Annual 4-Day Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification
Train with Purpose. Certify with Confidence.
Date, Time and Location For 2026:
We are excited to announce that the 2026 Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification Course will be held alongside the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tulsa Downtown;
616 W 7th St, Tulsa, OK 74127
Dates: July 15–18, 2026 (Wednesday through Saturday)
Tuition: $495
Duration: Four full days of intensive training
What is the Annual 4-Day Annual Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification?
The Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification Course is a nationally recognized, four-day program grounded in real-world Krav Maga principles, taught through a law enforcement and military lens. This course equips instructors, security professionals, law enforcement personnel, and military trainers with the tactical, legal, and instructional tools necessary to lead defensive tactics programs within their organizations. Whether you are seeking your first instructor certification or need to renew and update your tactics, this course provides the tools, strategies, and support you need to excel.
This course is worth 40 CECs from CLEET. Other states may give CEC if requested through their training department.
Who is this course For?
Law enforcement trainers, Private security instructors, Military and paramilitary units, Corporate or institutional safety instructors, Defensive tactics or martial arts professionals seeking formal certification.
Course & Certification
4 days of intensive training, 40-hour instructor-level certification, Valid for 2 years, Renewal required every two years through attendance at a national course or a hosted certification
Additional Details
CEU eligibility may be available depending on your agency; Course offered annually and available for private hosting at your department or agency; HCCI Protection is the sole certifying authority for this program.
What you will Learn In the course
- Use of Force and Legal Alignment
- Understanding and applying the use-of-force continuum
- Proper articulation of actions in written reports and court testimony
- De-escalation, escalation, and the legal justification for force
- Subject Control and Handcuffing
- Handcuffing under resistance
- Tactical handcuffing from standing, kneeling, prone, and transitional positions
- 4- Hour TCCC Stress-Induced Scenario Based Training teaching the critical MARCH protocol
- Control techniques for compliant and combative individuals
- Expandable Baton Training
- Deployment and retention
- Striking zones and power generation
- Legal considerations and articulation
- Weapon Defense and Retention
- Disarming against firearms, knives, and blunt weaponsIn-holster retention and weapon protection
- Close-quarters engagements under high stress
- Striking and Counter-Offense
- Krav Maga striking fundamentals including punches, elbows, knees, and kicks
- Tactical movement and footwork under stress
- Partner drills and controlled resistance training
- Instructor Development Teach-backs and peer evaluation
- Scenario-based teaching methods
- Curriculum implementation and student evaluation tools
- Intro to Behavioral Threat Assessment
Why this program matters?
This course is not theory. It is built on the proven foundations of Israeli Krav Maga and U.S. law enforcement defensive tactics, shaped by direct field experience, and continuously updated to reflect the realities your teams face every day.
In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, your people will perform only as well as they are trained, and it is on us as leaders, instructors, and professionals to ensure they are prepared to act, survive, and return home.
Whether you’re leading a department, running a security company, or tasked with training the next generation of professionals, investing in this certification is an investment in life-saving readiness. Our curriculum is built around operational effectiveness, legal defensibility, and field-proven techniques that ensure your instructors and personnel are not just compliant but competent.
When lives are on the line, outdated training is not an option. This program provides the up-to-date tactics, mindset, and tools to help your team perform under pressure and go home safe.
Eligible department can receive 40 hours CEC for CLEET. Other departments may receive CEC based off departmental approval.
2026 Special Training Modules
Refuge Medical
Intro to Law Enforcement TCCC
4‑Hour Segment
We’ve partnered with Refuge Medical to deliver a focused 4‑hour module on Intro to Law Enforcement Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), designed for defensive tactics instructors and tactical teams. This module trains participants to integrate trauma care under duress, using realistic, scenario-based instruction rooted in the MARCH protocol:
- Massive Hemorrhage
- Airway
- Respiration
- Circulation
- Hypothermia
Participants will learn to:
- Recognize and stop life-threatening bleeding before it becomes fatal
- Manage airway, breathing, and circulation under tactical pressure
- Provide casualty care while maneuvering through evolving threats
- Train their teams to apply trauma care while under stress
This training is more than theoretical; it reflects best practices taught across law enforcement and elite defense units. Refuge Medical brings proven excellence and industry recognition.
This is not just a “nice to have” this training saves lives. As DT instructors, it’s our duty to prepare our teams not just to fight, but to survive and protect others when seconds count. This module adds critical value to the DT certification, elevating your instructor capability and your organization’s trauma‑response readiness.
Patrick Van Horne
Intro to Law Enforcement TCCC
Introductory Session
A special 1.5-hour introductory session as part of this year’s Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification Course.
Van Horne’s groundbreaking work, originally developed for the Marine Corps and now used by organizations worldwide, teaches students how to proactively assess human behavior, detect pre-incident indicators, and gain a decisive advantage in complex, high-risk environments. His book has become required reading across military and law enforcement institutions and offers a powerful framework for those responsible for public safety.
This intro session is tailored to defensive tactics instructors to help integrate situational awareness and behavior-based threat recognition into their training programs.
Meet Our Instructors
Patrick Van Horne
Co-Founder of CP Journal Left of Bang
Patrick Van Horne is the co-author of “Left of Bang” and the co-founder of The CP Journal, where he helps organizations prevent, prepare for, and proactively respond to disasters, disruptions, and acts of violence. A former Marine Corps infantry officer who began his career following the September 11th attacks, Patrick has spent more than 20 years supporting public and private-sector organizations as an entrepreneur, consultant, and public servant.
