonials said your weekend training was fun too.  How could that be? 

One of my mentors saw a video of people smiling and having fun at my training and didn’t think it was appropriate.  He had years of traditional martial arts training and his instructor didn’t smile and laugh.  His said his instructor never gave him a high five, and maybe shook his hand once after his Brown belt test.  I know fathers who rarely smile and never give their kids a hug too.  I’m a different kind of a dad and teacher.

Yes, violence is serious, and in that moment, you had better be all business.  However, I believe in finding humor and enjoyment in everything we do.  That includes during training.  There are many very serious times in our training.  The mindset is the most important factor in all success, including surviving a violent attack.

Perhaps you could take martial arts training instead.  You could invest hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars, and if you are like most martial artist, you still won’t be prepared.  You’ll get a lot out of your training.  I strongly believe in many of the benefits of martial arts training.  However, the tactics and tools of Protective Tactics simply aren’t taught in 99% of the martial arts schools.

I have found no alternatives that compare to Protective Tactics.

Where are you located?

My son and I travel throughout the US doing presentations, fundraisers, and training events for churches, schools, organizations and events.  Our public training events are held near Los Angeles CA, near Chicago Il, and near Richmond VA.  We reside in Chesterton Indiana.

Is there a way for people to learn Protective Tactics without attending a live event?

Yes.  However, nothing can replace the live event.  When someone invests in the Protective Tactics live event, they receive as a free bonus, my book, workbook, the entire event on dvd, and they are included in our email education system.  Every 3-5 days for a full year, you can receive a 3-5 minute succinct video micro training of what we teach at the live event, and much more.  There are many other aspects of Protective Tactics that don’t need to be taught live.  For example, some people have a “safe room” in their home in case of emergency.  Unfortunately, in the case of a violent attack, it is unlikely that the entire family could get to the safe room.  The Protective Tactics solution is to make your entire home more secure, and make each bedroom a “safe room”.  That can be taught on video.  The live event is a unique interactive process that saves and transform lives.

How do I attend?

See tab that says “Events” for upcoming events.  Apply to attend.

Would you speak at our Church?

Yes!  Edmond Burke over 200 years ago said, “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”  Yet, when face to face with evil, most good men do nothing because they don’t know what to do, how to do it, or if they should do it!

In the past, the church was a sanctuary.  Today, nearly every Sunday there is violence in a church somewhere in the US.  Today, on multiple occasions active shooters have killed dozens of people attending church.

We empower congregations and safety teams to stop evil.  We also teach the answers to the tough questions and provide the biblical support for what we teach.

Got other questions?

Please ask.  I’ll be happy to answer.  Contact Don