Ladies Pistol and Self Defense

I grew up in a WASPy house - and my parents instilled in me: guns are bad. As a woman, I was intimidated by guns, but Firearms Training Associates literally changed (and saved) my life.

Back in 1999, I had the misfortune of receiving death threats, harrassing emails and was stalked by a man who was (a) an identity theft expert; (b) a hacker and (c) had a lengthy prison record that included assault and battery - against his own mother, who was in law enforcement, herself!

I changed my phone number...and relocated, but shortly thereafter, this man showed up at my parent's house (he did a public records search) - and the kicker is that he lived in Louisiana... my parents lived in Southern California. The guy took a 4 day Greyhound Bus trip to track me down. This was some serious, life-threatening stuff... and the police couldn't detain him because he calmly presented them with a cover story and a fake ID... so they had nothing on him, really because he obscured his true identity.

I lived in constant fear for my life, and that of my son. I hired private investigators and armed security, because of the gravitas of the situation. I spent in excess of $25,000 in protection, alarm installation, security lighting, a guard dog and research on this man. And I was still terrified. Despite all of the precautionary measures, I felt helpless.

FTA was recommended to me, and I went, with great trepidation to their Concealed Carry Weapons course... I was overwhelmed by the professionalism and practical, tactical training that I received, both in the classroom and on the range. I literally took back my life, and learned how to successfully defend my family in life-threatening scenarios.

To date, I have taken the following courses: (many of them, multiple times) Concealed Carry Weapon, The Ladie's Pistol/Self Defense, General Handgun, Advanced Pistol - Low Light and Night Shooting, Pistol Live Action Simulator, Live Fire Entry, Tactical Handgun.

I can't recommend the "End of the Month Shoot" enough... which is a continuing education course available to students who have completed one basic course... for an unbelievable materials fee of only $20. It's the best way to refresh your skills and maintain the training that you've received.

The staff are phenomenal and come with certifications that include: FBI, Special Ops and SWAT training. It doesn't get any better than FTA.

If you love your family, you will invest in your education of self-defense and learn how to protect the people you care about. Know that this is not some backwoods "shoot 'em up" fanatical group - these are highly skilled law-enforcement professionals who have been in the deep and can educate you on how to avoid confrontations, assess potential threats, and honor that "prickly feeling on the back of your neck".

Ladies - the coursework available through FTA is tailored to those of us who are squeamish about firearms... but you will emerge empowered, educated and ultimately more capable of protecting yourself and your loved ones.