Taught in person by Massad Ayoob

This one week 40+ hour course of instruction is offered by the Massad Ayoob Group in conjunction with The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc. to teach and certify self-defense firearms instructors in the complicated and nuanced discipline of teaching the legalities of use of deadly force in self-defense. Teaching how to shoot is the easy part. Much tougher is teaching people when and when not to use force, including deadly force, in self defense. In addition to learning what to teach and how to present it, students will also learn how to take their expertise to court, to both serve as a material witness for their students, and perhaps an expert witness in other self-defense court cases.

A two-day, 20-hour immersion course in rules of engagement for armed law-abiding private citizens, emphasizing legal issues, tactical issues, and aftermath management. Topics will include interacting with suspects, witnesses, responding police officers…threat recognition and mind-set…management of social and psychological aftermath after having had to use lethal force in defense of self or others…and preparing beforehand for legal repercussions and minimizing exposure to them. Situations in the home, at the place of business, or “on the street” will all be covered.

Prerequisite: none.

Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) course is the flagship Shivworks Course and takes place over 2.5 days with a total of 24 training hours. Instruction is given on functional handgun skills from zero to five feet, a unique problem requiring an interdisciplinary approach. Provided is a template for what we feel are the best practices between verbal and physical skills to avoid, stabilize, and resolve a life-threatening situation within the context of the criminal assault paradigm while armed.

Classes consist of 10-14 students, and are two days long. Classes are focused on the practical shooting skills that will help you more confidently plan, tackle, and shave time from your performance with a pistol. While this class does contain some advanced fundamentals, the class is dynamic and stage oriented. The class also includes a day of “firing line” type fundamentals training, however we wont burn through ammo like a regular class. Therefore, the round counts are bit lower than what you might have seen at traditional 2-day classes in the past – we will make them count. I am a firm believer that when it comes to proper practice, quality is much more important than quantity, so this class will also cover principles of efficient practice, and how to structure your practices to identify and address your weaknesses. Students should plan on bringing a lunch. 

The time to learn to use your personal trauma kit is not when you or someone else is bleeding out!!! When life expectancy is measured in seconds and help is minutes away, will you know what to do? In our uncertain lives, that is a question that we all need to be able to answer a resounding, “Yes!” to. Dark Angel Medical, LLC, is proud to offer training and instruction in the use of the D.A.R.K. The Direct Action Response Training** fills a niche between military self-aid/buddy care training and civilian EMS training and is geared towards those with little to no medical training or background. It provides the student with critical, need-to-know information, which can be utilized in a myriad of situations and stresses the ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ principle as well as our own principle of “Simplicity Under Stress”. The course is 2 days in length with a total of 16 hours of classroom work to include slide presentations, videos, question and answer sessions and hands-on practical skills application. A manual and all training aids will be provided.