His book—selected for the Marine Corps Commandant’s Reading List—introduced a groundbreaking approach that taught Marines how to proactively recognize threats, assess human behavior, and gain an advantage in complex environments. Today, that same methodology is used by organizations around the world to prepare for an uncertain future, prevent violence, enhance healthcare delivery, strengthen cybersecurity operations, improve educational programs, and support better decision-making.
Refuge Medical
Training for Tactical Emergency Medical Care
Refuge Medical is a nationally recognized trauma response and medical training provider delivering cutting-edge instruction to law enforcement, military, and civilian audiences. With accreditations including:
- CLEET (Oklahoma)
- POST certified
- C-TECC and CoTCCC conformant
- American Heart Association (AHA)
- NAEMT PHTLS instructors
- Joint Trauma Systems conformant
- ECSI-accredited
- DOD/DARPA MASH contractor status
Refuge Medical has conducted hundreds of classes and trained thousands of students: from everyday citizens to elite Special Operations Forces (SOF). Their reputation for excellence in scenario-based training and tactical casualty care has made them a trusted partner for mission-critical medical readiness.
Tony Georgiades
Retired Lieutenant Colonel, DT Instructor
Tony Georgiades is a retired peace officer, U.S. Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel, and the founder of Molon Labe Defensive Tactics (MLDT). With a background spanning law enforcement, military anti-terrorism, and martial arts, Tony brings decades of tactical expertise to this program.
He holds multiple black belts, is a certified CLEET and NRA firearms instructor, and has trained personnel both domestically and abroad - including in Afghanistan, where he implemented police training programs. Tony is a U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee and a recognized leader in defensive tactics, edged weapons, and fitness instruction.
Since 2019, Tony has also served as a direct instructor and mentor to Shane Ammerman and remains a core contributor to the curriculum and instruction of the Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification Course, returning for the 2026 program with continued leadership and instruction.
Dean Bridges
Retired Command Seargent Major, DT Instructor
Dean Bridges is a retired Command Sergeant Major and the inheriting Soke of Tai Koshi Do, his primary martial art discipline. With over 40 years of experience in the martial arts; including Bushido Kempo, Jeet Kune Do, Aikijitsu, Krav Maga, and more Dean has dedicated his life to training professionals in real-world defense.
As a combat veteran with 25 years in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, Dean served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, holding roles from Fire Team Leader to Brigade Command Sergeant Major. His instruction spans globally, having trained the Afghanistan National Army, Dominican Republic Special Forces, U.S. military units, and American SWAT teams.
Dean is a certified instructor in Krav Maga, Israeli Tactical Knife Fighting, Israeli Combat Pistol and Rifle, Defensive Tactics, Tactical Driving, and NRA-certified firearms instruction. He is also the founder of Nowata Krav Maga and Team Phoenix Instruction, and has mentored Shane Ammerman since 2018, helping shape the instructional foundation of this Defensive Tactics program.
JC Shoemaker
COO and Training Director HCCI Protection, DT Instructor, USMC Veteran
JC Shoemaker is a Marine Corps veteran with over 11 years of experience in both military and private sector security. Since 2019, he has helped lead HCCI Protection’s training division since 2020, building out the instructor development program that has produced some of the best-trained professionals in the industry. JC joined HCCI Protection's team because he believes in the mission of transforming the Security and Tactical training industries with real professionals dedicated to safeguarding the communities they serve.
JC holds instructor certifications in ASP, NRA, PepperBall, Orcutt Police Nunchaku, Krav Maga Defensive Tactics, Krav Maga, Israeli Weapons Instructor, Left of Bang, and Combative Jujitsu. Known for his discipline, leadership, and real-world instruction, JC brings operational credibility and hands-on experience to every course he teaches.
Shane Ammerman
Founder of HCCI Protection, DT Instructor, USMC Veteran
Shane Ammerman is the Owner and CEO of HCCI Professional Protective Services LLC and the owner of the national Krav Maga Defensive Tactics Instructor Program. With more than twenty years of experience in martial arts, Krav Maga, weapons training, military preparation, and hands on security operations, Shane has become one of Colorado’s leading experts in the security industry, real world defensive tactics, and protective work.
Shane’s training includes Advanced Defensive Tactics Instructor certification, Krav Maga Instructor certification, Israeli Tactical Weapons Instructor certification, NRA Firearms Instructor certification, Homeland Security Anti-Terror and Counterterrorism training, OPN Instructor certification, ASP Instructor certification, PepperBall Instructor certification, and extensive Executive Protection training. His combined background brings a depth of knowledge rarely found in the private sector.
Throughout his career, Shane has protected schools, synagogues, faith-based organizations, businesses, community centers, and high-risk individuals across Colorado. He is widely recognized as Colorado’s leading expert in Jewish community security and has been at the forefront of transforming security standards statewide.
His mission has always been clear. Elevate the security industry. Build real careers for real professionals. Bring integrity, accountability, and excellence into a field that desperately needs all three. Through HCCI Protection and the Krav Maga Defensive Tactics Instructor Program, Shane now brings that same mission driven focus to the training world, preparing professionals to protect lives with skill, confidence, and purpose.
